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ASHOK KUMAR

7210 Staffordshire St., #2
Houston, TX 77030
Ph. (713)796-9145
Email : akmann2@yahoo.com

Citizenship :               India
Residency Status :    Permanent resident of USA.
Current Affiliation : Department of Medicine
                                      Baylor College of Medicine
                                      One Baylor Plaza
                                      Houston, Texas 77030, USA
                                      Phone:713-796-9145
                                      Email: axkumar@bcm.tmc.edu

Academic Qualifications

Post-doctorate Post-doctoral associate at Department of Molecular and Human Genetics,
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.
(From October 1997 to December 2000)

Post-doctoral fellow at Department of Molecular Oncology,
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
(From December 16, 1996 to September 30, 1997)

Ph.D. 1996 Faculty of Science, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.

M.Tech. 1993 Biochemical Engg. and Biotechnology,
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Ist Division.

M.Sc. 1991 Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Banaras Hindu
University, Ist Division.

B.Sc. 1989 Chemistry (Hons) with Physics and Math, University of
Delhi, Ist Division.

Computer skill

C programming, Data structure and algoritum analysis in C, Assembly language, Computer Architecture, Visual Basic 6, HTML, Microsoft office.

Training of Techniques

• Culture of various primary and secondary mammalian cell lines.
• Isolation and culture of human and mice macrophages and lymphocutes.
• Bone marrow cells preparation, proliferation and their differentiation in granulocytes and macrophges.
• Florescent microscopy. Analysis of cell growth and differentiation. Colony formation assays for cell growth.
• cDNA and genomic DNA cloning using various techniques such as library screening, redundant PCR, colony hybridization and cDNA screening using antibodies.
• Yeast two-hybrid screening.
• Subcloning of DNA from one plasmid to other plasmid
• Large scale purification of plasmids and viruses using CsCl gradients.
• PCR and in vitro translation.
• In vitro mutagenesis.
• DNA Sequencing and analysis.
• Southern, northern and western blotting.
• SDS-PAGE for proteins, 2-dimentional phosphopeptide mapping and phosphoaminoacid analysis.
• ³⁵S and ³²P-labelling of cells and Immunoprecipitaion.
• Apoptosis studies using microscopy, DNA ladder and PARP degradation methods.
• FACS for cell cycle and apoptosis studies.
• Electrophoresis mobility Shift Assay.
• Chloramphenicol Acetyltransferase (CAT) assay.
• Thin layer chromatography
• Transfection and selection of mammalian cells.
• Construction of adenoviruses and retroviruses for infecting mammalian cells in culture.
• Retroviral and adenoviral-mediated gene transfer.
• Production of cell lines for inducible expression of a gene under tetracyclin promoter using retroviruses.
• Assays for several cell cycle kinases such as cdk2, cdk4, cdk6, cdc2, cdk7 and signal transduction kinases and src family kinases such as c-Jun kinase, MEKK, MEK1, RafB, PI3 etc.
• Construction of baculovirses for different genes and large scale production and purification of proteins from sf9 cells.
• Production and purification of GST fusion proteins.

  Research Publications

  1. Kumar, A., Galaktionov, K (2001). Hip, a novel cell cycle regulator affecting the activation of cdk2. (Submitted for publication)
  2. Kumar, A., and Galaktionov K (2001). Phosphorylation of p31hip by cdk2, a novel pathway of G1-S phase cell cycle transition in mammalian cells (manuscript under preparation).
  3. Kumar, A., Dhawan S, Mukhopadhyay A, Aggarwal BB (1999). Human immunodeficiency virus-1-tat induces matrix metalloproteinase-9 in monocytes through protein tyrosine phosphatase-mediated activation of nuclear transcription factorNF- kappaB. FEBS Letters, 462, 140-144.
  4. Kumar, A., and Aggarwal BB (1999). Assay for Redox-sensitive kinases. Methods in Enzymology, 300, 339-345.
  5. Chaturvedi, M.M., Kumar, A., Darnay, B.G., Chainy, G.B.N., Agarwal, S. and Aggarwal, B.B. (1997). Sanguinarine (Pseudochelerythrine) is a potent inhibitor of NF-kB activation, IkBa phosphorylation and degradation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 272, 30129-30134.
  6. Kumar, A., Dhawan, S., Hardegen, N.J. and Aggarwal, B.B. (1998). Curcumin (Diferuloylmethance) inhibits TNF-mediated adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells by suppression of cell surface expression of adhesion molecules and of nuclear factor-kB activation. Biochemical Pharmacolgy, 55, 775-783.
  7. Kumar, A., Manna S.K., Dhawan, S. and Aggarwal, B.B. (1998). HIV-Tat Protein Activates c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase and Activator Protein-1. Journal of Immunology, 161, 776-781.
  8. Kumar, A., Singh, S.M. and Sodhi, A. (1998) Endotoxin-induced protein phosphorylation in macrophages is modulated by tumor cells. Int. J. Immunopharmacology, 20, 99-110.
  9. Kumar, A., Dhawan, S. and Aggarwal, B.B. (1998) Emodin (3-methyl-1,6,8- trihydroxyanthraquinone) inhibits TNF-induced NF-kB activation, IkB degradation, and expression of cell surface adhesion proteins in human vascular endothelial cells. Oncogene, 17, 913-918.
  10. Dhawan, S., Puri, R.K., Kumar, A., Duplan, H., Masson, J. and Aggarwal, B.B. (1997). Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1-Tat protein induces the cell surface expression of endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in human endothelial cells. Blood, 90 , 1535-1544.
  11. Parajuli, P., Singh, S. M., Kumar, A., and Sodhi, A. (1997). Alteration in the tumoricidal functions of murine tumor-associated macrophages along with the progressive growth of tumor in vivo. Cancer Journal , 10, 222-228.
  12. Kumar, A., Singh, S.M. and Sodhi, A. (1997). Effect of prolactin on nitric oxide and interleukin-1 production of murine peritoneal macrophages: Role of Ca2+ and protein kinase C. Int. J. Immunopharmacology. 19 : 129-133.
  13. Kumar, A., Singh, S.M. and Sodhi, A. (1997) Effect of tumor cells on the activation of murine lymphocytes and macrophages by cisplatin and FK565. Neoplasma, 44, 319-323.
  14. Kumar, A., and Singh, S.M. (1996) Effect of tumor growth on the blastogenic response of splenocytes : A role of macrophage-derived nitric oxide. Immunolgical Investigation, 25, 413-423.
  15. Kumar, A., Parajuli, P. and Singh, S.M. (1996) Gangliosides produced by a T cell lymphoma inhibit the production of reactive nitrogen intermediates by murine peritoneal macrophages. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry Nutrition, 21, 172-182.
  16. Kumar, A., and Singh, S.M. (1995). Effect of cisplatin administration on the proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow cells of tumor bearing mice. Immunology and Cell Biology, 73, 220-225.
  17. Kumar, A., and Singh, S.M. (1995). Effect of Dalton's lymphoma on the antigen presentation of murine peritoneal macrophages. Cancer Letters, 92, 151-157.
  18. Parajuli, P., Singh, S.M. and Kumar, A.,(1995). Effect of cisplatin and FK565 on the activation of tumor-associated and bone marrow-derived macrophages by Dalton's lymphoma. Int. J. Immunopharmacology, 17, 1-7.
  19. Kumar, A., Singh, S.M. and Parajuli, P. (1994). Modulatory effect of Dalton's lymphoma cells on the production of reactive nitrogen intermediates, interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor by murine peritoneal macrophages. Neoplasma, 41, 363-369.

  Awards and Honors

  • Got second position in M.Sc. (Biotechnology) in University.
  • Qualified a national exam for admission to M.Sc. (Biotechnology) in different Indian Universities conducted jointly by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. Of India, and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
  • Qualified National Eligibility Test (NET) for Junior Research Fellowship and the eligibility test for lectureship in any Indian University in life sciences two times held in June 1991 and June 1992. This exam is conducted by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and University Grant Commission (UGC), Govt of India.
  • Qualified Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering -1991 (GATE-91) conducted by Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Sciences, Banglore, India.
  • Received a scholarship by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. Of India, during M.Sc. (Biotechnology).
  • Received institute scholarship during M.Tech(Biochemical Engineering).
  • Received a fellowship during Ph.D. From University Grant Commission, Govt of India.
  • Received postdoctoral fellowship from 1996 onwards for doing advanced research in the area of Cancer Biology.
  • Reviewed research articles for Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Interferons and Cytokine Research, Journal of Immunology, Journal of Clinical Investigation etc.

  Research Experience and the projects Undertaken

  1. Presently working on a project entitled "Identification of novel genes that control cell cycle progression."
  2. December 1996 to October 1997 my research was focussed on studying the HIV-tat mediated signal transduction and its comparison with TNF-mediated signal transduction. Further I identified a Novel molecule Emodin, that inhibits the activity of Nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) transcription factor which is involved in the regulation of the activity of different genes involved in progression of tumors.
  3. From July 1993 to September 1996 worked on the Ph.D. Dissertation entitled "Effect of tumor cells on the differentiation and activation of macrophages". Here using a mouse T cell lymphoma, I provided a model how growth of tumors can influence the environment of immune cells particularly macrophages and their antitumor activity.
  4. From November 24 to December 6, 1992, attended a short-term course on "Recent Advances in Molecular Biology and Enzymology of Cellulolytic Enzymes" organized by Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India, and Biochemical Engg. Research Center (BERC), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
  5. From May 1992 to December 1992, worked on a M.Tech. dissertation project entitled "Production of 4-methylmuconolactone methyl isomerase from Rhodococuss rhodocrus". I designed and optimized the conditions fed batch bioreactor to grow the Rhodococuss rhodocrus that led to the inducible production of 4-methylmuconolactone methyl isomerase with a 50-fold increase in the enzyme activity.