Kumar Lab | chemical biology lab

The Kumar Lab is a chemical biology lab at the University of Denver and the Knoebel Institute of Healthy Aging.

We belong to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biophysics.

The research projects for our group aim to develop potent ligands to treat aging diseases- from neurodegeneration to cancer.

What are we working on?

Neurodegenerative diseases

We synthesize, design, and test oliopyridal ligands for anti-aggregation of α-synuclein, Aβ, tau, and HTT proteins to identify, characterize, and refine potent potential therapeutics for Parkinson's Disease (PD), Huntingtin's Disease (HD), Alzheimer's Disease (AD), and Amyolateral schlerosis (ALS).

All members of our lab contribute to this research, in the forms of organic synthesis and work with αS and Aβ proteins.

We have presented on this topic at the Proteinopathy Symposium Winter 2023, ACS Spring 2024, and have plans to present on it at ACS Fall 2024.

Please see the publications page for papers published by our group on the topic.

Cancer, autophagy, and apoptosis

We synthesize, design, and test molecules to treat cancer by targeting autophagy and apoptosis, in addition to disrupting domain binding events.

Past conferences

Previously, our group has presented at the Proteinopathy Symposium hosted by KIHA and the Spring 2024 ACS conference.

Funding

NINDS and NIH

Department of Defense, Therapeutic Idea Award

Parkinson’s Foundation
Stanley Fahn Junior Faculty Award

American Parkinson’s Disease Association

Movement Disorders Foundation
Young Investigator Pilot Grant

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The Kumar Lab is a chemical biology lab at the University of Denver and the Knoebel Institute of Healthy Aging.

What are we working on?

Kumar Lab at DU