Scientist-D, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, Maharashtra

Oct 2024-Present

Visiting Professor, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland

July 2024

NIH Research Scientist, Center for Brain & Disease Research, VIB-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

2023-2024

Senior Postdoctoral Scientist, Brain Mind Institute, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland

2017-2022

Postdoctoral Scientist, University of Twente, the Netherlands

2014-2016

1

Kumar, S. T., Nazarov, S., Porta, S., Maharjan, N., Cendrowska, U., Kabani, M., Finamore, F., Xu, Y., Lee, V. M., & Lashuel, H. A. (2023). Seeding the aggregation of TDP-43 requires post-fibrillization proteolytic cleavage. Nature Neuroscience, 26(6), 983–996. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01341-4

2

Kumar, S. T., Mahul-Mellier, A., Hegde, R. N., Rivière, G., Moons, R., De Opakua, A. I., Magalhães, P., Rostami, I., Donzelli, S., Sobott, F., Zweckstetter, M., & Lashuel, H. A. (2022). A NAC domain mutation (E83Q) unlocks the pathogenicity of human alpha-synuclein and recapitulates its pathological diversity. Science Advances, 8(17). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn0044

3

Kumar, S. T., Jagannath, S., Francois, C., Vanderstichele, H., Stoops, E., & Lashuel, H. A. (2020). How specific are the conformation-specific α-synuclein antibodies? Characterization and validation of 16 α-synuclein conformation-specific antibodies using well-characterized preparations of α-synuclein monomers, fibrils and oligomers with distinct structures and morphology. Neurobiology of Disease, 146, 105086. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105086

4

Kumar, S. T., Donzelli, S., Chiki, A., Syed, M. M. K., & Lashuel, H. A. (2020). A simple, versatile and robust centrifugation‐based filtration protocol for the isolation and quantification of α‐synuclein monomers, oligomers and fibrils: Towards improving experimental reproducibility in α‐synuclein research. Journal of Neurochemistry, 153(1), 103–119. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.14955

5

Kumar, S. T., Meinhardt, J., Fuchs, A., Aumüller, T., Leppert, J., Büchele, B., Knüpfer, U., Ramachandran, R., Yadav, J. K., Prell, E., Morgado, I., Ohlenschläger, O., Horn, U., Simmet, T., Görlach, M., & Fändrich, M. (2014). Structure and Biomedical Applications of Amyloid Oligomer Nanoparticles. ACS Nano, 8(11), 11042–11052. https://doi.org/10.1021/nn503960h

6

Kumar, S. T., Leppert, J., Bellstedt, P., Wiedemann, C., Fändrich, M., & Görlach, M. (2015). Solvent Removal Induces a Reversible β-to-α Switch in Oligomeric Aβ Peptide. Journal of Molecular Biology, 428(2), 268–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2015.05.002

Pradhan B, Kumar ST, Wagner J, Gallardo R, Orlando G, De Vleeschouwer M, Madine J, Louros N, Neher JJ, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J. Medin drives Aβ40 to adopt Aβ42-like fibril polymorphs in vitro. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.17.665283

Shafiei N, Mohammed I, Kumar ST, Mahul-Mellier AL, Ekundayo B, Stähli D, Lewis AJ, Stahlberg H. Cryo-EM structure of α-Synuclein Fibrils Harboring the Dementia with Lewy Bodies–Associated E83Q Mutation. https://doi.org/10.64898/2025.12.23.696295

Donzeli S, OSullivan SA*, Mahul-Mellier AL*, Ulusoy A, Fusco G, Kumar ST, Syed MMK, Chiki A, Burtscher J, Boussouf MLD, Rostami I, Simone AD, Di Monte DA, Lashuel HA. Post-fibrillization nitration of alpha-synuclein abolishes its seeding activity and pathology formation in primary neurons and in vivo. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.03.24.534149

1

Kavungal D, Morro E, Kumar ST, Dagli B, Lashuel HA, Altug H. (2025) Nanoplasmonic Infrared Microarray Sensor Enabling Structural Protein Biomarker-Based Drug Screening for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Oct;12(39):e00320. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202500320.

2

Altay, M. F., Kumar, S. T., Burtscher, J., Jagannath, S., Strand, C., Miki, Y., Parkkinen, L., Holton, J. L., & Lashuel, H. A. (2024). Development and validation of an expanded antibody toolset that captures alpha-synuclein pathological diversity in Lewy body diseases. Npj Parkinson S Disease, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-023-00604-y

3

Kavungal, D., Magalhães, P., Kumar, S. T., Kolla, R., Lashuel, H. A., & Altug, H. (2023). Artificial intelligence–coupled plasmonic infrared sensor for detection of structural protein biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases. Science Advances, 9(28). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg9644

4

Kumar, S. T., Nazarov, S., Porta, S., Maharjan, N., Cendrowska, U., Kabani, M., Finamore, F., Xu, Y., Lee, V. M., & Lashuel, H. A. (2023). Seeding the aggregation of TDP-43 requires post-fibrillization proteolytic cleavage. Nature Neuroscience, 26(6), 983–996. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01341-4

