Vikalp Kumar
I am from Faridabad NCR, India. Currently, I'm pursuing my Ph.D. in the Greenberg Lab, where I explore my passion for research and discovery. Outside the lab, I love spending time in nature, going on peaceful walks, catching up with friends, and unwinding with some good music.
Research interest(s)/area of expertise
- Cell biology
- Molecular biology
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Genetics
Research
My primary research focus is to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of Barth syndrome (BTHS), a rare and life-threatening X-linked mitochondrial disorder. BTHS is characterized by a heterogeneous clinical presentation, including cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy, neutropenia, and exercise intolerance. Specifically, I aim to investigate the molecular basis of BTHS-associated myopathy and the impaired adaptive responses of skeletal muscle. To this end, I utilize a C2C12 mouse myoblast model of Barth syndrome to dissect the cellular pathways contributing to muscle dysfunction in this disease context.
Education
- B.Sc. Microbiology (Hons)
- M.Sc. Molecular Medicine
Selected publications
- Liang Z, Ralph-Epps T, Schmidtke MW, Kumar V, Greenberg ML. Decreased pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in Tafazzin-deficient cells is caused by dysregulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase 1 (PDP1). J Biol Chem. 2024 Mar;300(3):105697. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105697. Epub 2024 Jan 30. PMID: 38301889; PMCID: PMC10884759.
- Onu CJ, Adu M, Chakkour M, Kumar V, Greenberg ML. Inositol Phosphates and Synthesizing Enzymes: Implications in Neurodegenerative Disorders. Biomolecules. 2025 Feb 4;15(2):225. doi: 10.3390/biom15020225. PMID: 40001529; PMCID: PMC11853280.