Manoj Kumar

Manoj Kumar serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, promoted to this position in 2023 following postdoctoral training at the institution from 2019-2021. His academic lineage includes neuroscience PhD training in India and postdoctoral fellowships at INSERM (France) and Johns Hopkins University.

Education:

• 2002: Master of Science, Biotechnology, India
• 2009: PhD, Neuroscience, India
• 2009-2012: Postdoctoral Fellowship, INSERM, France
• 2012-2018: Postdoctoral Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
• 2019-2021: Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Dr. Kumar's research program centers on Parkinson's disease mechanisms using human pluripotent stem cell models. His laboratory investigates alpha-synuclein pathology, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation through CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing of disease-associated mutations (GBA1, LRRK2, PARKIN). Current work focuses on developing 3D midbrain organoids to model neuron-glia-microglia interactions during neurodegeneration, with emphasis on lysosomal biology and therapeutic target identification.

His publication record (2014-2023) reveals consistent focus on Parkinson's disease mechanisms, with significant contributions to understanding acid ceramidase in GBA1 pathology, c-Abl inhibitors as neuroprotectants, and astrocyte-microglia crosstalk. The research spans molecular mechanisms to preclinical therapeutic development, primarily using stem cell models and mouse systems.

Scientific Awards:

• Junior Research Fellowship, CSIR India (2002)
• Senior Research Fellowship, CSIR India (2004)
• NYSCF ISSCR Travel Award (2006)
• ISSCR Travel Award (2007)

Dr. Kumar currently serves as Co-Investigator (40%) on two major grants: Maryland Stem Cells Research Fund (2021-2023) and Michael J. Fox Foundation (2022-2024), both targeting GBA1-associated Parkinson's disease therapeutics. His laboratory operates within Dr. Ricardo Feldman's research group at UMB, mentoring graduate students in stem cell neuroscience.

The research environment integrates advanced stem cell technologies, gene editing, and 3D organoid modeling to dissect neurodegenerative cascades while developing translational approaches for Parkinson's disease and related dementias.