UNMC_Acronym_Vert_sm_4c
University of Nebraska Medical Center

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

402-559-8690

Gurudutt Pendyala, PhD, headshot

Victoria Schaal

Research Technologist II

Victoria Schaal, headshot

Elizabeth Stone

Research Technologist I

Elizabeth Stone, headshot

Tousif Ahmed Hediyal, PhD

Postdoctural Research Assistant

Pranavi Athota

Undergraduate Researcher

Jeremy Amaya

High School Researcher

Josef Crenshaw

Undergraduate Researcher

Murali Devanaboyina

Undergraduate Researcher

Amir Elrefaie

Undergraduate Researcher

Sree Kolli

Undergrad Researcher

Kashish Poore, BS

Medical Student Researcher

Omar Shukri, MD

Clinical Researcher

Ria Vootla

Undergraduate Researcher

  • 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

Title: “Strategies to define and mitigate the placental and fetal alterations caused by maternal oxycodone exposure”

Role: Principal Investigator (Other PI: Lynda Harris, UNMC)

Total Costs: $4,325,365

 

NIH/NIDA R21DA064461

Award Period: 07/01/2025-06/30/2027

Title: “Mechanisms underlying polysubstance use post social defeat in HIV+ adolescents”

Role: Principal Investigator

Total Costs: $438,950 – JIT submitted - Notice of Award Pending

 

NIH/NIDA R21DA058588

Award Period: 05/01/2023-04/30/2026

Title: “Mechanisms underlying prescription opioid use post social defeat in HIV+ adolescents”

Role: Principal Investigator

Total Costs: $455,275

 

NIH/NIDA R21ES034956

Award Period: 08/01/2023-07/31/2026

Title: “Brain derived extracellular vesicles mediated neurotoxicity of deltamethrin”

Role: Principal Investigator (Other PI: Fernanda Laezza, UTMB)

Total Costs: $446,063

 

NIH/NIDA R01DA056906

Award Period: 09/01/2022-07/31/2027

Title: “Cerebral organoid and iPSC derived microglia: Modeling HIV and Methamphetamine co-morbidity”

Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Yelamanchili, UNMC/Jiang, Rutgers)

Total Costs: $2,597,528

 

Rural Drug Addiction Research Center- University of Nebraska Lincoln

Award Period: 07/01/2025-06/30/2027

Title: “Therapeutic efficacy of dietary palmitoleate to mitigate fetal alterations in a model of maternal opioid exposure”

Role: MPI (PI: Natarajan)

Total Costs: $50,000

 

Collaboration Initiative (2025-2026 RFA)-Team Seed Grants – Nebraska Foundation

Award Period: 08/01/2025-07/31/2026

Title: “Impact of Biopsychosocial Psychotherapy Intervention on Maternal Life-Course Trauma and the Gut Microbiome”

Role: MPI and Research Mentor (PI’s: Blount & Moore)

Total Costs: $100,000

 

Collaboration Initiative (2025-2026 RFA)-Team Seed Grants – Nebraska Foundation

Award Period: 08/01/2025-07/31/2026

Title: “The effects of perinatal oxycodone exposure on skeletal muscle development”

Role: MPI and Research Mentor (PI: Vechetti)

Total Costs: $100,000

 

Lieberman Endowment, Nebraska University Foundation

Collaborators

Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD

Vice Chair of Research
Department of Pediatrics, UNMC

Rick Bevins, PhD

Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
Deptartment of Psychology, UNL

Fernanda Laezza, MD, PhD

Program Director, Pharmacology & Toxicology, UTMB

Hakho Lee, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School

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

Miles Miller, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School

Samikkannu Thangavel, PhD

Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas A&M

Sowmya Yelamanchili, PhD

Associate Professor, UNMC Department of Anesthesiology
Research Faculty

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

Gurudutt Pendyala, PhD, (front and center) poses with lab personnel during an outing.