Justin Kumar

Developmental biologist who loves and uses the Drosophila eye to study exciting topics in fate specification and patterning. (he/him)

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Kumar lab lunch at the Social Cantina. We say goodbye to PhD student Jasmine Warren (front right) and undergraduate student Lindsay Fleitman (back left). It has been wonderful having Jasmine and Lindsay in the lab and we will really miss both of them. Best of luck!

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Excited to share that Kumar lab alumna Haley Brown has received a Ruth L. Kirschtein F32 postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). She is currently a postdoctoral fellow with Melissa Harrison at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Happy to share that my graduate student, Jasmine Warren, successfully defended her PhD thesis today! She has put together a beautiful story on the role played by the Extradenticle transcription factor in patterning the Drosophila eye. Keep an eye open for her upcoming paper!

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

The 2026 Visual System Development GRC and GRS are fast approaching. Jeremy Kay, Kristen Kwan, Robert Johnston, and I have built an exciting program that we hope you will enjoy. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the meeting this summer in beautiful Maine. Register and RT!

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

My friend Soni Lacefield @lacefieldlab.bsky.social is receiving the Ira Herskowitz Award at the Yeast Genetics Meeting this summer for her outstanding contributions to the field of yeast genetics. Be sure to be there and hear her give an awesome lecture!

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

I am very excited to share that Brittany Zaruszak is the newest PhD graduate student to join my research group. Brittany is studying how transcription factors coordinate with Polycomb Group epigenetic repressors to specify the fate of the Drosophila eye.

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Starting 2026 by writing a new research paper on patterning of the Drosophila eye. And yes, I know that I have a great office...

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Excited to announce that the newest paper from my lab on the Drosophila visual system is out today!

Modulating the levels and activity of the retinal determination network is sufficient to induce the specification of distinct tissue fates in Drosophila https://t.co/0H4Hj6pMqx

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

See my Perspective article in Science that accompanies an exciting new paper from Claude Desplan's lab. I highlight their discovery that waves of calcium are required to finalize the structure of the Drosophila retina.

The retina’s rhythm | Science https://t.co/XNZvSb5PW4

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Patience is a virtue! I have been a season ticket holder at my home institution, Indiana University, for 23 years. I have seen a lot of bad football games. My perseverance through the pain and suffering is finally paying off. We are ranked #3 in the country. Upwards and onwards!

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Very proud of former Kumar lab PhD student, Alison Ordway, for receiving a K99 award from the National Eye Institute on her work describing photoreceptor patterning in Drosophila and mosquito compound eyes. Keep your eyes out for Alison when she goes out on the job market.

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

The lab kicked off the start of the fall semester at Indiana University by having lunch at Lennie's Brewpub.

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

@FerdinandTutor1 Thank you!

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

As my laboratory begins its 24th year at Indiana University I am grateful to all of the past and present PhD students, research associates, and postdoctoral fellows that have joined me in my quest to discover how the compound eye of Drosophila develops.

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

@DrosophilaDaddy Thank you so much!

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

My lab's newest research paper on the Drosophila eye is published in Development today. Thanks to the editorial staff for writing a research highlight and interviewing us about our work.

https://t.co/7hkteRpiBs

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

To all of my university faculty friends, as tenure and promotion season is just around the corner I thought I would share a little academic humor with you. Enjoy!
https://t.co/jY32cv0CPO

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Happy to have had high school students Robyn Pate and Joy Sweeny (front row) spend the week with us learning about my lab and Drosophila eye development. Thanks to graduate students Ren Wilson and Mie Kusupholnand for serving as their research mentors.

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

Happy 4th of July from the Kumar lab!

[Justin Kumar @FlyEyeLab]

A portion of my lab took a break from their experiments and joined me at our local Strawberry Shortcake Festival in Bloomington, Indiana.