Rajendra Kumar-Singh

Rajendra Kumar-Singh is a Professor in the Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology at Tufts University School of Medicine. His research focuses on developing genetic therapies for retinal diseases such as Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), leveraging viral and non-viral gene transfer systems. He is also the Director of the Program in Genetics at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Education:
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Dublin, Ireland (1994)
- Bachelor of Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland (1989)

Research Interests:
Dr. Kumar-Singh’s lab investigates gene therapy approaches for retinal diseases, including optimizing viral vectors (AAV) for retinal and central nervous system delivery. Key areas include complement pathway modulation, choroidal neovascularization inhibition, and autophagy regulation. His work aims to translate these technologies into clinical trials at Tufts.

Grants and Funding:
- Multiple NIH and DoD grants for gene therapy and AMD research (e.g., 2016-2020 projects).
- Collaboration with Hemera Biosciences for gene therapy product testing (2017-2020).

Teaching and Service:
- Teaches courses in Pathobiology, Graduate Research, and Laboratory Rotations.
- Active member of the American Society of Gene Therapy and Cell Therapy.
- Serves on the faculty of the Genetics, Neuroscience, and Immunology programs.

Labs and Teams:
His lab is part of the Tufts University School of Medicine’s interdisciplinary research network, focusing on ophthalmology and molecular biology applications.