Rajnish Kumar
Indian Institute of Technology BHU, Karolinska Institutet, Panjab University, Indian Institute of Technology BHU Varanasi
0000-0002-7021-6996
About
Dr. Rajnish Kumar, an Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, specializes in Medicinal Chemistry. With over 15 years of academic teaching and research experience, Dr. Kumar is dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and developing innovative solutions to combat complex diseases, particularly neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease. His research expertise encompasses synthetic medicinal chemistry, biomolecular simulation, and AI/ML-based drug design.
Dr. Kumar holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh (2014). Following his thesis defense, he pursued postdoctoral research at the Centre for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, under the mentorship of Dr. Taher Darreh-Shori and Prof. Bengt Winblad. There, he focused on the discovery of small molecule inhibitors of choline acetyltransferase and FKBP50-Hsp90 protein-protein interaction, resulting in several high-quality publications and a UK patent.
With a strong publication record comprising more than 80 peer-reviewed articles in reputable journals including Brain, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Dr. Kumar's research has garnered international recognition. His work has been funded by prestigious organizations including the Science and Engineering Research Board (India), the Swedish Research Council, and the Alzheimer's Association (USA).
Dr. Kumar has received several accolades for his contributions to medicinal chemistry, including the B.P. Doctor Young Investigator Award at the XVth International Symposium on Cholinergic Mechanisms (2016) and the Japan Society for Promotion of Science summer fellowship (2019) to work with Prof. Kenji Mizuguchi at Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
His current research focuses on the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of small molecule protein (amyloid beta and tau) aggregation inhibitors, choline acetyltransferase inhibitors, quorum sensing inhibitors, and utilizing biomolecular simulation to understand the complex dynamics of biomolecules and development of AI/ML tools for ADME prediction. Driven by his commitment to improving human health, Dr. Kumar is dedicated to making significant contributions to the field of medicinal chemistry.
Employment
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Indian Institute of Technology BHU Associate Professor2024 - Present
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Indian Institute of Technology BHU Varanasi Assistant Professor2019 - 2024
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Karolinska Institutet
Education
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Panjab University PhD2010 - 2014
Projects & Funding
Projects & funding information is unavailable.
Publications (136)
- Medicinal chemistry strategies to breach the blood–brain barrier: structural design principles for brain-targeted therapeutics Save
- Medicinal chemistry approaches for dual inhibition of amyloid-β and tau aggregation in Alzheimer’s disease Save
- Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and In Silico Study of N-(Pyrazin-2-yl)Alkyl/Aryl Amide Derivatives as Quorum Sensing Inhibitors Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Save
- Discovery of 5-(Substituted Phenyl)-2-aryl Benzimidazole Derivatives as SIRT1 Activators: Their Design, In silico Studies, Synthesis, and In vitro Evaluation Save
- Functional significance of highly conserved residues in dithiol glutaredoxin (Grx3) of cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 Save
- Redefining Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics in the age of blood-based biomarkers Save
- Solid phase extraction of palbociclib from palbociclib-loaded therapeutic micelles: Novel synthesis of hybrid reduced graphene oxide–modified magnetic iron oxide (rGO@SiO2@Fe3O4)nanosorbent-based plasma extraction and pharmacokinetics study in rats Save
- Targeting DNA gyrase B: medicinal chemistry strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance Save
- The Role of Machine Learning in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Save
- Therapeutic targeting of brain bioenergetics in Alzheimer’s disease addressing insulin resistance, glucose hypometabolism, and mitochondrial dysfunction Save