University of Denver · ChemistryThe Mimetics Lab
Sunil Kumar · Denver, Colorado
Research Focus
Dr. Sunil Kumar's lab at the University of Denver focuses on developing new treatments for Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), a common type of dementia caused by protein aggregation in the brain. The lab synthesizes novel synthetic protein mimetics that can inhibit the aggregation of the alpha-synuclein protein, which is linked to LBD. They aim to optimize these compounds for safety and effectiveness, with the hope of advancing them towards clinical trials to help thousands suffering from this condition.
Lewy Body Dementiaalpha-synucleinsynthetic protein mimeticsdrug developmentpharmaceutical optimization
Research Aims
5AIM 01Develop synthetic protein mimetics that inhibit alpha-synuclein aggregation.
AIM 02Test the safety and efficacy of these mimetics in cellular and animal models.
AIM 03Optimize pharmaceutical properties of lead compounds for clinical trials.
AIM 04Evaluate the ability of compounds to rescue cognitive and motor deficits in LBD models.
AIM 05Characterize the toxicity of metabolites produced by the synthetic mimetics.
Skills the Lab Values
synthesis of organic compoundscell culture techniquesin vitro assaysanimal modelspharmacokineticsmetabolic profilinghigh-throughput screeningimmunohistochemistryneurobehavioral assessmentsADMET testing
Output against the department
Publications565top 15% of dept.32nd of 216
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations24ktop 20% of dept.43rd of 216
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.