Avneesh Kumar Singh

Avneesh Kumar Singh, PhD, serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research pioneers cardiac xenotransplantation using genetically engineered pig hearts to address the critical organ shortage for heart failure patients, with landmark contributions including the first FDA-approved pig-to-human heart transplant.

Education:

• B.Sc. (Hons.) in Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP, India
• M.Sc. in Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP, India
• Ph.D. in Zoology (Immunogenetics), Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, UP, India

Dr. Singh's research centers on overcoming immunological barriers in xenotransplantation through genetically modified pig donors and novel immunosuppression strategies. His work investigates immune tolerance mechanisms, particularly the role of regulatory T cells and NKT cells in preventing graft rejection. Key focus areas include antibody-mediated rejection, coagulation dysregulation, and innate immune responses in cardiac xenografts, with direct clinical translation potential.

His 15 most recent publications (2014-2022) demonstrate consistent progress toward clinical application, evolving from preclinical survival studies to actual human transplantation. The research trajectory shows increasing sophistication in genetic engineering of donor pigs (triple-knockout with multiple human transgenes), targeted immunosuppression (anti-CD40 antibodies), and management of coagulation complications (thrombomodulin expression).

Scientific Awards:

• Young Investigator Travel Grant (2013) for International Xenotransplantation Meeting
• Sidney P. Colowick Award for Postdoctoral Research (2002)
• Dr. K.S. Krishnan Research Fellowship (1993)
• National Merit Scholarship (1985)

Dr. Singh has secured significant research funding as Co-Investigator in the NHLBI/NIH Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Program (2007-2017), focusing on pig-to-baboon cardiac xenotransplantation models. His mentorship extends to junior researchers in immunology and transplantation surgery, with collaborative projects spanning Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins, and NIH laboratories.

His laboratory maintains active collaborations with the University of Maryland Medical Center's transplant program and industry partners developing genetically engineered pigs. Current work focuses on optimizing donor pig genetics and immunosuppression protocols to achieve sustained xenograft survival beyond current benchmarks.