This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers who will be honored at a ceremony on Oct. 29 for UNMC’s 2026 Scientist Laureate, Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist and New Investigator recipients.
Aditya Bade, PhD, will receive a Distinguished Scientist Award. Distinguished Scientist Awards, which are sponsored by the chancellor, recognize researchers who have been among the most productive scientists at UNMC during the past five years.
- Name: Aditya Bade, PhD
- Title: Associate professor, UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, UNMC College of Medicine
- Joined UNMC: 2011 (as a PhD student)
- Hometown: Pathardi, India
Please describe your research focus in three words or less:
- Neurodevelopmental toxicology and pharmacology
Why is research important in the world today?
As we continue to face challenges in health and medicine, research provides opportunities to create a healthier future by transforming questions into knowledge and knowledge into meaningful solutions. In my area of research, pregnant women and their fetuses remain vulnerable to adverse effects associated with exposure to specific prescription medications, illicit drugs or environmental toxicants. Research therefore is critical for understanding how these adverse effects occur and for developing effective therapeutic and preventive strategies to improve maternal and infant health and create a healthier future for generations to come.
My research will make a difference because:
My current research primarily focuses on neurodevelopmental toxico-pharmacology in the context of HIV-1 and associated comorbidities, with the overarching goal of improving health outcomes of mothers with HIV-1 and their fetuses by:
- Elucidating the underlying mechanisms through which HIV-1, antiretroviral drugs, and HIV-1-associated comorbidities induce adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- Identifying genetic susceptibilities that may increase the risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born to mothers living with HIV-1.
- Developing novel strategies to improve the safety and therapeutic efficacy of antiretroviral drugs in pregnancy.
- Developing innovative experimental models and non-invasive diagnostic tools for early detection of neurodevelopmental deficits and screening of potential therapeutic strategies.
The best advice I’ve ever received is:
Luck does not exist; it is created.
Three things you may not know about me are:
- I’m an avid traveler.
- I’m a sports enthusiast.
- I’m a former extrovert, current introvert.