Ayush Kumar

Ayush Kumar, PhD, FRSB is a Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba and serves as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead for the Faculty of Science. He holds a primary appointment as Associate Dean, Strategic Initiatives in the Faculty of Science. His research focuses on antibiotic resistance mechanisms in bacteria like Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, environmental antibiotic resistance, and microbiological water quality in First Nations communities.

Education:

• PhD in Microbiology, University of Manitoba (2004)
• MSc in Microbiology, Dr. R.M.L. Awadh University, India (1999)
• BSc in Microbiology and Biochemistry, Dr. R.M.L. Awadh University, India (1997)

Research Interests:

• Mechanisms of multidrug resistance and virulence in Acinetobacter baumannii
• Environmental and clinical prevalence of antibiotic resistance
• Molecular pathways of RND efflux pumps in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Microbiological quality of drinking water in Manitoba First Nations

Awards:

• 2024 – Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology
• 2022 & 2019 – Professor of the Year (3000-level courses), Science Students’ Association
• 2017 – Mid-Career Researcher Award, Faculty of Science
• Outstanding Teacher Award, University of Manitoba
• Nominated for the Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Campbell Outreach Award

Labs and Teams: Head of the Kumar Lab, focusing on antibiotic resistance research with collaborations in environmental microbiology and clinical diagnostics.