The Kumar Laboratory
Welcome to the home page of the Kumar Laboratory in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley! 
We address problems in molecular cell dynamics and mechanics, with a focus on understanding how the cellular cytoskeleton governs cellular structure and senses and transduces mechanical inputs from the extracellular environment. We are especially interested in exploring these issues in the nervous system, including neuronal and glial tumors and adult neural stem cells. We take both "inside-out" and "outside-in" approaches, including: (1) Studying and manipulating the microscale assembly and mechanics of cytoskeletal networks in reconstituted and live-cell preparations; and (2) Fabricating extracellular matrices that present defined biophysical cues to cells and determining how these cues influence cell physiology. Our work takes advantage of optical and atomic force microscopy, subcellular laser ablation and photobleaching, microfabrication, traditional biochemical and cell biological methods, and computational tools.
An increasing number of micro- and nanotechnologies either subject cells to mechanical forces, require cells to be patterned into specific spatial arrangements, or both, including a wide variety of MEMS and microfluidic devices and tissue engineering systems. Moreover, many disease states are characterized by altered biophysical crosstalk between cells and their environment. Thus, in addition to building a fundamental understanding of cellular mechanobiology, we envision applying what we learn to contribute to the rational design of cellular biotechnology and to the development of new forms of therapy.
News and Announcements
June 2009: Badriprasad (Badri) Ananthanarayanan, Ph.D., has joined the lab from the University of California, Santa Barbara to start a postdoctoral fellowship. Welcome, Badri!
May 2009: Anuj passes his qualifying exam and advances to Ph.D. candidacy. Congratulations, Anuj!
May 2009: Sanjay receives the Outstanding Teaching Award from the Bioengineering Honor Society (BioEHS) as the result of a vote by its members.
March 2009: Joanna wins a Travel Award to attend and present a poster at the NSF CMMI Research and Innovation Conference in Hawaii in June. Congratulations, Joanna!
March 2009: Theresa wins an Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award from the UC Berkeley Teaching & Resource Center. Congratulations, Theresa!
January 2009: Amit Pathak, Ph.D., has joined the lab from the University of California, Santa Barbara to start a postdoctoral fellowship. Welcome, Amit!
October 2008: Kandice Tanner, Ph.D., has joined the lab from the University of Illinois to start a postdoctoral fellowship. Welcome, Kandice!
September 2008: The Kumar Laboratory is awarded the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, which provides $1.5 million over 5 years to support the group's research in cellular mechanobiology. Read the NIH announcement and the press release.
Archive of past news and announcements from the Kumar Lab
Lab Meeting Schedule
Resources for lab members
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The Kumar Laboratory gratefully acknowledges grant support from the National Institutes of Health, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, the UC Cancer Research Coordinating Committee, the American Heart Association, the National Science Foundation, and the UCB Stem Cell Center, Research Futures Fund, and Junior Faculty Research Grant. We also gratefully acknowledge predoctoral fellowship support from the National Science Foundation and Department of Defense. |
