Meet Lab Members
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Fall Research Retreat, 2025 -
SOM Annual Research Day, 2025 -
47th Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) meeting, Bonita Springs, FL, 2025 -
SOM Annual Research day, 2024 -
46th AChemS Meeting, Bonita Springs, FL, 2024 -
Fall Research Retreat, 2023
Meet Lab Members
Meet Dr. Kumari
Dr. Kumari's academic training and research experiences are extensive in the biological sciences, covering various aspects of reproductive toxicology, epigenetics, developmental biology, and oral cancer. She joined the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford location, as an Assistant Professor in January 2020. Her research interests include the tongue and taste field.
Dr. Kumari was awarded the Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) “Polak Young Investigator Award” and the “Polak Postdoctoral Travel Award” for her pioneer work in understanding the mechanisms behind taste disruption caused by a Hedgehog (HH) pathway inhibitor drug. She has received numerous grants for her work, including the University of Michigan Center of Organogenesis non-traditional postdoctoral fellowship award and an Early Career Research Award (R21) from the NIH NIDCD. Recently, she expanded her research into oral cancer.
Cuurently, she has two federally funded projects as Principal Investigator: an NIH R01 from NIDCD focused on HH-mediated regulation of postnatal tongue and taste organ morphogenesis and, and an NIH R16 from NIDCR targeting HH signaling as a therapeutic pathway in OSCC. In addition, she also secured fundings from the foundation grants: Rowan Osteopathic Heritage Foundation and New Jersey Health Foundation to pursue OSCC therapeutic studies.
Dr. Kumari is involved in the PBL1 curriculum at Rowan-Virtua SOM during the fall semester. She is also a co-block director for Neuroscience.
When she's not engaged in science or teaching, Dr. Kumari enjoys spending time with her family.
Current Lab Members
Sally Y. Rohan
Sally joined the Kumari lab as a DO/PhD student in January 2025. She is a PBL student at Rowan-Virtua SOM. Sally began as a volunteer in the Kumari lab in January 2023, worked as a Federal Work Study student, and eventually joined the lab for graduate studies. She excels at time management and wonderfully balances medical/graduate school and research. Sally is involved in many studies being presented at the Rowan-Virtua Graduate School Research Fall Retreat, Research Day, and AChemS.
Recent publication: https://journals.biologists.com/dev/article/152/19/dev204868/369474/Gas1-regulates-embryonic-tongue-muscle
Aysenur Sen
Aysenur first joined the Kumari Lab as a volunteer in May 2025. Not only did she gain hands-on research experience, but she also proved herself to be a quick learner and a responsible team member. Her summer contributions were acknowledged in our recent publication. She is now working as a part-time student assistant. Aysenur is working meticulously towards her aspiration of becoming a dentist.
Former Lab Members
Harini Venkatesh
High School student volunteer
Ashlyn P. McClelland
Ashlyn initially volunteered in the Kumari Lab and later joined as a SMRF student. She is a highly meticulous experimentalist and demonstrates strong aptitude in scientific reading. Ashlyn also played an important role in mentoring high school and undergraduate students. Her dedication and hard work were evident as she not only completed her own project on schedule but also actively contributed to ongoing lab studies and assisted with a literature review. Ashlyn had a very productive Summer 2025. She was acknowledge for her work in our Development paper.
Gabrielle C. Audu
Gabrielle had joined the lab as a Research Technician in 2022. Her sincere work has secured her authorship in presentations and publications. She had presented multiple posters at the Rowan-Virtua SOM and AChemS meetings in FL. She was awarded a Diversity Travel Fellowship from AChemS, FL, in April 2023. She is now in a medical school (starting Aug, 2025) at Thomas Jefferson University.
Publication: https://journals.biologists.com/dev/article/152/19/dev204868/369474/Gas1-regulates-embryonic-tongue-muscle
Murod Khikmatov (he/him/his)
SMRF student 2024. He diligently conducted his summer research and presented it as a poster at the Annual Rowan-Virtua Research Day 2025. His hard work was recognized with a first-place award!
Hamza Akel (he/him/his)
SMRF student 2024
Nathalie Yax (she/her)
SURE (Summer undergraduate Research Experience) Program student
Summer 2023
Shika Veera (she/her)
A PBL-I student volunteer (2022). She utilized that study to prepare her Medical Scholarship literature review in 2023.
Isaiah Nawaz
SURE (Summer undergraduate Research Experience) Program student
Summer 2022
Lucre'ce Estropia
SMRF (Summer Medical Research Fellowship) Program student
Summer 2022
John D. Johnson
SMRF (Summer Medical Research Fellowship) Program student
Summer 2021
research work published https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294835
Sarah Liskowicz
SURE (Summer undergraduate Research Experience) Program student
Summer 2021
research work published https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294835
Rashmi Kulkarni
Rashmi was a Research technician in 2020. Currently working as Postdoc in Dept. of Molecular Biology, Rowan SOM.