Dr. M.N.V. Ravi Kumar, Distinguished University Research Professor in the College of Community Health Sciences’ Department of Translational Science and Medicine, has been named assistant vice president for interdisciplinary research in the Office for Research & Economic Development. His appointment began March 17.
“I am pleased that Ravi is joining us in the Office for Research & Economic Development,” said Dr. Bryan Boudouris, vice president for research and economic development. “His leadership and expertise will be instrumental in advancing our strategic priorities and driving the future of research and innovation at UA.”
This appointment comes at a crucial time, as the Office for Research & Economic Development recently launched a five-year strategic plan articulating its vision for expanding the growth and impact of the research enterprise.
In this role, Kumar will provide strategic leadership to promote interdisciplinary research initiatives across campus, particularly in the life sciences. He will also lead efforts related to fostering global research partnerships and establish faculty recognition programs to recognize and reward research excellence.
Kumar is the founding director of the Center for Convergent Bioscience and Medicine, where he oversees an integrated approach combining innovative drug delivery strategies with new drug discovery and drug repurposing.
He also leads a research team through the Laboratory for Drug Research and Engineering for Advanced Medicine, also known as the Kumar Lab, and heads the recently created Department of Translational Science and Medicine.
A world-renowned scholar, Kumar’s research has earned him numerous accolades, including being elected as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors, International Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburg (FRSE), and Foreign Member of the French National Academy of Pharmacy. He has also earned the AAPS Global Leader Award and the prestigious Humboldt Research Prize.
He holds a doctorate in drug delivery from the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee, a master’s in applied chemistry from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, and a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Nagarjuna University.