5

Kumar ST#, Mahul-Mellier AL#, Hegde RN, Rivière G, Moons R, Ibáñez de Opakua A, Magalhães P, Rostami I, Donzelli S, Sobott F, Zweckstetter M, Lashuel HA. A NAC domain mutation (E83Q) unlocks the pathogenicity of human alpha-synuclein and recapitulates its pathological diversity. Sci Adv. 2022 Apr 29;8(17):eabn0044. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn0044

6

Kumar ST#, Jagannath S#, Francois C, Vanderstichele H, Stoops E and Lashuel HA*. Characterization and validation of 16 α-synuclein conformation-specific antibodies using well-characterized preparations of α-synuclein monomers, fibrils and oligomers with distinct structures and morphology: How specific are the conformation-specific α-synuclein antibodies?. Neurobiol Dis. 2020 Dec; 146:105086. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105086

7

Cendrowska U#, Silva PJ#, Ait-Bouziad N, Müller M, Guven ZP, Vieweg S, Chiki A, Radamaker L, Kumar ST, Fändrich M, Tavanti F, Menziani MC, Alexander-Katz A, Stellacci F, Lashuel HA*. Unraveling the Complexity of Amyloid Polymorphism Using Gold Nanoparticles and Cryo-EM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 Mar 24;117(12):6866-6874. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916176117

8

Kumar ST, Donzelli S, Chiki A, Syed MMK and Lashuel HA*. A simple, versatile and robust centrifugation-based filtration protocol for the isolation and quantification of α-synuclein monomers, oligomers and fibrils: Towards improving experimental reproducibility in α-synuclein research. J Neurochem. 2020 Jan 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnc.14955

9

Burtscher J, Copin JC, Rodrigues J, Kumar ST, Chiki A, Guillot de Suduiraut I, Sandi C and Lashuel HA*. Chronic corticosterone aggravates behavioral and neuronal symptomatology in a mouse model of alpha-synuclein pathology. Neurobiol Aging. 2019 Nov;83:11-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.08.007

10

Garvey M#, Baumann M#, Wulff M, Kumar ST, Markx D, Morgado I, Knüpfer U, Horn U, Mawrin C, Balbach J and Fändrich M*. Molecular architecture of Aβ fibrils grown in cerebrospinal fluid solution and in a cell culture model of Aβ plaque formation. Amyloid. 2016, Jun; 23(2):76-85. 10.3109/13506129.2016.1146989

11

Kumar ST, Leppert J, Bellstedt P, Fändrich M* and Görlach M*. Solvent removal induces a reversible β to α switch in oligomeric Aβ peptide. J Mol Biol. 2016, Jan 29; 428(2 Pt A):268-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2015.05.002

12

Gopalswamy M#, Kumar A#, Adler J, Baumann M, Henze M, Kumar ST, Scheidt HA, Huster D, Fändrich M*, Balbach J*. Structural characterization of amyloid fibrils from the human parathyroid hormone. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2015, Apr; 1854(4):249-57. doi: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.12.020

13

Kumar ST, Meinhardt J, Fuchs A-K, Aumuller T, Leppert J, Büchele B, Knüpfer U, Ramachandran R, Yadav JK, Prell E, Morgado I, Ohlenschläger O, Horn U, Simmet T, Görlach M, Fändrich M*. Structure and applicative potential of amyloid oligomer nanoparticles. ACS Nano. 2014, 8: 11042-52. https://doi.org/10.1021/nn503960h

14

Roan N, Liu H, Usmani S, Neidleman J, Muller J, Gawanbacht A, Zirafi O, Chu S, Dong M, Kumar ST, Smith J, Pollard K, Fändrich M, Kirchhoff F, Münch J, Witkowska E and Greene W*. Liquefaction of semen generates and later degrades a conserved semenogelin peptide that enhances HIV infection. J Virol. 2014, 88(13):7221-34. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00269-14

15

Haupt C, Bereza M, Kumar ST, Kieninger B, Morgado I, Hortschansky P, Fritz G, Röcken C, Horn U and Fändrich M*. Pattern recognition with a fibril-specific antibody fragment reveals the surface variability of natural amyloid fibrils. J Mol Biol. 2011, 408: 529-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.02.032

16

Haupt C, Morgado I, Kumar ST, Parthier C, Bereza M, Hortschansky P, Stubbs MT, Horn U and Fändrich M*. Amyloid fibril recognition with the conformational B10 antibody fragment depends on electrostatic interactions. J Mol Biol. 2011, 405: 341-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2010.10.059.

17

Indu S#, Kumar ST#, Thakurela S, Gupta M, Bhaskara RM, Ramakrishnan C and Varadarajan R*. Disulfide conformation and design at helix N-termini. Proteins. 2010, 78: 1228-42. https://doi.org/10.1002/prot.22641

Phd Students

Renu Naik
PhD Student (CSIR-JRF)
M. Sc., Zoology, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Bilaspur

Jyoti Chaurasia
PhD Student (JGEEBILS-JRF)
M. Sc., Biochemistry, University of Lucknow, UP

Muzzammil Bhaisaheb
Project JRF
Integrated BS-MS Dual Degree in Biological Sciences, IISER Bhopal

Master/Bachelor students

Divya Jayalakshmi K.M
Master project
M. Pharm. Biotech., JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty, TN

Samyuktha S
Master project
M. Sc., Microbiology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kerala

Sarang Harne
BS MS Intern
BS-MS Dual degree (Biology major), IISER Pune