Dr. Rajesh Kumar is a Program Officer in the Office of Strategic Extramural Programs at the National Institute on Aging. Dr. Kumar is responsible for promoting and supporting Small Business Innovation in the areas of Healthy Aging and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.
Dr. Rajesh Kumar joined NIH with a significant experience in academia and industry as a scientist and an innovator. He holds a PhD in biochemistry from India. Following his postdoctoral trainings in India and at the University of Virginia, Rajesh joined the faculty of Texas A&M University Health Science Center. There he investigated cellular mechanisms of cardiac remodeling in response to high blood pressure and diabetes. Prior to joining NIA, he was the Scientific Director of a regenerative medicine startup company that envisions to bio-print living tissues. Rajesh has expertise in cardiovascular, ophthalmic, regenerative, and aging biology. His work has resulted in several original research publications, patents, and book chapters. He has mentored several young scientists and have spoken in international conferences. One of his innovations has resulted in a commercial drug and two are in different phases of clinical development.
With a significant demographic shift towards aging population, thanks largely to NIH’s efforts in controlling diseases and mortality, we face a new challenge of living healthy in older age. Dr. Kumar is working on developing and supporting programs and initiatives to meet this challenge.