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Newsmakers of the Week FEBRUARY 28, 2025 | The Indian Eye 29

VIKASH KUMAR ASHUTOSH CHILKOTI

Academic honored by Professor honored with 2025

International Consortium for Technology Innovation and

Social Development Development Award

orthern Michigan University’s Social Work Assistant Professor Vikash
Kumar has been recognized for his contributions to the Internation- shutosh Chilkoti, the Alan L. Kaganov Distinguished Professor of Bio-
Nal Consortium for Social Development (ICSD), which he serves as a medical Engineering, was awarded the 2025 Technology Innovation
board member and director of information and technology. Kumar was hon- Aand Development Award from the Society of Biomaterials. The award
ored at the ICSD’s 24th biennial conference in India. is intended to recognize the successful application of basic and applied bioma-
“Regular collaboration with scholars helps us refine our curriculum to terials research in the development of a product or technology that significant-
meet the evolving needs of communities worldwide,” Kumar said. “At North- ly benefits the health and well-being of medical and surgical patients.
ern, we are committed to ensuring our students are prepared to tackle emerg- Chilkoti was recognized by the Society for Biomaterials for his pioneering
ing global challenges and make a real impact.” work in protein-resistant polymer coatings and protein biomaterials.
Kumar shared that in 2027, ICSD will partner with the University of “It’s a great honor to be recognized by the Society for Biomaterials, and I
Georgia School of Social Work to host its 25th conference. This will provide want to thank all my lab members, past and current, who did the work that led
an opportunity for NMU students and faculty to participate in the conference. to this award,” said Chilkoti.
Kumar presented papers at this year’s ICSD conference at Rajagiri Col- Beyond his role as a faculty member in Duke’s Biomedical Engineering
lege of Social Sciences (Autonomous) in Kochin, India, sharing his insights on Department, Chilkoti previously served as the chair of Duke BME from 2016-
pressing social issues and policy frameworks. 2022, where he oversaw significant growth of the department and a jump in
Kumar presented his research on Identifying Skill Gaps in Human Rights global recognition.
Organizations in the Neoliberal Era. His study examines the challenges faced Chilkoti specializes in research involving biomolecular engineering and
by human rights organizations serving marginalized populations, including biointerface science. Using techniques spanning molecular biology, protein
domestic workers and those living in slums or homelessness. Through qual- engineering, polymer chemistry and surface science, Chilkoti and his lab have
itative research, he identified significant skill gaps in funding mobilization, pioneered numerous tools and materials, including a polymer brush coating
program management, strategic planning and advocacy. His findings highlight for an ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnostic device, a variety of genetically
the urgent need to strengthen grassroots organizations, which play a crucial engineered biomaterials including thermally sensitive elastin-like polypep-
role in addressing social injustice. tides, and a method to purify protein drugs and viral vectors without chroma-
Kumar met several scholars and discussed academic and exchange oppor- tography. More recently, he showed that biological condensates within cells
tunities for students. may be a previously missing mechanism by which cells modulate their internal
“Participation at conferences is important for advancing and sharing electrochemistry.
knowledge in social work practice,” Kumar added. “It is essential to have con- This work has provided the foundation for numerous startups by Chilko-
tinuous, deliberate discussions, especially when we are living in a globalized ti, including PhaseBio Pharmaceutics (2002), Sentilus (2011), Gateway Bio
world. Such conferences also provide opportunities to meet scholars and de- (2017), Isolere Bio (2018) and InSoma Bio (2019). PhaseBio Pharmaceuti-
velop a shared understanding of what is happening around the world. This cals, which became public in 2018, has since completed a Phase II clinical trial
helps us refine our courses and curricula, making them more relevant as we test for a peptide drug for type 2 diabetes.
prepare students to tackle future challenges.” Continued on next page... >>

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