Dr. Kumar’s lab (Cancer Biology, Cell Engineering and Therapeutics) is largely directed towards studying the impact of cell-of-origin and genomic instability on tumor incidence, cancer stem cells, heterogeneity, metastasis, and development of more effective therapeutic strategies for breast cancer treatment. His research is involved in identifying the inter-individual variability in pliancy of breast epithelial cells, genesis of molecular subtypes, associated molecular mechanisms and target the chemo-resistance pathways in tumor models.

PROFESSIONAL / RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

2023 January ─ Present: Assistant Professor at School of Biomedical Engineering, IIT (BHU), Varanasi, UP, India.

2022 ─ Present: Ramalingaswami Fellow (Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India) at School of Biomedical Engineering, IIT (BHU), Varanasi, UP, India.

2022 August ─ 2023 January: Assistant Research Professor/Scientist at Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

2016 March ─ 2022 August: Postdoctoral Fellow/Scientist at Department of Surgery, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, IN, USA.

2014 November ─ 2015 May: Senior Research Fellow, National Center for Cell Sciences, Pune, India

2011 November ─ 2014 November: Senior Research Fellow, National Center for Cell Sciences, Pune, India           

2009 November ─ 2011 November: Junior Research Fellow, National Center for Cell Sciences, Pune, India           

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION:

Ph. D. Degree in Biotechnology from National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India (2010-2016)

Master’s in science (Biotechnology) from School of Biotechnology, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), Indore, India. (2006-2008)

Bachelor of Science (Chemistry, Botany, Zoology) from D.D.U. Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, India (2001-2004)

