Dr. Nirmal Kumar Awarded APDA Postdoctoral Fellowship for Parkinson’s Disease Research

We are excited to share that Dr. Nirmal Kumar, trainee at the Rutgers Brain Health Institute (BHI) and Postdoctoral Associate in Dr. Ping-Yue Pan’s Lab, has been awarded the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Postdoctoral Fellowship for his project, “Synaptojanin-1 and VPS35 Interaction in Presynaptic Vulnerability.”

The two-year, $100,000 fellowship is awarded to support postdoctoral scientists whose research holds promise to provide new insights into the pathophysiology, etiology, and treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Dr. Kumar’s research focuses on identifying early molecular mechanisms in PD that lead to presynaptic dysfunction, dopamine imbalance, and ultimately dopamine neuron loss. He is particularly interested in how synapses are organized and maintained for effective neurotransmission—and how their disruption contributes to the early stages of PD.

Dr. Kumar joined Rutgers after attending the Rutgers Brain Health Institute Postdoc Recruitment Event in 2023. “Talking to potential mentors and seeing how collaborative and welcoming the community is made it clear that Rutgers was the right place for me,” he said. In his current research, Dr. Kumar uses both cellular models and genetically modified mice to identify molecular targets that enable early therapeutic intervention in PD, helping preserve dopamine system function before neurodegeneration becomes irreversible.

“BHI offers a lot of valuable resources—training workshops, networking events, and access to advanced research facilities—that continue to support my growth as a scientist. Beyond research, BHI also provides grant writing workshops and grant writing groups, which have been super helpful in building skills and preparing for the next steps in my career,” said Dr. Kumar.