Julius L. Chambers Biomedical & Biotechnology Research Institute · NCCU

Science built
for the populations
traditional research
hasn't reached.

Translational systems connecting molecular discovery to community infrastructure — from the biology of disease to the places it lives.

North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina

Communities needed consistent, trusted presence — not episodic visits, not grant-cycle engagement, but a neighbor that had chosen to stay.

The Work

Five layers.
One system
to serve.

Each layer of this program connects to the next — from the biology of disease to the communities bearing its burden. The purpose is not to publish. The purpose is to make a difference.

01 · Discovery
Systems Biology & Environmental Health
Zebrafish and killifish as living genomic models — connecting molecular mechanisms of environmental exposure to population-level health outcomes.
02 · Detection
Biomarkers & Early Detection
Proteomics, epigenomics, microRNA, circulating biomarkers — building molecular signatures that detect aggressive prostate cancer before it is too late to act.
03 · Evidence
Real-World Evidence & Community Signal
Frameworks for capturing and calibrating the health-relevant information communities generate every day — integrating it into systems that reflect the populations traditional research has missed.
04 · Infrastructure
Rural Health & Safety Net Systems
Research has to go where people are. A permanent Rural Health Hub, mobile units, and a statewide safety net network — FQHCs, health departments, free clinics.
05 · Intelligence
Agentic AI for Translational Systems
AI built for the institutions and communities that need it most — augmenting research and decision-making capacity where resources have historically been scarce.
06 · Pipeline
Building the Next Generation
K-12 genomics education in rural North Carolina high schools — upgrading labs, developing curriculum, building research pathways where none have existed.
Infrastructure

Permanence changes
the relationship.

Communities needed consistent, trusted presence — not episodic visits, not grant-cycle engagement. These are examples of what that commitment looks like.

Rural Health Hub
A permanent community anchor in Enfield, Halifax County — supported by New Markets Tax Credit investment. Health screenings, nutrition, workforce development, and youth STEM pathways. A place communities can count on.
Mobile Health Units
Bringing health screenings, research engagement, and preventive care to rural North Carolina — including NCCU research programs and disaster response. Meeting people where they are.
Safety Net Network
An emerging statewide network connecting FQHCs, health departments, and free clinics as genuine research partners — building the infrastructure for research participation in communities long excluded from clinical science.
RCMI Research Center
The Julius L. Chambers Biomedical & Biotechnology Research Institute — home of the NIH RCMI Center grant and the academic platform for translational systems research at a historically Black university.
Duke CTSI Partnership
NCCU leads efforts as a partner institution on Duke's NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award — "Trustworthy Partnerships to Improve Health Through Translational Science."
Community Networks
More than 25 counties. Faith leaders, educators, civic figures, and community institutions as genuine research partners — tribal councils, schools, local health systems, and community organizations across rural North Carolina.
Building the scientists who will do this work next — from the communities the work is meant to serve.
Next Generation

Our K-12 genomics education program works in rural, economically distressed high schools across North Carolina — upgrading laboratory infrastructure, developing curriculum, and building pathways to research careers.

This is not outreach. It is investment in the intellectual future of communities that have historically trained their talent for other places.

People

The Lab

Deepak Kumar, PhD
Principal Investigator
Translational scientist and systems builder at North Carolina Central University. Working at the intersection of molecular biology, community health infrastructure, and agentic AI. Associate Provost and Dean of Research and Sponsored Programs, NCCU.
Lab Members Coming Soon
Join the Lab Open Positions →
Selected Publications

Recent Work

2026
Early exposure to PFAS disrupts neuro-muscular development in zebrafish embryos
bioRxiv · Afzal Z, Papas BN, Veershetty V, Pittman EE, Hatcher C, Li JL, Casey W, Kumar D
2026
Short-chain PFAS exposure alters embryonic development and behavior in zebrafish
bioRxiv · Afzal Z, Pittman EE, Veershetty V, Hatcher C, Bailey M, Kumar D
2025
Environmental yin-yang: how external cues are processed at the level of cells and at the level of an organism
Developmental Biology · Afzal Z, Kumar D
2024
AI in Biomedicine — A Forward-Looking Perspective
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · Kumar D, Malin B, Vishwanatha JK, Wu L, Hedges JR
2023
Deficiency of spns1 exacerbates PFAS-mediated hepatic toxicity and steatosis in zebrafish
Toxicology · Gadi S, Niture S, Hoang H, Qi Q, Hatcher C, Kumar D et al.
2023
Cyanotoxins Increase Cytotoxicity and Promote Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Progression
Toxins · Niture S, Gadi S, Qi Q, Rios-Colon L, Kumar D et al.
2023
COVID-19 Perceptions Among North Carolina Native Americans: A Qualitative Approach
North Carolina Medical Journal · Shi X, Mehng S, Locklear AK, Kumar D et al.
2022
Leptin modulated microRNA-628-5p targets Jagged-1 and inhibits prostate cancer hallmarks
Scientific Reports · Rios-Colon L, Chijioke J, Niture S, Afzal Z, Kumar D et al.
2022
Patient-Reported Financial Burden Following Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer
Frontiers in Oncology · Sholklapper TN, Kumar D, Collins SP et al.
2022
Guaranteed Financial Incentives for COVID-19 Vaccination: A Pilot Program in North Carolina
JAMA Internal Medicine · Wong CA, Pilkington W, Kumar D, Brewer NT et al.
Research Partners & Funders
NIH · RCMI
Duke CTSI
Georgetown Lombardi
UNC-Chapel Hill
NC State University
RTI International
NCDHHS
NC Policy Collaboratory
Carolina Complete Health
Pfizer
North Carolina Central University
Halifax County · Enfield
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