Sharad Kumar Uni. of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

Sharad Kumar is the co-Director of the Centre for Cancer Biology, a Research Professor and Chair of Cancer Biology at the University of South Australia. His laboratory discovered a number of key genes/proteins, including the Nedd genes, such as Nedd2 (caspase-2), one of the first mammalian caspase, Nedd4, the founding member of the WW-HECT type of ubiquitin-protein ligase family and Nedd8, a ubiquitin-like protein involved in a protein modification pathway, now widely known as Neddylation. His group also discovered a large part of the Drosophila cell death machinery and defined a caspase-independent, autophagy-depended cell death process.

Other discoveries from his team include Ndfips as regulators of the Nedd4 family of ubiquitin ligases, the functions of Nedd4 family of ubiquitin ligases and Ndfips in regulating ion channels and transporters, and an unexpected role of caspase-2 as a tumour suppressor. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. His work has been recognised through the ASBMB Amersham Biosciences Award, the Ranbaxy Research Award, the ASBMB Lemberg Medal and the FAOBMB Research Excellence Award.

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