Vinod Kumar

A competent professional with over 18 years of experience in Research & Development, spanning from ID to IND, along with expertise in Group Leader, Study Director, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, and Project Management. I am driven by a vision to integrate science with business, guiding therapeutic molecules from the lab to the market. Currently, I work as a Group Leader/Study Director for Bio-analytics at vivoPharm Global and serve as an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at The University of Queensland, following the completion of my PhD.

I have actively participated in various research projects, contributing to the preclinical and clinical development of novel therapeutics. My past and ongoing work involves extensive experimental skills in drug discovery, development, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and study design, all focused on advancing these therapeutics toward clinical trials. I am skilled in analytical and bioanalytical method development and validation, study design, and targeted and untargeted biomarker identification through metabolomics, proteomics, and lipidomics.

I am a keen communicator with hands-on experience in optimizing methodologies, documenting findings, and presenting results. Additionally, I possess a detail-oriented attitude, bio-analytical problem-solving abilities, and a project management mindset, demonstrated by my experience in designing projects, analyzing and interpreting research results, and handling technical data.

• Administration and Management
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Time Management and Monitoring
• Protocol development, Record Management and Task prioritization
• Research activity tracking, Status Reporting and Statistical analysis
• Critical and Creative thinking

• FDA, EMA, ICH Guidelines
• GLP, GMP, NATA and ISO laboratory experience
• 9 years’ experience in animal research
• Scientific data acquisition, analysis and reporting
• SOP development, Protocol validation and Quality Assurance
• Laboratory safety compliances and Risk assessment development
• Chemical, medical and biological waste disposal
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
• NATA and Sponsors Auditing procedures

• Knowledge and experience of various Equipment Validation Plan, URS, DS, IQ/OQ/PQ and Validation Report
• Proficient at Microsoft Office, GraphPad PRISM.
• HPLC and LCMS acquisition and analysis software’s of ABSciex, Shimadzu and Agilent.
• Pharmacokinetic Analysis Software such as WINNONLIN, PKanalix, PK Solver and PK Solution.
• In-vitro ADME / TOX prediction Software such as GastroPlus, ADMET predictor and MoleSoft
• Project Management Software such as DayLite, SmartSheet, ViewPath and Revver
• Quality Managment Software such as ZenQMS

• Completed 40 non-GLP Method Development studies and 36 GLP Method Validation studies as Study Director (since Jan 2022).
• Principal Investigator for 22 GLP toxicology studies involving Dose Formulation Analysis, Toxicokinetic and Pharmacokinetic Studies (since Jan 2022).
• Managed more than 20 projects as Project Manager.
• Supervision of PhD and Honours students
• Preclinical drug development work has already contributed to two drugs in clinical trials via Inflazome/Roche and Alsonex
• Actively working on various drug candidates with Industry partners e.g. Takeda and GenieUS
• Development of small molecules, peptides, and cyclic peptides new cyclic peptides with structural modifications to formulation optimisation to enhance half-life, oral bioavailability, stability and CNS permeability
• Method development and validation for BBB / BSCB Assessment and Biomarker identification using targeted metabolomics and proteomics
• Completion of Pharmacokinetic Studies of more than 60 therapeutic molecules of various classes involving dosing, Sample Collection, Processing, Bioanalytical Method setups, Analysis, and PK analysis.
• Pharmacokinetics of complement C5a receptor 1 antagonists in mice, and their role in protecting CNS barriers during neurodegeneration
• Pharmacokinetic properties and transport processes of two cyclic peptide i.e. c2NAP and c2FLSYR

• Review Editor for Inflammation, Frontiers in Immunology
• Registered with U.T. Pharmacy Council, Chandigarh under the provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 (Registration no. CH-05/2482)

• Best Student Abstract Travel Prize awarded by the scientific committee of the 8th International Conference of Complement Therapeutics (2015) held in Greece.
• University of Queensland International Scholarship for PhD study (2012-2016).
• Received Higher Distinction in Principle of Drug Action and Distinctions in Therapeutic Modalities and Biopharmaceutical Production Processes and Credits in Proteomics & Genomics and Recombinant Gene expression during Master of Biopharmaceutical Sciences.
• Scholarship holder during B. Pharm. with distinction in Physiology Theory and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Practical.
• Attained 33rd Rank in All India Medical Examination held by Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1999.

