Tufts professor earns ISCB Award for Excellence in Chemical Sciences

Krishna Kumar, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at Tufts University's School of Arts and Sciences, has been recognized for excellence in the area of chemical sciences by the Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists (ISCB). ISCB makes three annual awards to acknowledge distinguished work in the chemical sciences, biological sciences and drug research.

Kumar's research uses both chemistry and biology to understand and/or control biological processes.

"My laboratory is constantly exploring new boundaries between chemistry and biology, spanning topics as varied as the origin of life, therapeutics and imaging agents for diabetes, inflammation and cancer, and fundamental questions about interactions of molecules," said Kumar. "It is gratifying to receive global recognition for our contributions."

In February, Kumar delivered a lecture on his cited work during the 15th annual ISCB conference, held at Saurashtra University in Rajkot, India. The title of this year's conference was "Bridging Gaps in Discovery and Development: Chemical and Biological Sciences for Affordable Health, Wellness and Sustainability."

Kumar joined the Tufts chemistry department in 1998 as an assistant professor. He served as the department chair from 2006 until 2009. He holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts' School of Engineering and is a member of the Cancer Center at the Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

In addition to the ISCB award, Kumar has been named a DuPont Young Professor and recognized as one of the top 35 young innovators in the world by MIT Technology Review magazine. He has earned a Global Indus Technovator award from MIT-IBC, the National Science Foundation CAREER award, a Technology award from the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center, and a BASF lectureship.

Provided by Tufts University