Sachin Kumar receives Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award
Published: May 7, 2020
Sachin Kumar, a PhD student in the department of laboratory medicine & pathobiology in the Faculty of Medicine, has received the Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award.
The honour is one of the Awards of Excellence presented by the University of Toronto Alumni Association in collaboration with the university.
Before entering the MD/PhD program, Kumar developed and patented antibody tools that are now licensed by a pharmaceutical company. He then shifted his focus to understanding the genetics of childhood brain cancers.
He pioneered the groundbreaking discovery of a novel genetic mutation that drives the pediatric brain tumour medulloblastoma, and recently published an article about this research in Nature. Through international collaboration, he also discovered that this mutation has implications in additional cancers, including leukemia and liver cancer.
A tireless volunteer for campus leadership programs and community advocacy organizations, Kumar is the event coordinator for Childhood Cancer Survivor Canada, and director of U of T’s Movember chapter. As an executive of the graduate representation committee, he initiated a survey that catalyzed the improvement of student wellness and financial supports across the Faculty of Medicine.
