Principal Investigator
Dr. Sushil Kumar
Assistant Professor, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering
Dr. Sushil Kumar is from Khothanwali, a village in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, and an Assistant Professor at IIT Bombay, leading the Precision Oncology Lab. He completed his PhD at the interface of Immunology and Cancer Biology. Later, he moved to the US for his first postdoctoral position, where he investigated normal mammary gland development and carcinogenesis using genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), such as knock-in and knock-out reporter models.
Following this highly productive tenure with several publications, he moved to a new position working closely with a clinician where he gained direct insight into clinical challenges and clinical cancer research practices. During this period, his lab established robust experimental models derived from patient tumors, which led to key industry collaborations with partners such as AstraZeneca and Merck. He later continued in academia to take up faculty position, bringing together this collective expertise in fundamental biology, clinical biology and industry applications.
In addition to research, Dr. Kumar teaches courses in immunology, genetics, research proposal writing, and the integrated laboratory course of M.Sc. Apart from these professional activities, he likes to spend his free time with his family, play sports (volleyball, table tennis, badminton), swim, go on amateur hikes, watch movies, and read the glorious history of India.
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Ph.D. (Innate Immunity & Cancer Biology)
IISER Bhopal (2016)
Prof. Himanshu Kumar -
M.Sc. (Life Sciences)
Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore -
B.Sc. (Biology)
Govt. College Sri Ganganagar, Raj. affiliated to the University of Bikaner
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Postdoctoral Fellow
School of Medicine, UPenn (2019–2021)
Prof. Fiona Simpkins Lab -
Postdoctoral Fellow
School of Veterinary Medicine, UPenn (2016–2019)
Prof. Rumela Chakrabarti Lab -
Faculty Member
IIT Roorkee (Assistant Professor, Nov. 2021- May 2022)
IIT Bombay (Assistant Professor, May 2022-Ongoing)
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr. Naveen Kumar
Postdoctoral Fellow
I am from New Delhi. I hold a doctorate from University of Delhi in Anthropology, focusing on developing biomarkers for graft health monitoring and diagnosing rejection in kidney transplant recipients. My current research aim is to discover breast cancer biomarkers from cell-free DNA.
Dr. Ankita S. More
Postdoctoral Fellow
I am from Pune and completed my PhD at NCCS, Pune, focusing on ovarian cancer. I subsequently worked as a Project Research Scientist-I on an ICMR-funded project. My current research focuses on chimeric transcripts in breast cancer, particularly their roles in tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, and tumor-immune interactions, to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Ph. D.
Sumana Paul
PhD Student · 2022–Present
I am Sumana Paul, a Research Scholar at IIT Bombay, originally from Kolkata. My research focuses on how oncogenes rewire molecular signaling in triple-negative breast cancer, and how ubiquitination subtly drives tumor proliferation, cell-cycle dysregulation, and aggressiveness.
When I’m not thinking about signaling networks or ubiquitin tags, you’ll find me exploring new places, vibing to music, dancing, or chasing my next adventure.
Science inspires me, curiosity fuels me — and TNBC keeps me asking the questions that matter most.
Umesh Singh
PhD Student · 2023–Present
I’m Umesh, born and brought up in Punjab—the land of Bhangra, vibrant spirit, and boundless energy. My science journey began with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Panjab University, Chandigarh, followed by a Master’s degree from BHU, Varanasi. In July 2023, I joined IIT Bombay as a Research Scholar, where I’m exploring how post-translational modifications (PTMs) and extracellular matrix remodeling signaling contribute to the progression of aggressive breast cancer. But I’m not all lab coats and experiments—off duty, you’ll catch me on the ramp as a model, curating fashion shows, pedaling around on my cycle, and yes, low-key judging people like it’s my side hustle.
Susmita Sah
PhD Student · 2024–Present
I am from Kathmandu, Nepal. I did my Master's in Biotechnology from South Asian University, New Delhi. In August 2024, I embarked on my journey as a research scholar at IIT Bombay. My research focuses on elucidating the molecular signaling pathways involved in breast cancer, with the ultimate goal of advancing therapeutic strategies in this field.
Ansh Singh
PhD Student · 2025–Present
I am Ansh Singh, and I hold a B.Tech. in Food Technology from NIFTEM, Sonipat. My research is centered on the development of novel liquid biopsy assays for the early diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring, and treatment stratification of breast cancer. My academic interests lie at the intersection of oncology, multi-omics, and the application of deep learning methodologies for biomarker discovery. For recreation, I enjoy reading and playing the bamboo flute.
Aditti Sharma
PhD Student · 2025–Present
I am Aditti Sharma. I work on developing deep neural network based model for drug response prediction in breast cancer. I’ve done B.Sc in Microbiology from Fergusson College, Pune and M.Sc in Medical Biotechnology from PGIMER, Chandigarh. Outside academics, I enjoy swimming and baking.
Masters Students
Prajna Parimita Nayak
Master's Student · 2026–Present
I'm an M.Sc. 2nd year student in Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT Bombay. I'm working on a resesrch project Investigating the role of nuclear localization of MXRA8 in breast cancer progression. Apart from studies, I enjoy Listening music, Dancing, Reading poetry.
Deepdas Gupta
Master's Student · 2026–Present
I'm an M.Sc. 2nd year student at IIT Bombay. My project work focuses on domain mapping of KLHDC3 interacting proteins and their role in cancer cell proliferation. I've done my B.Sc. in Biology from MGKVP. I enjoy playing badminton and hanging out with friends.
Ravi Kumawat
Master's Student · 2026–Present
I am a 2nd yr M.Sc. student in the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT Bombay. Currently, I am working on a research project focused on the identification and validation of ELMO2 interacting proteins in breast cancer invasion. Apart from academics, I enjoy listening to music and travelling.
Ranadeep Dutta
Master's Student · 2026–Present
I'm a Msc 2nd year student at IITB , currently working on understanding gene expression of Breast cancer cells on 2D vs 3d environments. I'm originally from West Bengal and completed my Bachelor's in microbiology from Ramakrishna mission Vidyamandira. Beyond academics I really enjoying playing table tennis, volleyball, cricket. And also sketching is my favourite hobby.