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Ashok Kumawat

Position: Senior Lecturer School/office: School of Medical Sciences

Email: YXNob2sua3VtYXdhdDtvcnUuc2U=

Phone: +46 19 302185

Room: X2104

Ashok Kumawat
Research subject

About Ashok Kumawat

Ashok Kumar Kumawat is an associate professor in biomedicine at the School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden. His academic and research areas of interest are in immunology and inflammation.

Dr Ashok obtained his BSc degree in Chemistry, Botany and Zoology majors in 2002 from Rajasthan University, Jaipur, India. Then he pursued his Master’s degree in Microbiology in 2004 from Bangalore University, Bangalore, India. He worked for 3 years in the life science industry and then he started his research career as “Research Scholar” in 2007 at Örebro University, Sweden.

Dr Ashok defended his PhD thesis entitled “Adaptive immune responses in microscopic colitis” conducted in Professor Elizabeth Hultgren Hörnqvist’s group at the School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, in the year 2013. His PhD thesis was first to describe a detailed descriptive mapping of local adaptive immune responses in the intestinal mucosa of microscopic colitis (MC) patients, that were (and are still) incomplete, but necessary to understand the pathophysiology in MC. 

In 2014, Olle Engqvist byggmästare foundation awarded a two-year postdoc fellowship to Dr Ashok to carry out postdoc work in Professor Allan Mowat’s lab at the University of Glasgow. During this time, he focused on characterising the role of αvβ5 integrin on intestinal macrophages function in mice. His work revealed for the first time that intestinal macrophages express high levels of integrin αvβ5 and it is induced as monocytes differentiate into a mature intestinal macrophage population. Integrin αvβ5 also promotes phagocytosis and activates tissue remodelling pathways in the intestinal macrophages that are important in the maintenance of local homeostasis.

In 2016, he joined as senior postdoc fellow in Professor Allan Sirsjö’s group at the School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University. His work focused on blocking IL17 cytokine to suppress inflammation in experimental model of atherosclerosis, using small protein modules termed Affibody. Since August 2019 he works as an associate senior lecturer in biomedicine with specialisation in immunology. He affiliates with the research environment Cardiovascular Research Centre (CVRC) and leads Immunoprofiling of Inflammation (iPi) research group.

Research Overview

His research focuses on profiling immune cell phenotypes and functional responses in human vascular and intestinal inflammation. He is investigating how interference of molecules associated with innate and adaptive immunity can resolve inflammation in atherosclerosis.

He is also exploring interactions between gut microbiota, gut microbial derived dietary metabolites and immune responses and how these responses are linked to pathogenesis, disease profile and quality of life in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

His research also focuses on to evaluate the role of intestinal macrophages in fibrosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Teaching and Administrative assignments

Dr Ashok is currently course coordinator for the 9th semester of the medical program at Örebro University (MC509A). He is an experienced problem-based learning (PBL) tutor and project supervisor at the Örebro University’s medical program. He is involved in teaching advanced level courses in immunology, cell biology and laboratory techniques in the international Master’s program in Experimental medicine and in the medical program at School of medical sciences.

He is also a seminar leader for the PhD course “General scientific methods in medical sciences (70ME061)” and for bachelor thesis project work in medical program.

He is main supervisor for 2 postdocs. He has co-supervised 1 PhD student and is co-supervisor for 2 ongoing PhD student. He also supervises Bachelor and Master students for their thesis projects.

Other assignments

He is safety representative at the School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University.

He is member of the organizing committee for Nobel Day Festivities, held annually at the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University.

 

Publications

Articles in journals |  Collections (editor) |  Conference papers |  Doctoral theses, comprehensive summaries |  Manuscripts | 

Articles in journals

Collections (editor)

Conference papers

Doctoral theses, comprehensive summaries

Manuscripts