This profile is part of a series to highlight the researchers and leaders who will be honored at a ceremony today (Nov. 6) for UNMC’s annual research awards – the prestigious Scientist Laureate Award and the Research Leadership, Distinguished Scientist, New Investigator, Career Achievement and Community Service to Research Awards.
Siddappa Byrareddy, PhD, will receive the highest honor that UNMC awards its researchers.
Yet in being named UNMC’s 20th Scientist Laureate, Dr. Byrareddy’s thoughts immediately turn to the value of the team, collaboration – team science.
Across the research enterprise at UNMC, Dr. Byrareddy already is regarded as a leader – one of the most prolific investigators on campus, said Ken Bayles, PhD, UNMC’s vice chancellor for research.
In his appointment as the Singer Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis and vice chair for research in the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, Dr. Byrareddy is respected for his perseverance, resilience and dogged drive.
Yet he sees his specialties a little differently. He sees in himself an ability to bring together a team of researchers to tackle complex issues. He has a willingness to listen to other researchers and help them think through their own ideas, and to offer support wherever possible.
Above all, he is driven by a desire to promote teamwork and collaboration – advancing scientific discovery and translating it into meaningful improvements in human health.
“I’m honored individually, but team science is where I’ve practiced for a long, long time,” said Dr. Byrareddy, who joined UNMC in 2016 and leads the Byrareddy Laboratory. “The future will be different – no single person can do everything alone anymore.”
Even so, Dr. Byrareddy and his lab take on significant research challenges of their own – combating what his lab calls “some of the most formidable microbes in human history.”
That list includes HIV and AIDS, SARS-CoV-2, also known as COVID-19, and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as Dengue, Zika and M-pox. His current research includes HIV pathobiology and cure strategies, substance abuse, gut-brain connections and CAR-T cell targeted immunotherapy.
His ability to conduct research across different fields is reflected in his lab’s funding, spanning numerous National Institutes of Health – allergy and infectious diseases, mental health, drug abuse, and diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases. Those are all in addition to funding from the National Institutes of Health Office of the Director and private industry, foundation grants, numerous pilot grants from the University of Nebraska system and philanthropic support.
Through dynamic teaching, hands-on research opportunities and a strong commitment to mentorship, he strives to inspire students to explore science with curiosity and purpose.
Dr. Byrareddy also believes in urgency – doing research in real time, publishing results quickly and disseminating scientific knowledge to the public.
His rapid research on the COVID-19 pandemic reflected those traits. Within weeks of the virus’ global spread, Dr. Byrareddy published research suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 was a mucosal virus, with larger implications for troubles that the virus would cause the human body. That early observation has since been validated over time.
Dr. Byrareddy also believes in the importance of open science, sharing and publishing research freely, often without holding full credit or patents.
“What matters is the impact,” he said.
Now, Dr. Byrareddy sees an opportunity for UNMC to take its research to the next level – encouraging researchers to approach their vital work with renewed focus and urgency.
He said UNMC has a lot of the research infrastructure, resources and researchers it needs to take its research further.
He hopes to see stronger partnerships between basic researchers and clinicians, working together as a team to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical solutions.
“If we can bring these two groups together, hand in hand, we can address many of the world’s most pressing health challenges.”
UNMC’s Scientist Laureates
Since 2006, UNMC has named 20 Scientist Laureates, making an impressive list of UNMC’s leading researchers. See the links on each name for the article that featured the Scientist Laureate and their work.
- 2025: Siddappa Byrareddy, PhD
- 2024: Hamid Band, MD, PhD
- 2023: Michele Balas, PhD
- 2022: Diana Florescu, MD
- 2021: Andre Kalil, MD
- 2020: Matt Rizzo, MD
- 2019: Sue Swindells, MBBS
- 2018: Rob Lewis, PhD
- 2017: Ken Bayles, PhD
- 2016: Tammy Kielian, PhD
- 2015: Shilpa Buch, PhD
- 2014: Tatiana Bronich, PhD
- 2013: Howard Fox, MD, PhD
- 2012: Surinder Batra, PhD
- 2011: Tony Hollingsworth, PhD
- 2010: Shelley Smith, PhD
- 2009: Alexander Kabanov, PhD
- 2008: Howard Gendelman, MD
- 2007: Irving Zucker, PhD
- 2006: Steve Rennard, MD