Dr Snehlata Kumari

Senior Research Fellow

Frazer Institute
Faculty of Medicine

Overview

Researcher Biography

Dr Kumari is a Research Leader at The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute. Her laboratory focuses on identifying and understanding immuno-modulatory mechanisms controlling inflammatory skin diseases and skin cancer.

Dr Snehlata Kumari completed her PhD from the University of Cologne in Germany on understanding the role of NF-kB signalling in regulating skin inflammation. During her PhD, she received intensive training in skin immunity and moved to the Institute for Genetics at the University of Cologne in Germany to do postdoctoral work. Dr Kumari made fundamental discoveries in identifying essential roles of NF-kB, cytokines, and apoptosis and necroptosis signalling pathways in regulating skin homeostasis and inflammation. These findings advanced the knowledge of skin immunity, published in top-tier journals such as Nature and Immunity, and opened up new avenues for novel potential targets in skin inflammation.

Dr Kumari's contributions received recognition from global scientific communities including the German National Academy of Sciences- Leopoldina, International Investigative Dermatology and European Society for Dermatological Research. She was awarded a career development grant on melanoma research from the German Research Foundation-SFB 829. She is the winner of 2021 Christina Fleischmann award to young women investigators from the Ineternational Cytokine and Interferon Society.

Overall aims and research focus

The aim of the Kumari Group is to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling skin homeostasis and inflammatory diseases like Psoriasis, Hidradenitis Suppurative, Atopic Dermatitis to gain new knowledge as well as pave translational pathway for drug targets and discoveries for clinical uses. Her laboratory excels in technologies used in Immunology, Biochemistry, Genetics as well as Cell- and Molecular Biology.

Our research focuses on

  • Elucidating cellular and molecular signalling mechanisms regulating skin immune homeostasis.
  • Identifying new immune regulatory mechanisms in skin inflammation.
  • Investigating mechanisms to develop novel therapeutics and immunotherapy for skin cancer

Research Interests

  • Skin Inflammation and Immunity
    Identifying new regulatory check points to help prevent skin inflammation
  • Skin Cancer
    Development of novel therapeutics for melanoma and non-melanoma cancer

Qualifications

  • Master of Science in Biotechnology, University of Pune
  • Doctor of Natural Sciences, Cologne
  • Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, Patna University

Publications

View all Publications

Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

  • Doctor Philosophy

View all Supervision

Publications

Book Chapter

  • Chipurupalli, Sandhya, Kumari, Snehlata, Desiderio, Vincenzo and Robinson, Nirmal (2022). Hypoxia-induced stress responses in cancer and cancer stem cells. Handbook of oxidative stress in cancer: mechanistic aspects. (pp. 1829-1843) Singapore, Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-15-9411-3_121

  • Kumari, Snehlata and Pasparakis, Manolis (2017). Epithelial cell death and inflammation in skin. Apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death. (pp. 77-93) edited by Shigekazu Nagata and Hiroyasu Nakano. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/82_2015_466

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision