Kumar Vaibhav

Scholarship

Selected Recent Publications

• Cu Transport Proteins as Novel Therapeutic Targets for Cu-dependent Brain Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction and Cuproptosis linked to Alzheimer’s Disease, 2025
  Abstract
• Brain Injury and Neurodegeneration: Molecular, Functional, and Translational Approach 3.0, 2025
  Magazine/Trade Publication
• Editorial: Brain Injury and Neurodegeneration: Molecular, Functional, and Translational Approach 3.0 , 2025
  Other
• Neuro-Immune Interplay: Unraveling the Complexities of Neurological Complications and Immunology, 2025
  Magazine/Trade Publication
• Pesticide Exposure in Agricultural Workplaces and Resultant Health Effects in Women, 2025
  Manuscript

Research Interests

My research program focuses on understanding immune-mediated mechanisms that drive acute and chronic neurological dysfunction following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and related cerebrovascular insults. The overarching goal of my work is to identify molecular and cellular targets that can be leveraged to develop effective, translational therapies for brain injury–induced neurodegeneration and cognitive decline.
A central theme of my research is the role of neuroimmune and neurovascular crosstalk in shaping injury progression and recovery. My laboratory investigates how innate immune cells, particularly myeloid populations, regulate inflammation, vascular remodeling, and tissue repair after brain injury. We have demonstrated that dysregulated immune activation contributes to secondary injury, whereas targeted immunomodulation can promote functional recovery. This work has been supported by sustained NIH funding, including multiple R01 and R21 mechanisms, and has produced high-impact publications elucidating inflammatory signaling pathways in TBI.
Another major research focus is the endocannabinoid system as a therapeutic target in brain injury. My group has shown that selective activation of cannabinoid receptors and related signaling pathways modulates immune polarization, preserves neurovascular integrity, and improves neurological outcomes. These findings have advanced the concept of immune-directed neuroprotection and have informed ongoing efforts to develop pharmacological and cell-based interventions for TBI and stroke.
More recently, my research has expanded to investigate systemic contributors to brain injury pathology, including erythrocrine dysfunction, altered cerebral blood flow, and immune-mediated mechanisms of post-traumatic dementia. We are particularly interested in how brain trauma accelerates aging-like processes, including chronic inflammation, synaptic dysfunction, and neurodegeneration. Ongoing and submitted projects address sex-specific vulnerabilities, macrophage-mediated resolution of inflammation, and long-term cognitive outcomes following injury.
My research program is highly collaborative and interdisciplinary, integrating expertise from neuroscience, immunology, vascular biology, and clinical neurosurgery. Through these efforts, I aim to advance mechanistic understanding of brain injury while maintaining a clear translational trajectory toward therapeutic development. Collectively, my work supports the department’s mission by contributing externally funded, high-impact, and clinically relevant research that bridges basic discovery and patient-centered outcomes.