About Us » FFB Funded Researchers
Rajendra Kumar-Singh, Ph.D.
|
Rajendra Kumar-Singh, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Kumar-Singh’s research interests include development of viral and non-viral vectors for gene transfer to the retina and application of gene therapy approaches for developing treatments for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age related macular degeneration (AM.D.). Prior to joining Tufts University, Dr. Kumar-Singh was Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and adjunct Assistant Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Utah (2000-06) and Assistant Research Ophthalmologist at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine (1997-99). Dr. Kumar-Singh did his postdoctoral training (1994-96) in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey Chamberlain, where he developed helper-dependant adenovirus vectors for gene therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. While at UCLA, Dr. Kumar-Singh was the first investigator to use these vectors in the retina and demonstrated rescue of retinal degeneration in an in vivo model of Retinitis Pigmentosa. These studies were amongst the first demonstrations of viable gene therapy for retinal degeneration in vivo. Dr. Kumar-Singh obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Genetics at the University of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland (1994), training in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Humphries, where he was a member of a team that was first to identify several genes involved in retinal degeneration in humans. Dr. Kumar-Singh obtained a B.Sc. (Honors) in Physics and Biology from the National University of Ireland in 1989. Some of Dr. Kumar-Singh’s honors include the Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) Dolly Green Scholar (2005), Career Development Award from RPB (2001-05), Young Investigator Award (1997-99) from the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), Vision Research Fellow at UCLA School of Medicine (1998) and the American Society of Human Genetics Postdoctoral Research Award (1997). Dr. Kumar-Singh is co inventor on several patents on adenovirus vectors and non viral gene transfer technologies, some of which have been licensed for development by industry for gene therapy purposes. He has served as a senator at the University of Utah academic senate and served on a large variety of academic committees throughout his career. |
