Manu Kumar
About Manu Kumar
Manu Kumar is a Senior Scientist at Asher Biotherapeutics in South San Francisco, California, with a background in computational biology and immunotherapy research. He holds a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has previously worked at RAPT Therapeutics and Vida Ventures, among other institutions.
Current Role at Asher Bio
Manu Kumar serves as a Senior Scientist at Asher Biotherapeutics, a position he has held since 2021. His work is based in South San Francisco, California. In this role, he focuses on advancing biotherapeutic solutions, particularly in the realm of immunology.
Previous Experience at RAPT Therapeutics
Prior to his current position, Manu Kumar worked at RAPT Therapeutics from 2019 to 2021. He held the role of Scientist in Computational Biology for two years, followed by a brief tenure as Scientist II for five months in 2021. His contributions during this time included research on CD8+ T cell selective IL-21.
Educational Background
Manu Kumar earned his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Biological Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied from 2014 to 2019. He also holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering, with minors in Computer Science and Mathematics, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, completed in 2014.
Research Contributions
Manu Kumar has been involved in significant research initiatives, including studies on AB248, a CD8+ selective IL-2 mutein fusion protein. He has contributed to presentations at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) and has focused on the selective activation of the IL-2 pathway in CD8+ T cells.
Internships and Early Career
In the early stages of his career, Manu Kumar completed several internships. He interned at Procter & Gamble in 2012, at Merrimack in 2018, and held a fellowship at Vida Ventures, LLC in 2019. Additionally, he participated as an Amgen Scholar at Stanford University in 2013.