1. Nemat Khan, Vinod Kumar, … Trent M. Woodruff (2024). Inhibiting Eph/ephrin signaling reduces vascular leak and endothelial cell dysfunction in mice with sepsis. Science Translational Medicine, 744 (16)

2. Matthew Snelson, …., Vinod Kumar, …., Melinda T. Coughlan. (2024). Dietary resistant starch enhances immune health of the kidney in diabetes via promoting microbially-derived metabolites and dampening neutrophil recruitment. Nutrition & Diabetes, 46 (14),

3. Eduardo A Albornoz, Richard Gordon, Vinod Kumar, Avril AB Robertson, Kate Schroder, Trent M Woodruff. (2023). Response to Comment on “Inflammasome inhibition prevents α-synuclein pathology and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in mice”. Science Translational Medicine, 15 (6969), eadh0604.

4. Md Al Amin Sikder, …., Vinod Kumar, …& Simon Phipps. (2023). Maternal diet modulates the infant microbiome and intestinal Flt3L necessary for dendritic cell development and immunity to respiratory infection. Immunity, 56 (5), 1098-1114.e10.

5. Niwanthi Rajapakse, …., Vinod Kumar, …. & Ian Smith. (2023). Development of a novel angiotensin converting enzyme 2 stimulator with broad implications in SARS-CoV2 and type 1 diabetes. Research Square, rs. 3. Rs-2642181.

6. M Snelson, SM Tan, V Kumar, T Woodruff, MT Coughlan. (2023). Dietary resistant starch alters gut microbiota, microbially produced metabolites and albuminuria in diabetic mice. (2023). Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, OCE2 (82), E183.

7. Xu, W., Kumar, V., Cui, C. S., Li, X. X., Whittaker, A. K., Xu, Z. P., ... & Han, F. Y. (2022). Success in navigating hurdles to oral delivery of a bioactive peptide complement antagonist through use of nanoparticles to increase bioavailability and in vivo efficacy. Advanced Therapeutics, 2200109.

8. Neal, E., Kumar, V., Borges, K., & Cuffe, J. S. (2022). Vitamin B12 deficiency induces glucose intolerance, delays peak insulin levels and promotes ketogenesis in female rats. The Journal of Endocrinology, JOE-22.

9. Steane, S. E., Kumar, V., Cuffe, J. S., Moritz, K. M., & Akison, L. K. (2022). Prenatal Choline Supplementation Alters One Carbon Metabolites in a Rat Model of Periconceptional Alcohol Exposure. Nutrients, 14(9), 1874.

10. Murray, M., Coughlan, M. T., Gibbon, A., Kumar, V., Marques, F. Z., Selby-Pham, S., ... & Bennett, L. E. (2022). Reduced Growth, Altered Gut Microbiome and Metabolite Profile, and Increased Chronic Kidney Disease Risk in Young Pigs Consuming a Diet Containing Highly Resistant Protein. Frontiers in nutrition, 9, 816749-816749.

11. Cui, C. S., Kumar, V., Gorman, D. M., Clark, R. J., Lee, J. D., & Woodruff, T. M. (2021). In Vivo Pharmacodynamic Method to Assess Complement C5a Receptor Antagonist Efficacy. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science.

12. Tran, S., Woodruff, T., Kumar, V., Smith, A. I., Rajapakse, N., & Kuruppu, S. (2021). Stimulating the Activity of NEP and ACE2: A Unique Approach to Prevent Dementia. The FASEB Journal, 35.

13. Xu, W., Maqbool, F., Kumar, V., Falconer, J. R., Cui, C. S., Woodruff, T. M., ... & Han, F. Y. (2021). Sustained-release ketamine-loaded lipid-particulate system: in vivo assessment in mice. Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 1-9.

14. McDonald, T. S., Kumar, V., Fung, J. N., Woodruff, T. M., & Lee, J. D. (2021). Glucose clearance and uptake is increased in the SOD1G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis through an insulin‐independent mechanism. The FASEB Journal, 35(7), e21707.

15. Li, X. X., Kumar, V., Lee, J. D., & Woodruff, T. M. (2020). The'C3aR antagonist'SB290157 is a partial C5aR2 agonist. Front. Pharmacol. 2021. 11(2241).

16. Kumar, V, Lee, JD, Coulson, EJ, Woodruff, TM. A validated quantitative method for the assessment of neuroprotective barrier impairment in neurodegenerative disease models. J. Neurochem. 2020; 00: 1– 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.15119

17. Han, Felicity Y., Yun Liu, Vinod Kumar, … ,Maree T. Smith. Sustained-release ketamine-loaded nanoparticles fabricated by sequential nanoprecipitation. International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2020): 119291.

18. Kumar, Vinod, Lee, John D., Clark, Richard J., Noakes, Peter G., Taylor, Stephen M. and Woodruff, Trent M. (2020) Preclinical Pharmacokinetics of Complement C5a Receptor Antagonists PMX53 and PMX205 in Mice. ACS OMEGA, doi:10.1021/acsomega.9b03735

19. Fu, Changkui, Demir, Baris, Alcantara, Sheilajen, Kumar, Vinod, …, Whittaker, Andrew (2020) Low-fouling fluoropolymers for bioconjugation and in vivo tracking. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE INTERNATIONAL EDITION, doi:10.1002/anie.201914119

20. Tan, Sih Min, Ziemann, Mark, Thallas-Bonke, Vicki, Snelson, Matthew, Kumar, Vinod, …, Coughlan, Melinda T. (2019) Complement C5a induces renal injury in diabetic kidney disease by disrupting mitochondrial metabolic agility. DIABETES, 69 1: 83-98. doi:10.2337/db19-0043

21. Michailidou, Iliana, …, Kumar, Vinod, …, Baas, Frank (2018) Systemic inhibition of the membrane attack complex impedes neuroinflammation in chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS, 6 1: 36. doi:10.1186/s40478-018-0536-y

22. Gordon, Richard, …., Kumar, Vinod, …, Woodruff, Trent M. (2018) Inflammasome inhibition prevents α-synuclein pathology and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in mice. SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, 10 465: doi:10.1126/scitranslmed. aah4066

23. Kumar, Vinod, Lee, John D., Clark, Richard J. and Woodruff, Trent M. (2018) Development and validation of a LC-MS/MS assay for pharmacokinetic studies of complement C5a receptor antagonists PMX53 and PMX205 in mice. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 8 1: 8101. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26387-4

24. Lee, John D., Kumar, Vinod, Fung, Jenny N. T., Ruitenberg, Marc J., Noakes, Peter G. and Woodruff, Trent M. (2017) Pharmacological inhibition of complement C5a-C5a1 receptor signalling ameliorates disease pathology in the hSOD1G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, 173 8: 689-699. doi:10.1111/bph.13730

25. Kumar, Vinod (2017). Pharmacokinetics of complement C5a receptor 1 antagonists in mice, and their role in protecting CNS barriers during neurodegeneration PHD THESIS, MEDICINE FACULTY, The University of Queensland. doi:10.14264/uql.2017.471

26. Denny, K., Kelly, C., Kumar, V., Witham, K., Cabrera, R., Finnell, R., Woodruff, T. (2016). Autoantibodies against homocysteinylated protein in a mouse model of folate deficiency-induced neural tube defects. BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH, PART A, Clinical and molecular teratology.

27. Mantovani, S., Gordon, R., Li, R., Christie, D. C., Kumar, V., & Woodruff, T. M. (2016). Motor Deficits Associated with Huntington's disease Occur in the Absence of Striatal Degeneration in BACHD Transgenic Mice. HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS, ddw050.

28. Bryant J K, Bigwood J M, Lei Pei-Wen, Taberner M, Salom C, Kumar V, Lee L, Church W. B, Courtenay B, Smart BP, Gelb M, Graham G, Scott K.F. (2011). A Bifunctional Role for Group IIA Secreted Phospholipase A2 in Human Rheumatoid Fibroblast-like Synoviocyte Arachidonic Acid Metabolism. THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY VOL. 286, NO. 4, pp. 2492–2503.