Anand Prakash Singh | Agricultural and Biological Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Anand Prakash Singh | Agricultural and Biological Sciences | Best Researcher Award

University of Michigan | United States

Dr. Anand Prakash Singh is a Research Investigator at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, where he leads translational studies in cardio-oncology, cardio-immunology, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and exercise-induced cardiac regeneration. He earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology from the University of Lucknow (2007), M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the University of Allahabad, and Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Following his doctorate, he completed postdoctoral training at prestigious institutions including South Asian University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, while also serving as a visiting scholar at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. His research focuses on understanding the molecular pathways of cardiac inflammation, senescence, and regeneration, particularly in the context of metabolic stress and cancer therapy–induced cardiotoxicity. Dr. Singh is the recipient of multiple competitive grants, including the Frankel Cardiovascular Center Inaugural Grant Award and VA IPA funding, and has contributed as Co-Investigator to major NIH and AHA projects exploring heart–brain interactions and exercise-mediated cardioprotection. Recognized for his scholarly excellence, he has received honors such as the First Prize for Oral Presentation at the International Conference on Innovation & Technologies in Medicine and Healthcare and the Outstanding Reviewer Award from Experimental Biology and Medicine. His ongoing research aims to bridge basic molecular mechanisms with clinical therapeutics for cardiovascular disease prevention and recovery.

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Featured Publications

Guo, H. L. Y., Gupte, M., Umbarkar, P., Singh, A. P., et al. (2017). Entanglement of GSK-3β, β-catenin and TGF-β1 signaling network to regulate myocardial fibrosis. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 174, Article 107–118.

Singh, A. P., Glennon, M. S., Umbarkar, P., Gupte, M., Galindo, C. L., Zhang, Q., et al. (2019). Ponatinib-induced cardiotoxicity: Delineating the signalling mechanisms and potential rescue strategies. Cardiovascular Research, 115(5), 966–977.

Umbarkar, P., Tousif, S., Singh, A. P., Anderson, J. C., Zhang, Q., Tallquist, M. D., et al. (2022). Fibroblast GSK-3α promotes fibrosis via RAF-MEK-ERK pathway in the injured heart. Circulation Research, 131(7), 620–636.

Singh, A. P., Umbarkar, P., Tousif, S., & Lal, H. (2020). Cardiotoxicity of the BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors: Emphasis on ponatinib. International Journal of Cardiology, 316, 214–221.

Umbarkar, P., Singh, A. P., Gupte, M., Verma, V. K., Galindo, C. L., Guo, Y., Zhang, Q., et al. (2019). Cardiomyocyte SMAD4-dependent TGF-β signaling is essential to maintain adult heart homeostasis. JACC: Basic to Translational Science, 4(1), 41–53.

Tousif, S., Singh, A. P., Umbarkar, P., Galindo, C., Wheeler, N., Toro Cora, A., et al. (2023). Ponatinib drives cardiotoxicity by S100A8/A9-NLRP3-IL-1β mediated inflammation. Circulation Research, 132(3), 267–289.

Kwame Kumi Asare | Genetics and Molecular Biology | Best Researcher Award

Kwame Kumi Asare | Genetics and Molecular Biology | Best Researcher Award

University of Cape Coast | Ghana

Dr. Kwame Kumi Asare is a Ghanaian biomedical scientist, with roots in Effiduase Banko in the Ashanti Region. He holds a PhD in Medical Science (Infection Research) from Nagasaki University, Japan, an MPhil in Parasitology, and a BSc in Medical Laboratory Technology from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. His research focuses on infectious and non-communicable diseases, with expertise in parasitic infections such as malaria and leishmaniasis. He currently serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, working on Plasmodium falciparum gametocytogenesis, and as a Hall Tutor at Valco and Alumni Halls, University of Cape Coast. He has held several academic and research positions at Nagasaki University, including Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, and continues as a Visiting Researcher. Dr. Kwame Kumi Asare teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in parasitology, molecular parasitic diseases, and research methods. He is an Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) Fellow and a recipient of multiple international fellowships in global health and leadership. Professionally, he is a member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), and the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG). Beyond academia, he contributes to scientific leadership through curriculum development, journal editorial work, and public health initiatives, including the establishment of research and vocational facilities supporting community development in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

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Featured Publications

Boampong, J. N., Ameyaw, E. O., Aboagye, B., Asare, K., Kyei, S., Donfack, J. H., … & Nwaefuna, E. K. (2013). The curative and prophylactic effects of xylopic acid on Plasmodium berghei infection in mice. Journal of Parasitology Research, 2013(1), 356107.

Acquah, F. K., Obboh, E. K., Asare, K., Boampong, J. N., Nuvor, S. V., Singh, S. K., … & Theisen, M. (2017). Antibody responses to two new Lactococcus lactis-produced recombinant Pfs48/45 and Pfs230 proteins increase with age in malaria patients living in the Central Region of Ghana.Malaria Journal, 16(1), 306.

Amoah, L. E., Nuvor, S. V., Obboh, E. K., Acquah, F. K., Asare, K., Singh, S. K., … & Theisen, M. (2017). Natural antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum MSP3 and GLURP(R0) antigens are associated with low parasite densities in malaria patients living in the Central Region of Ghana. Parasites & Vectors, 10(1), 395.

Afoakwah, R., Boampong, J. N., Egyir-Yawson, A., Nwaefuna, E. K., Verner, O. N., Asare, K., & Owusu, E. O. (2014). High prevalence of PfCRT K76T mutation in Plasmodium falciparum isolates in Ghana. Acta Tropica, 136, 32–36.

Anning, A. S., Dugbatey, A. A., Kwakye-Nuako, G., & Asare, K. K. (2019). Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from raw meat and Ghanaian coin currencies at Cape Coast metropolis, Ghana: The public health implication. The Open Microbiology Journal, 13(1), 138–145.

Opoku, Y. K., Asare, K. K., Ghartey-Quansah, G., Afrifa, J., Bentsi-Enchill, F., & Owusu-Dabo, E. (2022). Intestinal microbiome–rheumatoid arthritis crosstalk: The therapeutic role of probiotics. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13, 996031.

Asare, K. K., Boampong, J. N., Afoakwah, R., Ameyaw, E. O., Sehgal, R., & Brown, C. A. (2014). Use of proscribed chloroquine is associated with an increased risk of pfcrt T76 mutation in some parts of Ghana. Malaria Journal, 13(1), 246.