Frazer Institute

Dr Snehlata Kumari

Senior Research Fellow
Frazer Institute
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Dr Snehlata Kumari leads the Skin inflammation and immunity group.

 

Researcher biography

Researcher Biography

Dr Kumari is a Research Leader at The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute. Her laboratory focuses on identifying and understanding immuno-modulatory mechanisms controlling inflammatory skin diseases and skin cancer.

Dr Snehlata Kumari completed her PhD from the University of Cologne in Germany on understanding the role of NF-kB signalling in regulating skin inflammation. During her PhD, she received intensive training in skin immunity and moved to the Institute for Genetics at the University of Cologne in Germany to do postdoctoral work. Dr Kumari made fundamental discoveries in identifying essential roles of NF-kB, cytokines, and apoptosis and necroptosis signalling pathways in regulating skin homeostasis and inflammation. These findings advanced the knowledge of skin immunity, published in top-tier journals such as Nature and Immunity, and opened up new avenues for novel potential targets in skin inflammation.

Dr Kumari's contributions received recognition from global scientific communities including the German National Academy of Sciences- Leopoldina, International Investigative Dermatology and European Society for Dermatological Research. She was awarded a career development grant on melanoma research from the German Research Foundation-SFB 829. She is the winner of 2021 Christina Fleischmann award to young women investigators from the Ineternational Cytokine and Interferon Society.

Overall aims and research focus

The aim of the Kumari Group is to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling skin homeostasis and inflammatory diseases like Psoriasis, Hidradenitis Suppurative, Atopic Dermatitis to gain new knowledge as well as pave translational pathway for drug targets and discoveries for clinical uses. Her laboratory excels in technologies used in Immunology, Biochemistry, Genetics as well as Cell- and Molecular Biology.

Our research focuses on

  • Elucidating cellular and molecular signalling mechanisms regulating skin immune homeostasis.
  • Identifying new immune regulatory mechanisms in skin inflammation.
  • Investigating mechanisms to develop novel therapeutics and immunotherapy for skin cancer

Publications

Book Chapters (2)
Journal Articles (13)
Conference Papers (9)

Book Chapters

Chipurupalli, Sandhya, Kumari, Snehlata, Desiderio, Vincenzo and Robinson, Nirmal (2022). Hypoxia-induced stress responses in cancer and cancer stem cells. Handbook of oxidative stress in cancer: mechanistic aspects. (pp. 1829-1843) Singapore, Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-15-9411-3_121
Kumari, Snehlata and Pasparakis, Manolis (2017). Epithelial cell death and inflammation in skin. Apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death. (pp. 77-93) edited by Shigekazu Nagata and Hiroyasu Nakano. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/82_2015_466

Journal Articles

Liu, Timothy J., Lin, Lynlee L., McMeniman, Erin, Wu, Jason, Kao, Yung-Ching, Kumari, Snehlata, Boyle, Glen M., Wells, James W., Soyer, H. Peter and Gonzalez-Cruz, Jazmina L. (2022). Cytokine/Chemokine assessment as a complementary diagnostic tool for inflammatory skin diseases. Frontiers in Immunology, 13 1028435, 1-8. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1028435
Sim, Seen Ling, Kumari, Snehlata, Kaur, Simranpreet and Khosrotehrani, Kiarash (2022). Macrophages in skin wounds: functions and therapeutic potential. Biomolecules, 12 (11) 1659, 1-31. doi: 10.3390/biom12111659
Murphy, Peter R., Narayanan, Divyaa and Kumari, Snehlata (2022). Methods to identify immune cells in tissues with a focus on skin as a model. Current Protocols, 2 (7) e485, e485. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.485
Kumari, Snehlata, Van, Trieu-My, Preukschat, Daniela, Schuenke, Hannah, Basic, Marijana, Bleich, André, Klein, Ulf and Pasparakis, Manolis (2021). NF-κB inhibition in keratinocytes causes RIPK1-mediated necroptosis and skin inflammation. Life Science Alliance, 4 (6) e202000956, e202000956. doi: 10.26508/lsa.202000956
Laurien, Lucie, Nagata, Masahiro, Schünke, Hannah, Delanghe, Tom, Wiederstein, Janica L., Kumari, Snehlata, Schwarzer, Robin, Corona, Teresa, Krüger, Marcus, Bertrand, Mathieu J. M., Kondylis, Vangelis and Pasparakis, Manolis (2020). Autophosphorylation at serine 166 regulates RIP kinase 1-mediated cell death and inflammation. Nature Communications, 11 (1) 1747, 1747. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-15466-8
Jiao, Huipeng, Wachsmuth, Laurens, Kumari, Snehlata, Schwarzer, Robin, Lin, Juan, Eren, Remzi Onur, Fisher, Amanda, Lane, Rebecca, Young, George R., Kassiotis, George, Kaiser, William J. and Pasparakis, Manolis (2020). Publisher Correction: Z-nucleic-acid sensing triggers ZBP1-dependent necroptosis and inflammation (Nature, (2020), 580, 7803, (391-395), 10.1038/s41586-020-2129-8). Nature, 580 (7804), 391-395. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2207-y
Jiao, Huipeng, Wachsmuth, Laurens, Kumari, Snehlata, Schwarzer, Robin, Lin, Juan, Eren, Remzi Onur, Fisher, Amanda, Lane, Rebecca, Young, George R., Kassiotis, George, Kaiser, William J. and Pasparakis, Manolis (2020). Z-nucleic-acid sensing triggers ZBP1-dependent necroptosis and inflammation. Nature, 580 (7803), 391-395+. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2129-8
Kondylis, Vangelis, Kumari, Snehlata, Vlantis, Katerina and Pasparakis, Manolis (2017). The interplay of IKK, NF-κB and RIPK1 signaling in the regulation of cell death, tissue homeostasis and inflammation. Immunological Reviews, 277 (1), 113-127. doi: 10.1111/imr.12550
Lin, Juan, Kumari, Snehlata, Kim, Chun, Van, Trieu-My, Wachsmuth, Laurens, Polykratis, Apostolos and Pasparakis, Manolis (2016). RIPK1 counteracts ZBP1-mediated necroptosis to inhibit inflammation. Nature, 540 (7631), 124-128. doi: 10.1038/nature20558
Kumari, Snehlata, Redouane, Younes, Lopez-Mosqueda, Jaime, Shiraishi, Ryoko, Romanowska, Malgorzata, Lutzmayer, Stefan, Kuiper, Jan, Martinez, Conception, Dikic, Ivan, Pasparakis, Manolis and Ikeda, Fumiyo (2014). Sharpin prevents skin inflammation by inhibiting TNFR1-induced keratinocyte apoptosis. Elife, 3 e03422. doi: 10.7554/eLife.03422
Kumari, Snehlata, Herzberg, Benjamin, Pofahl, Ruth, Krieg, Thomas and Haase, Ingo (2014). Epidermal RelA specifically restricts contact allergen-induced inflammation and apoptosis in skin. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 134 (10), 2541-2550. doi: 10.1038/jid.2014.193
Dannappel, Marius, Vlantis, Katerina, Kumari, Snehlata, Polykratis, Apostolos, Kim, Chun, Wachsmuth, Laurens, Eftychi, Christina, Lin, Juan, Corona, Teresa, Hermance, Nicole, Zelic, Matija, Kirsch, Petra, Basic, Marijana, Bleich, Andre, Kelliher, Michelle and Pasparakis, Manolis (2014). RIPK1 maintains epithelial homeostasis by inhibiting apoptosis and necroptosis. Nature, 513 (7516), 90-94. doi: 10.1038/nature13608
Kumari, Snehlata, Bonnet, Marion C., Ulvmar, Maria H., Wolk, Kerstin, Karagianni, Niki, Witte, Ellen, Uthoff-Hachenberg, Claudia, Renauld, Jean-Christophe, Kollias, George, Toftgard, Rune, Sabat, Robert, Pasparakis, Manolis and Haase, Ingo (2013). Tumor necrosis factor receptor signaling in keratinocytes triggers interleukin-24-dependent psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice. Immunity, 39 (5), 899-911. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2013.10.009

