Manoj Kumar, Ph.D.

Meet the Researcher

Kumar received his doctorate in neuroscience and pharmacology from West Virginia University and completed his postdoctoral research in the department of otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is currently a research assistant professor. Kumar’s 2022 Emerging Research Grant is generously funded by Royal Arch Research Assistance, and was renewed for a second year in 2023.

The astonishing power of the brain to produce perceptions in the absence of external stimuli, like hallucinations or tinnitus, has always intrigued me. My study of the cortical mechanisms underlying sensory information processing is the direct result of that fascination. Investigating this complex phenomenon requires an understanding of neurobiological events at many levels, like the comprehension of neurotransmitter signaling mechanisms, figuring out the biophysical workings of ion channels, and mapping the processing of sensory information. 

I am employing this multidisciplinary approach to uncover the cortical mechanisms of sound processing in both health and disease. Throughout my career, from undergrad right through to postdoc, I’ve sought more opportunities to better understand these processes. I hope I can always turn out good science. Moving forward, in five years, I hope to be writing my R01 renewal. In 10 years, my goal is to become a tenured professor.

I myself find it difficult to concentrate on conversations, especially in noisy environments. It has only made me realize how common hearing loss is, and emphasizes the importance of much-needed treatment options to cure or prevent hearing loss.

A highlight of my career so far is that I developed RL_81, the most selective and potent KCNQ2/3 channel activator to prevent the development of tinnitus in mice. This is a huge leap forward in our understanding of hyperexcitability disorders, and one step closer to a cure for tinnitus. 

I grew up playing cricket in India. Still a favorite pastime, I play in the Pittsburgh Cricket League every season. Another hobby is cooking, which I find very soothing. To me, cooking is like a lab experiment: If it is not thought through, it won’t come out well. I like to have the final picture of the dish in my head first, and plan out each step from there. My specialties are chicken curry and kheer, an Indian dessert.

The first flight I ever took was when I left India for the United States to attend graduate school. Now one of my goals is to travel the world with my wife.

Manoj Kumar, Ph.D., is a Royal Arch Research Assistance award recipient. Hearing Health Foundation thanks the Royal Arch Masons for their ongoing commitment to research in the area of central auditory processing disorder.

Click to download a PDF of Dr. Kumar’s Meet the Researcher profile.

The Research

University of Pittsburgh
Signaling mechanisms of auditory cortex plasticity after noise-induced hearing loss

Exposure to loud noises is the most common cause of hearing loss, which can also lead to hyperacusis and tinnitus. Despite the high prevalence and adverse consequences of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), treatment options are limited to cognitive behavioral therapy and hearing prosthetics. Therefore, to aid in the development of pharmacotherapeutic or rehabilitative treatment options for impaired hearing after NIHL, it is imperative to identify the precise signaling mechanisms underlying the auditory cortex plasticity after NIHL. It is well established that reduced GABAergic signaling contributes to the plasticity of the auditory cortex after the onset of NIHL. However, the role and the timing of plasticity of the different subtypes of GABAergic inhibitory neurons remain unknown. Here, we will employ in vivo two-photon Ca2+ imaging and track the different subtypes of GABAergic inhibitory neurons after NIHL at single-cell resolution in awake mice. Determining the inhibitory circuit mechanisms underlying the plasticity of the auditory cortex after NIHL will reveal novel therapeutic targets for treating and rehabilitating impaired hearing after NIHL. Also, because auditory cortex plasticity is associated with hyperexcitability-related disorders such as tinnitus and hyperacusis, a detailed mechanistic understanding of auditory cortex plasticity will highlight a pathway toward the development of novel treatments for these disorders.

Long-term goal: To identify the molecular and cellular therapeutic targets for treating and rehabilitating the impaired hearing associated with tinnitus and hyperacusis.