Akaash Kumar

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT AKAASH KUMAR

Akaash is a scientist and technologist, dedicated to solving complex biological problems through an interdisciplinary engineering and biophysics approach. His core focus is twofold: shedding light on fundamental cell biology and harnessing the therapeutic potential of certain cell types for \'living drug\' applications.Currently, Akaash is a Research Fellow at Fitzwilliam college (University of Cambridge), Postdoctoral Researcher at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and a Visiting Scientist at the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology. He completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge/ MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.Akaash\'s research focuses on using novel imaging hardware and software he developed to study the underlying cell biology of cytotoxic T cell killing, with a focus on immunotherapies. The imaging technologies he developed can improve any camera-based microscope globally and yields 2-4x more information up to 10 times faster compared with pre-existing approaches. He is an inventor on the patent describing these technologies which is currently undergoing commercialisation. His work has culminated in publications in leading scientific journals and has been recognised with several awards including: the Royal Microscopical Society Early Career Award (2024), the Max Perutz Award (2024) and the Cambridge Society of the Application of Research Award (2023), amongst others.Before Cambridge he worked at the NSF Engineering Research Centre for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT) and the Wallace H Coulter Dept. Of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology/ Emory University in Atlanta, USA. Whilst there, using Quality by Design approaches, he developed bioreactor technologies for stem cell bioprocessing and researched mesenchymal stem cell heterogeneity/ bioprocessing for orthopaedic applications. He has presented his research at various international conferences (including Metabolomics Assocation of North America and Cell Manufacturing USA). He also had a significant role in teaching and mentoring (undergraduates, masters and PhD students).Outside the lab, Akaash is the Co-founder of Generation Tomorrow, an educational consultancy dedicated to developing equitable access models for education. He is passionate about improving accessibility in science (regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status) and aims to become increasingly involved with science communication.