Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website
Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website
Sunil Kumar ’09GP, ’14Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, has been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to find an effective therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition with no current cure that can lead to cancer.
“This funding will enhance the research experience of our undergraduate and graduate students at St. John’s University, and it will help me discover a novel mechanism and potential therapy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,” Dr. Kumar said, expressing his appreciation for the $750,000 grant he received from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a division of the NIH.
Anne Y. F. Lin ’84P, ’86Pharm.D., FNAP, Dean and Professor at the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, commented on Dr. Kumar’s achievement: “It is wonderful that our undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to work with Dr. Kumar on research which could result in potential treatment options for these patients.”
Dr. Kumar and his team are examining the relationship between diabetes, obesity, and NAFLD. It is estimated that about 25 percent of adults in the US suffer from NAFLD. There are currently no treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration; patients must rely on diet or exercise to manage their condition—methods ineffective at advanced stages.
NAFLD encompasses disorders ranging from simple lipid accumulation in the liver to liver fibrosis and eventually liver cancer if left untreated.
“Therefore, it is dire to understand its mechanisms and discover a novel, potential therapy,” said Dr. Kumar.
His long-term research goal is to comprehend the mechanistic role of Lipocalin-Type Prostaglandin D2 Synthase (L-PGDS) in NAFLD and use this knowledge to develop new therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Kumar joined St. John’s University faculty in 2021. Since then, he has received steadfast support from colleagues and administration to establish his research laboratory while also bringing his research experience into teaching.
Alerts Sign-up