Ashok Kumar is a globally awarded researcher and academician and pioneer in bioengineering. He is currently an Endowed Chair Professor of Bioengineering at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), where he also leads the IIT Kanpur-La Trobe University Research Academy and acts as the Head of Environmental Science and Engineering. He is also coordinator of newly established Centre of Excellence for Materials in Medicine at School of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Kanpur. He is also an associated faculty at the Mehta Family Centre for Engineering in Medicine, IIT Kanpur and adjunct faculty at the department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Jammu. He also served as visiting professor at several universities internationally, including Aalto University, Finland; Lund University, Sweden and Miyazaki University, Japan. Besides these academic engagements, he is also holding the presidentship of the Society of Biomaterials and Artificial Organs, India.
Dr. Kumar obtained his doctorate in India from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee in 1994. A few years later, in 1997, he moved to Sweden to start working at Lund University, where his research focused on polymer technologies. While living in Sweden, Kumar was also able to visit Nagoya University in Japan, where the focus of his research shifted more towards a biomedical domain. The research time spent in Japan with background of expertise attained in Sweden was the starting point for the work that Kumar is still doing. In 2004, Kumar returned to India to work at IIT Kanpur, where he strongly contributed to the development of the bioengineering department. Links with Sweden and the rest of Europe remained strong after the move to India.
Ashok Kumar has been pursuing cutting edge research in the area of biomaterials, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, stem cell research, bioprocess engineering, nanotechnology and environmental biotechnology. Some of his major research achievements in the regenerative medicine have been designing of functional biomaterials and therapeutic approaches for critical defect healing of bone, liver, diabetic wounds, peripheral nerve and developing bioartificial liver support bioreactor using cryogel matrices which are at the pre-clinical and clinical evaluation stages. One of his significant contributions is the development of bioartificial liver device (BAL) which aids in the synthesis as well as the detoxification roles of the liver for people suffering with acute liver failure (ALF) conditions. He has been instrumental in pioneering the cryogelation technology and unrevealed the mechanism of cryogelation and validated its biomedical applications. On the translational front, he has patented bone cement materials and bone ceramics and transferred the technology to biomedical companies. Other major technologies emerging from his research include cryogel filter for leukocyte depletion from blood for safe blood transfusion, and hydroxyapatite based bioactive bone substitutes for bone healing which were transferred to biomedical companies.
Dr. Kumar has contributed significantly to the research domain of biomedical engineering and regenerative medicine. Till now, he has published over 250 peer reviewed research papers in international journals, authored around 30 book chapters, edited 06 books, and hold many granted patents on novel biomaterials, and biomedical technologies. He has been recognized nationally and internationally. He has been conferred with honorary doctorate of science in technology by Aalto University, Finland. He is elected fellow of biomaterial science and engineering (FBSE), fellow of biomaterials and artificial organs, India (FBAO). He has received global research outreach (GRO) Samsung award, Korea, TATA Innovation Fellowship from DBT, Govt. of India for outstanding research contributions. He serves as an expert member and chairperson for several committees in science and technology ministries of Government of India. He has founded a start-up company Regenmedica Pvt. Ltd. India and Polybiomatrix HB, Sweden that is developing antibiotic loaded bioactive ceramics for treating bone infection and haemostatic gels for trauma care.