Conference Papers

Kumari, S., Lin, J., Kim, S., Van, T-M, Wachsmuth, L., Polykratis, A. and Pasparakis, M. (2018). Cell Death and the Regulatory Network of DAMPs in Skin Inflammation. HOBOKEN: WILEY.
Kumari, S., Van, T. and Pasparakis, M. (2018). IKK/NF-kB signaling in keratinocytes controls TNF-dependent necroptosis- and apoptosis-mediated skin inflammation. International Investigative Dermatology (IID) Meeting, Orlando Fl, May 16-19, 2018. NEW YORK: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC.
Kumari, S., Van, T. and Pasparakis, M. (2016). Role of RIP kinase signalling in the development of skin inflammation in mice with keratinocyte-specific IKK deficiency. Annual Meeting of the European-Society-for-Dermatological-Research (ESDR), Munich Germany, Sep 07-10, 2016. NEW YORK: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.06.354
Kumari, S., Bonnet, M., Witte, E., Wolk, K., Kollias, G., Sabat, R., Pasparakis, M. and Haase, I. (2014). Altered tumor necrosis factor receptor signaling in keratinocytes triggers interleukin-24-dependent psoriasis-like skin inflammation in mice. 41st Annual Meeting of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft-Dermatologische-Forschung (ADF), Cologne Germany, Mar 13-15, 2014. HOBOKEN: WILEY-BLACKWELL.
Kumari, S., Krieg, T. and Haase, J. (2013). Epidermal RelA specifically restricts contact allergen induced inflammation and apoptosis in skin. International Investigative Dermatology Meeting, Edinburgh Scotland, May 08-11, 2013. NEW YORK: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP.
Kumari, S., Pasparakis, M., Sabat, R. and Haase, I. (2012). Epidermal control of psoriasis like skin inflammation by a TNF-alpha and IL-24 dependent mechanism. 75th Annual Meeting of the Society-for-Investigative-Dermatology, Raleigh Nc, May 09-12, 2012. NEW YORK: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP.
Kumari, S. and Haase, I. (2011). Control of psoriasis-like skin inflammation by epidermal keratinocytes through a tumour necrosis factor-alpha- and interleukin-24-dependent mechanism. 6th International Congress of Psoriasis - from Gene to Clinic, London England, Dec 01-03, 2011. MALDEN: WILEY-BLACKWELL.
Kumari, Snehlata and Haase, Ingo (2011). Epidermal control of psoriasis like skin inflammation by a TNF-a and IL-24 dependent mechanism. 41st Annual Meeting of the European-Society-for-Dermatological-Research, Barcelona Spain, Sep 07-10, 2011. NEW YORK: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP.
Kumari, Snehlata, Pasparakis, Manolis and Haase, Ingo (2010). Systemic recruitment of myeloid cells upon deletion of IKK2 from epidermal keratinocytes. 40th Annual Meeting of the European-Society-for-Dermatological-Research (ESDR 2010), Helsinki Finland, Sep 08-11, 2010. NEW YORK: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP.