EPigenetics lab
R.C. Koumar Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Member of Board of Studies for Basic Sciences (YU-BoS)
Member of Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (YU-IAEC)
Review Editor of Genitourinary Oncology (Frontiers in Oncology)
Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports (Cancer)
Profile
I received Ph.D. from Department of Zoology (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lab), BHU, Varanasi in 2004 exploring the mechanisms of differential gene regulation by Androgen Receptor promoter during aging in the mouse brain cortex under Prof. M.K. Thakur. Having gained experience in Molecular Neurobiology, I joined as a postdoc under Prof. V. Ravindranath at NBRC, Manesar where he studied the role of Estrogen as a neuroprotector for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
Thereafter, I joined as a postdoc under Prof. Pierre Chambon/Prof. Daniel Metzger at IGBMC, Strasbourg, France to work on the role of Nuclear receptors in Prostate Cancer and to develop and validate mouse models that mimic the kinetics of human prostate cancer progression. Subsequently, I moved to A*STAR IMCB, Biopolis, Singapore as a research fellow to investigate the role of Cdks and cyclins in Meiosis and Gastric cancer under Prof. Philipp Kaldis and understand the role of Epigenetic modifiers in Head and Neck cancer, profiling patient tumors for pre-clinical testing of chemotherapeutic agents using PDX under Prof. Vinay Tergaonkar. Thereafter he joined as an Associate Professor at YRC in 2018 to continue working on Epigenetics and Cancer Biology.
Education
Ph.D. - Department of Zoology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lab, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
M.Sc. - School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry Central University, India.
Employment
âš• Associate Professor (2018-till date) – Cell Signaling and Cancer Biology Unit, Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, India.
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âš• Research Fellow (2008-2016) - Cell Division and Cancer Research Lab and Mouse Models for Human Cancer Unit, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (A*STAR), Biopolis, Singapore.
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âš• Postdoctoral Fellow (2005-2008) - Department of Functional Genomics and Cancer, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France.
âš• Postdoctoral Fellow (2004-2005) - Division of Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar, Haryana, India.
Awards/Honors
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âš• Coordinator for NAAC, NIRF Data Management (2021-2022) - Yenepoya Research Centre (YRC), Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), India.
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âš• Coordinator for YRC Academic Quality (2021-2022) - Yenepoya Research Centre (YRC), Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), India.
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âš• Member of Institutional Biosafety Committee (2020 - 2022) - Yenepoya Research Centre (YRC), Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), India.
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âš• Member of Board of Studies for Basic Sciences (2020 - Till date) - Yenepoya Research Centre (YRC), Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), India.
âš• Chairman of Scientific Review Board (2019 - 2022) - Yenepoya Research Centre (YRC), Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), India.
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âš• IMCB, Research Fellowship (2008-2016) - Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (A*STAR), Singapore.
âš• Foundation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM) Fellowship (2006-2008) - Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France.
âš• Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARI) Fellowship (2005-2006) - Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France.
âš• NBRC, Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2004-2005) - National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Haryana, India.
âš• University Grants Commission (UGC) Fellowship (1999-2004) - Centre for Advanced Studies in Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, India.
âš• Qualified Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) conducted by Ministry of Human Resources Development, Govt. of India.