Dr. Pendyala's Laboratory
The Pendyala lab is actively engaged in areas spanning addiction, maternal-fetal medicine, infectious diseases, environmental toxins and the role of biopsychosocial factors in health disparities.
Lab Personnel
Gurudutt Pendyala, PhD
Robert Lieberman Endowed Professor of Anesthesiology
Associate Professor
Research Faculty
Victoria Schaal
Research Technologist II
Elizabeth Stone
Research Technologist I
Tousif Ahmed Hediyal, PhD
Postdoctural Research Assistant
Lab Alumni
Pranavi Athota
Undergraduate Researcher
Reeyan Bhakat
Undergraduate Researcher
Joe Crenshaw
High School Researcher
Murali Devanaboyina
High School Researcher
Gabriel Gallegos, MD
Clinical Faculty
Sid Gillella
High School Researcher
Rahul Guda
High School Researcher
Gisela-Meza Guzman
High School Researcher
Yvette Incontro
High School Researcher
Stuti Jain
High School Researcher
Sawyer Johnson
High School Researcher
Hanuma Karnati, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Murali Kuracha, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Sneh Koul, MS
Research Technologist
Mackenzie Laurila, DO
Clinical Faculty
Nate Lombardo
Medical Student
Daniel Meyer
Undergraduate Researcher
Luke Meyer
High School Researcher
Maireen Miravite, MD
Clinical Faculty
Colton Roessner
Medical Student
Samarth Sanketh
High School Researcher
Alex Schmitz
Medical Student
Vamsi Singu
High School Researcher
Kunal Sualy, MD
Clinical Faculty
Sneham Tiwari, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Ria Vootla
High School Researcher
Nate Zaroban
Medical Student
- Neuroinflammation associated with long-term use of psychostimulant drugs (methamphetamine, nicotine) at the synapse
- Prenatal drug exposure and synaptic development
- Application of novel anti-inflammatory drugs to attenuate inflammation at the synapse
- Sex differences and drug abuse
- Molecular mechanisms of microRNAs at the synapse
- Role of extracellular vesicles in drug addiction and HIV infection
- Rodent animal models
- Cell and Molecular biology
- Biochemical Isolation of Synapses
- In vitro primary (neuronal, glial) and mixed cultures
- High throughput “Omics” approaches (Genomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomic)
NIH/NIDA R01DA059177-01
Award Period: 08/01/2023-07/31/2028
“Strategies to define and mitigate the placental and fetal alterations caused by maternal
oxycodone exposure”
Role: Principal Investigator (Other PI: Lynda Harris, UNMC)
NIH/NIDA R21DA058588-01
Award Period: 05/01/2023-04/30/2025
Title: “Mechanisms underlying prescription opioid use post social defeat in HIV+ adolescents”
Role: Principal Investigator
NIH/NIDA R21ES034956-A1
Award Period: 08/01/2023-07/31/2025
Title: “Brain derived extracellular vesicles mediated neurotoxicity of deltamethrin”
Role: Principal Investigator (Other PI: Fernanda Laezza, UTMB)
NIH/NIDA R01DA046852
Award Period: 09/30/2018-06/30/2024
Title: “Extracellular vesicles, meth relapse and sex differences”
Role: Principal Investigator
NIH/NIDA R01DA046852-04S1 (Diversity Supplement)
Award Period: 09/30/2018-06/30/2024
Title: “Extracellular vesicles, meth relapse and sex differences”
Role: Principal Investigator (Awarded to Adrian Flores, Graduate Student)
NIH/NIDA R01DA056906
Award Period: 09/01/2022-07/31/2027
Title: “Cerebral organoid and iPSC derived microglia: Modeling HIV and Methamphetamine comorbidity”
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Yelamanchili, UNMC/Jiang, Rutgers)
NIH/NEI R01EY030507
Award Period: 09/01/2019-05/31/2024
Title: “Influence of Ocular hypertension on neurons and synapses in the visual thalamus”
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Matthew Van Hook, Ph.D., UNMC)
Collaboration Initiative (2023-2024 RFA)-Team Seed Grants – Nebraska Foundation
Award Period: 08/01/2023-07/31/2025
Title: “Social Defeat (bullying) during adolescence and opioid addiction: Novel markers and
mechanisms”
Role: Principal Investigator
Collaboration Initiative (2023-2024 RFA)-Team Seed Grants – Nebraska Foundation
Award Period: 08/01/2023-07/31/2025
Title: “Therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells derived extracellular vesicles to treat
methamphetamine addiction”
Role: Multiple Principal Investigator (Other PI: Yelamanchili)
Collaboration Initiative (2023-2024 RFA)-Team Seed Grants – Nebraska Foundation
Award Period: 08/01/2023-07/31/2025
Title: “Maternal Dietary OFA Supplementation Impact in Oxycodone Exposed Pregnancies: Animal and
Clinical Implications on Placental Ultrastructure and Function”
Role: Multiple Principal Investigator (Other PI: Anderson-Berry)
COBRE - Rural Drug Addiction Research Center, Pilot grant
Award Period: 07/01/2022-06/31/2024
Title: “Sex specific brain derived extracellular vesicle markers associated with chronic
methamphetamine use disorder”
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Yelamanchili, UNMC)
Rural Drug Addiction Research Center- University of Nebraska Lincoln
Award Period: 07/01/2023-06/30/2025
Title: “Use of omega-3 fatty acids to inhibit drug induced inflammation and synaptic alterations”
Role: Mentor (PI: Ponce, UNMC)
Total Costs: $50,000
Collaboration Initiative (2022-2023 RFA)- Preliminary Data & Application Preparation Grants -
Nebraska Foundation
Award Period: 08/01/2022-07/31/2024
Title: “Biopsychosocial Risk Factors in the Perinatal Period: Basic and Clinical Research Implications”
Role: Mentor (PI: Blount, UNO)
Collaborators
Steven J Lisco, MD, FCCM, FCCP
Myrna Newland, MD, Endowed Professor of Anesthesiology
Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, UNMC College of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Nebraska Medicine