BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Shashi Kumar is a researcher with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, where he specialized in bio-molecular simulations. His expertise includes Molecular Dynamics (MD), Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM), Density Functional Theory (DFT), and Machine Learning (ML) methods. After his PhD, Dr. Kumar joined the School of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, as a postdoctoral researcher under Professor MacKerrel, where he worked on SILCS and targeted drug delivery. He further expanded his research skills during his second postdoctoral experience with Professor Ivanov at Georgia State University, Atlanta. In July 2024, Dr. Kumar joined the National Institute of Technology Rourkela as a faculty member. His research interests span Computational Molecular Biology, Targeted Drug Delivery, and the integration of Machine Learning techniques. Dr. Kumar is particularly passionate about biomimetic enzymes and their application in Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) processes. He aims to design synthetic enzymes that could enhance large-scale CO2 capture, contributing to global efforts for carbon neutrality. Dr. Kumar invites B.Tech, M.Tech, PhD students, and interns to explore these exciting research areas under his guidance, offering a platform for innovative, impactful research that bridges the gap between engineering and science, focusing on sustainable chemistry and molecular biology to develop practical solutions for global challenges.

EXPERTISE INFORMATION