Dr. Divya P. Kumar M.Sc., Ph.D. (USA)
Total No. of Publications- 22 (Research articles- 19; Review- 2; Book Chapter- 1)
Lead Guest Editor- 1
Total Impact Factor- 132.44 (Based on 2018 Thomson Reuters/ Clarivate Analytics)
Dr. Divya P. Kumar currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, JSS Medical College, CEMR, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research. She is the awardee of the prestigious Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship from Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Having obtained the master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Biotechnology from University of Mysore, Dr. Divya has pursued her degree of Philosophy (Ph.D.) under the mentorship of Dr. Arun J. Sanyal and Dr. Murthy Karnam at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA. Her graduate research work was recognized by many awards/distinction, which is an attestation of high quality and significance of her work. Dr. Divya P. Kumar has obtained her postdoctoral training in Dr. Arun Sanyal’s lab with T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship from National Institute of Health (NIH), USA. Her contributions to science early in her career clearly demonstrates her motivation, independence, creativity and excellent experimental and communication skills. After completion of her postdoctoral training in the United States, She became a faculty member at the Department of Biochemistry in February, 2019.
RESEARCH: Obesity is casually linked to metabolic syndrome and systemic inflammation. The increasing prevalence of obesity that leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a serious public health challenge. NAFLD with the histological hallmark of hepatic steatosis further transitions to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The molecular mechanisms involved in obesity-associated NASH are not clear and this gap in knowledge is a barrier in developing therapeutic approaches. Dr. Divya’s research work is focused on studying the role of AATF (apoptosis antagonizing transcription factor) and how they regulate the pathophysiology of NAFLD by employing state-of-the-art techniques in both in vitro and in vivo systems to develop therapeutic strategies for the treatment of NAFLD.
Another area of interest of the lab is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide for which there exist no effective treatment till date. The research work is focused on characterizing the mechanistic role of AATF in the pathogenesis and progression of HCC by employing innovative multifaceted biochemical and molecular approaches and the use of that knowledge to develop effective and targeted therapies for HCC.
TEACHING: Dr. Divya P. Kumar actively participates as a mentor in the research training of graduate (Ph.D.) and master’s (M.Sc.) students. Having a passion for teaching, Dr. Divya is also involved in the teaching activities of medical, graduate, master’s and bachelor’s students.
Dr. Divya’s dedicated work and research progress and her prominent role in professional organizations has earned her high regard of her peers in the department and the institution.