Profile
Our research focuses on unravelling the molecular mechanisms particularly neuroimmune correlates of food preferences, binge eating disorders and palatable food addiction. Another area of research is improving peripheral and brain innate immune responses, particularly macrophage-mediated immune responses, through metabolic reprogramming approaches in health and disease. We are working hard to create personalized designer diets to improve immune and mental health in otherwise healthy people and to develop metabolism-based precision therapeutics for inflammatory and neurological disorders. We are utilizing pre-clinical and in vitro model systems for our research.
Current Focus Areas
Neuroinflammatory correlates of food preferences, binge eating disorders and palatable food addiction
Immunometabolic reprogramming for better immunity and mental health
Designer diets and foods as precision therapeutics for inflammatory and neurological disorders
Selected Publications
Kumar M, Gusain C, Bhatt B, Lal R, Bishnoi M (2024). Sex-specific effects of Sucrose Withdrawal on Anxiety-like Behaviour and Neuroimmune Response. Neuropharmacology. 15:249:109868, PMID: 38403263
Kumar M, Arora A, Sandhir R (2020). Hydrogen sulfide attenuates LPS-induced behavioral deficits by suppressing microglia activation and promoting M2 polarization. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology. 16(2):483-499, PMID: 32676889.
Kumar M, Bhatt B, Mahajan N, Gusain C, Bishnoi M (2024). Sex-specific effects of ketogenic diet on anxiety-like behaviour and neuroimmune response in C57Bl/6J Mice. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 127:109591, PMID: 38311044.
Rana AK, Bhatt B, Kumar M (2024). β-Hydroxybutyrate Improves the Redox Status, Cytokine Production and Phagocytic Potency of Glucose-Deprived HMC3 Human Microglia-like Cells. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, 19(1):35