Deepak Kumar
Dr. Deepak Kumar is a professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), whose career reflects a commitment to advancing biomedical research, mentoring future scientists, and building partnerships that connect scientific discovery with community needs. His research spans cancer biology, molecular biomarkers, genomics, epigenomics, cell signaling, environmental health, and implementation science, with a particular focus on understanding the biological mechanisms underlying cancer progression and cancer health disparities.
As a seasoned cancer biologist with more than 20 years of continuous National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, Dr. Kumar has authored over 135 peer-reviewed papers and 10 patents. His research focuses on molecular biomarkers of cancer progression, with a particular emphasis on prostate cancer, and extends into genomics, epigenomics, cell signaling, environmental health, and implementation science. A hallmark of his work is its community-engaged focus. He has mentored numerous trainees from underrepresented backgrounds who now hold leadership roles in research and healthcare.
Throughout his career, he has secured more than $75 million in competitive funding as a principal investigator/co-investigator. He currently leads major initiatives, including NCCU’s NIH/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) RCMI Center for Health Disparities Research, the Duke–NCCU Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) partnership, NCCU’s mobile health units, clinical research education initiatives across North Carolina, and the NC Collaboratory–supported opioid abatement project. He obtained a transformative $10.5 million New Market Tax Credit investment, which established the Rural Health Hub in Enfield, NC, serving as a cornerstone for research and health engagement in rural eastern North Carolina.
Widely recognized for his leadership, Dr. Kumar was elected to the North Carolina Institute of Medicine in 2022, named an NIH/NIMHD History Maker in 2019, and has served on state and national advisory boards. He has positioned NCCU as a state and national leader in community-engaged research, forging sustained partnerships with community-based organizations, federally qualified health centers, and county health departments to advance health services, chronic disease prevention, and health disparities interventions that translate into meaningful outcomes for the communities NCCU serves.