Deepak Kumar, PhD serves as the associate provost and dean of research; and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at NCCU. Dr. Kumar is the principal investigator (PI) of the NIMHD grants U54 - RCMI Center for Health Disparities Research (RCHDR) and UG3 - Clinical Research Network for Health Equity (CRNHE). As the chief research officer at NCCU, Dr. Kumar guides the planning, direction, and implementation of NCCU’s research enterprise, as well as providing leadership to individuals and teams of investigators in developing a strategic approach for increasing the innovation and competitiveness of research. He is a molecular biologist by training with expertise in cancer biology, genomics, epigenomics, and cell signaling with a core emphasis on combating health disparities. He has been consistently funded as a PI by the NIH for the last 20 years. Furthermore, he spearheads implementation science research and education efforts at NCCU, leveraging his substantial experience in addressing health inequities, supporting underrepresented minorities, orchestrating collaborative community initiatives, as well as forging partnerships, and developing programs.