1. Ruizhong Wang¹, Brijesh Kumar¹, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri¹, Aditi Sanjay Khatpe¹, Michael P Murphy^1,2, Kristen E Wanczyk^1,2, Edward Simpson³, Duojiao Chen³, Hongyu Gao³, Yunlong Liu³, Emma H Doud⁴, Amber Mosley⁴, Harikrishna Nakshatri^1,2,4,5,*. A human skeletal muscle stem/myotube model reveals multiple signaling targets of cancer secretome in skeletal muscle. Accepted in iScience. (Impact Factor: 6.107)
2. Ruizhong Wang¹, Brijesh Kumar¹, Emma H. Doud², Amber L. Mosley², Matthew S. Alexander³, Louis M. Kunkel⁴, and Harikrishna Nakshatri^1,5,6,*. Skeletal muscle-specific overexpression of miR-486 limits mammary tumor-induced skeletal muscle functional limitations. Molecular Therapy - Nucleic Acids. 2022 Mar 16;28:231-248. doi: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.03.009. (Impact Factor: 10.183) 
3. Brijesh Kumar¹, Adedeji K. Adebayo^1,2, Mayuri Prasad¹, Maegan L. Capitano³, Ruizhong Wang¹, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri¹, Manjushree Anjanappa¹, Ed Simpson⁴, Duojiao Chen⁴, Yunlong Liu⁴, Jeanne M. Schilder⁵, Austyn B. Colter⁶, Calli Maguire⁶, Constance J. Temm⁶, George Sandusky⁶, Emma H. Doud², Aruna B. Wijeratne², Amber L. Mosley², Hal E. Broxmeyer^3,* and Harikrishna Nakshatri^1,2,7,*. Tumor collection/processing under physioxia uncovers highly relevant signaling networks and drug sensitivity. Science Advances. 2022 Jan 12;8(2):eabh3375. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abh3375. (Impact Factor: 14.957)
4. Brijesh Kumar ¹, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri¹, Calli Maguire², Max Jacobsen², Constance J. Temm², George Sandusky², and Harikrishna Nakshatri^1,3,4*. Bidirectional regulatory crosstalk between cell context and genomic aberrations shapes breast tumorigenesis. Molecular Cancer Research. 2021 Nov 1;19(11):1802-1817. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-21-0163. (Impact Factor: 6.333)
5. Aditi S Khatpe^1,2#, Adedeji K Adebayo^1,2#, Christopher A Herodotou¹, Brijesh Kumar¹ and Harikrishna Nakshatri^1,2,3*. Nexus between PI3K/AKT and Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer. Cancers. 2021 Jan 20;13(3):369. doi: 10.3390/cancers13030369. (Impact Factor: 6.575)
6. Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri¹, Brijesh Kumar ¹, Ed Simpson^2,5, Kandice K. Ludwig¹, Mary L. Cox³, Hongyu Gao^2,5, Yunlong Liu^2,3,5, and Harikrishna Nakshatri^1,3,4,5,6*. Breast Cancer Cell Detection and Characterization from Breast Milk–Derived Cells. Cancer Research. 2020 Nov 1;80(21):4828-4839. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-1030. (Impact Factor: 13.312)
7. Ruizhong Wang¹, Brijesh Kumar ¹, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri¹, Mayuri S Prasad¹, Max Jacobson², Gabriela Ovalle², Calli Maguire², George Sandusky², Narsimha Penthala³, Peter A Crooks³, Jianguo Liu¹, Teresa Zimmers¹, Harikrishna Nakshatri^{1,4,5 *}. Aging-associated skeletal muscle defects in HER2/Neu transgenic mammary tumor model. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle Rapid Communications. 2021 Jan-Jun;4(1):24-39. doi: 10.1002/rco2.23. (Impact Factor: 12.063)
8. Brijesh Kumar ^1,2,*, Vaibhav Chand³, Anupama Ram⁴, Darksha Usmani⁵, Naoshad Muhammad⁶. Oncogenic mutations in tumorigenesis and specific drug targeted cell death in breast cancer. Current Molecular Biology Reports. 2020 July 10;6(3):116–125. DOI 10.1007/s40610-020-00136-x. (Impact Factor: not available yet). ^* First and Corresponding author to this article.
9. Sagar S Varankar¹, Madhuri More¹, Ancy Abraham¹, Kshama Pansare², Brijesh Kumar ¹, Nivedhitha J Narayanan¹, Mohit Kumar Jolly³, Avinash M Mali¹, Sharmila A Bapat^1,*. Functional balance between Tcf21–Slug defines cellular plasticity and migratory modalities in high grade serous ovarian cancer cell lines. Carcinogenesis. 2020 Jun 17;41(4):515-526. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgz119. (Impact Factor: 4.741)
10. Mayuri Prasad ^#1, Brijesh Kumar ^#1, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri¹, Manjushree Anjanappa¹, George Sandusky², Kathy D. Miller³, Anna Maria Storniolo³, and Harikrishna Nakshatri^1,4,5,*. Dual TGFβ/BMP Pathway Inhibition Enables Expansion and Characterization of Multiple Epithelial Cell Types of the Normal and Cancerous Breast. Molecular Cancer Research. 2019 Jul;17(7):1556-1570. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-19-0165. (Impact Factor: 6.333). ^#Co-first author to this article.
11. Harikrishna Nakshatri^{1,2,5, *}, Brijesh Kumar ¹, Heather N. Burney⁴, Mary L. Cox^3,5, Max Jacobson³, George E. Sandusky^3,5, Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey⁶ and Anna Maria V. Storniolo^5,7. Genetic Ancestry-dependent Differences in Breast Cancer-induced Field Defects in the Tumor-adjacent Normal Breast. Clinical Cancer Research. 2019 May 1;25(9):2848-2859. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-3427. (Impact Factor: 13.801)
12. Brijesh Kumar ^#1, Mayuri Prasad ^#1, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri ¹, Manjushree Anjanappa¹, Maitri Kalra ², Natascia Marino ², Anna Maria Storniolo ², Xi Rao ³, Sheng Liu ³, Jun Wan³, Yunlong Liu ³, and Harikrishna Nakshatri ^1,4,5,*. Normal Breast-Derived Epithelial Cells with Luminal and Intrinsic Subtype-Enriched Gene Expression Document Interindividual Differences in Their Differentiation Cascade. Cancer Research. 2018 Sep 1;78(17):5107-5123. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-0509. (Impact Factor: 13.312).
13. Brijesh Kumar ^a, Mallikarjunachari V.N. Uppuladinne ^b, Vinod Jani ^b, Uddhavesh Sonavane ^b, Rajendra R. Joshi ^b, Sharmila A. Bapat ^a,*. Auto-regulation of Slug mediates its activity during epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms, 2015 Sep,1849(9):1209-18. (Impact Factor: 6.304)

Manuscript Under Revision:

14. Brijesh Kumar ¹, Katie Batic¹, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri¹, Maggie M Granatir², Rebekah Joann Addison², Megan Szymanski², Lee Ann Baldridge², Constance J. Temm², George Sandusky², Sandra K Althouse³, Anna Maria Storniolo⁴, and Harikrishna Nakshatri^1,5,6*. Influence of genetic ancestry on breast stromal cells provides biologic basis for increased incidence of metaplastic breast cancer in women of African descent. (manuscript under revision in Nature Communications) 

• Radiation Biology and its Biomedical Applications (DC.BM512.16)

1. Brijesh Kumar, Mallikarjunachari V.N. Uppuladinne, Vinod Jani, Uddhavesh Sonavane, Rajendra R. Joshi, Sharmila A. Bapat *. Auto-regulation of SNAI2 mediates its activity during epithelial to mesenchymal transition. 01-20-2015, International Symposium on Accelerating Biology 2015 –Catalyzing Evolution, C-DAC, Pune, India.
2. Brijesh Kumar, Mayuri Prasad, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Manjushree Anjanappa, Maitri Kalra, Natascia Marino, Anna Maria Storniolo, Xi Rao, Sheng Liu, Jun Wan, Yunlong Liu, and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. Breast epithelial cell lines from normal breast with luminal and intrinsic subtypes-enriched gene expression document inter-individual differences in differentiation cascade. 04-03-2017, Annual Amelia Project Conference, Indiana University, Kokomo Campus, IN, USA.
3. Brijesh Kumar, Mayuri Prasad, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Manjushree Anjanappa, Maitri Kalra, Natascia Marino, Anna Maria Storniolo, Xi Rao, Sheng Liu, Jun Wan, Yunlong Liu, and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. Breast epithelial cell lines from normal breast with luminal and intrinsic subtypes-enriched gene expression document inter-individual differences in differentiation cascade. 05-17-2017, Cancer Research Day Conference, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center's, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
4. Brijesh Kumar, Mayuri Prasad, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Manjushree Anjanappa, Maitri Kalra, Natascia Marino, Anna Maria Storniolo, Xi Rao, Sheng Liu, Jun Wan, Yunlong Liu, and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. Breast epithelial cell lines from normal breast with luminal and intrinsic subtypes-enriched gene expression document inter-individual differences in differentiation cascade. 10-05-2017, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Day, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
5. Brijesh Kumar, Mayuri Prasad, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Manjushree Anjanappa, Maitri Kalra, Natascia Marino, Anna Maria Storniolo, Xi Rao, Sheng Liu, Jun Wan, Yunlong Liu, and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. Breast epithelial cell lines from normal breast with luminal and intrinsic subtypes-enriched gene expression document inter-individual differences in differentiation cascade. 14-04-2018, AACR Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, USA.
6. Brijesh Kumar, Mayuri Prasad, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Manjushree Anjanappa, Maitri Kalra, Natascia Marino, Anna Maria Storniolo, Xi Rao, Sheng Liu, Jun Wan, Yunlong Liu, and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. Breast epithelial cell lines from normal breast with luminal and intrinsic subtypes-enriched gene expression document inter-individual differences in differentiation cascade. 31-05-2018, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Travel Award, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
7. Mayuri Prasad #, Brijesh Kumar #, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Manjushree Anjanappa, George Sandusky, Kathy D. Miller, Anna Maria Storniolo, and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. Dual TGFβ/BMP Pathway Inhibition Enables Expansion and Characterization of Multiple Epithelial Cell Types of the Normal and Cancerous Breast. 14-07-2018, Annual Amelia Project Conference, Indiana University, Kokomo Campus, IN, USA.
8. Brijesh Kumar, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Calli Maguire, Max Jacobsen, Constance J. Temm, George Sandusky, and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. Modeling cellular pliancy-dependent variability in oncogene-induced transformation and therapeutic response in breast cancer. 23-03-2019, Annual Amelia Project Conference, Indiana University, Kokomo Campus, IN, USA.
9. Brijesh Kumar, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Calli Maguire, Max Jacobsen, Constance J. Temm, George Sandusky, and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. Modeling cellular pliancy-dependent variability in oncogene-induced transformation and therapeutic response in breast cancer. 15-05-2019, Cancer Research Day Conference, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center's, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
10. Brijesh Kumar, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri and Harikrishna Nakshatri *. PROCR+/ZEB1+/PDGFRα+ cells, enriched in the breast tissues of African American women, alters the tissues microenvironment and are putative cell-of-origin of anaplastic sarcomas. 14-10-2021, Cancer Research Day Conference, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center's, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
11. Brijesh Kumar, Katie Batic, Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Maggie M Granatir, Rebekah Joann Addison, Megan Szymanski, Lee Ann Baldridge, Constance J. Temm, George Sandusky, Sandra K Althouse, Anna Maria Storniolo, and Harikrishna Nakshatri^*. Influence of genetic ancestry on breast stromal cells provides biologic basis for increased incidence of metaplastic breast cancer in women of African descent. 12-10-2022, Cancer Research Day Conference, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center's, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
12. Poornima Bhat-Nakshatri, Brijesh Kumar, Madhura S. Shukla, Katie Batic, Henry Mang, Rana German, Anna Maria Storniolo, Harikrishna Nakshatri*. Oncologic anthropology: Impact of duffy adaptive trait on breast epithelial and tumor cell biology. 14-04-2023, AACR Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida, USA.
13. Invited Keynote Talk entitled “Impact of Ethnicity on Normal Breast and Breast Cancer Biology” at the "2nd Colloquium on Immunology, Infectiom Biology & Vaccine Research” at Bapubhai Desaibhai Patel Institute of Paramedical Sciences-CHARUSAT- Anand, Gujarat, on March 2 and 3, 2023.

Ph.D. Scholars:

1. Akriti Tewari

2. Neha

3. Jahnavi Singh

4. Simran Singh

M.Tech Students:

1. Chandrima Mondal

IDD Students:

1. Mudavath Anjaneyulu

2. Aditya Agrawal

3. Gupta Ritesh Hariprakash

Dissertation Students:

1. Vaibhav Kumar Chaubey (M.Sc., Completed 2024)

Summer Internship Students:

1. Rituparna Biswal (Integrated M.Sc., Completed 2023)

2. Kalyani B (BS-MS, Completed 2023)

3. Priya Singh (B.Tech, Completed 2023)

4. Indu Singh (M.Sc., Completed 2023)

5. Sakshi gupta (M.Sc., Completed 2023)

6. Sai Sabarlee (Integrated-MS, Completed 2024)

• Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship of the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India. (2022-2027)

• Ramalingaswami Fellowship by The Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India, 2022.
• Young Investigator Award by American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research (AAISCR), 2018.
• Monetary Award for Oral Presentation in Annual Amelia Project Conference at Indiana University, Kokomo Campus, Indiana, USA, 2019.
• Travel Award of Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center’s for AACR meeting, 2018.
• Poster presentation Award by Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center's, 2017.
• Published research summary in Atlas of Science titled "Slug transcription factor activates its own expression during epithelial to mesenchymal transition" in 2016.
• Awarded Senior Research Fellowship by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), 2011-2014.
• Awarded Junior Research Fellowship by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), 2009-2011.
• Awarded National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by CSIR for Junior Research Fellowship and Lectureship 2008.
• Biotechnology Fellowship, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (2006-2008).

National Level Exams Qualified:

• Selected for Doctoral programme conducted by National Centre for Cell Science, Pune in 2009.
• National Eligibility Test conducted by University Grants Commission (UGC) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for Junior Research Fellow and Lecturership in June 2009.
• National Eligibility Test conducted by University Grants Commission (UGC) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for Junior Research Fellow and Lecturership in December 2008.
• Have qualified national level examination conducted by IIT’s, Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering (GATE) in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
• Selected for Doctoral programme conducted by Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore (2009).
• Have qualified national level examination (written and research proposal) for Doctoral programme conducted jointly by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai and National Centre for Biological Science (NCBS), Bangalore in 2008 and 2009.
• Have qualified ICAR’s All India entrance examination for ICAR-SRF (PGS) in Biotechnology (Agric./Plant Science) conducted by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Pusa, New Delhi in 2008-09.
• All India Biotechnology Entrance Examination for M. Sc. (Biotechnology) conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) under the sponsorship of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India in 2006.
• All India Biochemistry Entrance Examination for M. Sc. (Biochemistry) conducted by Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi in 2006.

• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

• American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research (AAISCR)

• Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research (SAASCR)

• Sci-ROI – Science and Research Opportunities in India

• Reviewer in BMC Cancer, Cancers and Molecular Carcinogenesis journals

• Volunteer in workshop on “Cancer Informatics Analysis and Informatics of Microarray Data” organized jointly by National Centre for Cell Science & Bioinformatics Centre, University of Pune.
• Volunteer in Mini-Symposium on “Cancer Informatics Analysis and Informatics of Microarray Data” organized jointly by National Centre for Cell Science & Bioinformatics Centre, University of Pune.
• Volunteer in Mini-Symposium on “Cell Biology” organized by National Centre for Cell Science, Pune.