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.
Lynda Harris, 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: Lynda Harris, PhD
- Title: Associate professor, UNMC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNMC College of Medicine
- Joined UNMC: September 2022
- Hometown: Sheffield, UK
Please describe your research focus in three words or less:
- Making healthy babies
Why is research important in the world today?
Each year, we continue to encounter new challenges, including pandemics, extreme weather events, diminishing natural resources and environmental pollutants. Scientific research is essential to adequately predict and manage these problems, and maintain healthy, resilient and sustainable communities. Scientific research also provides the foundation for evidence-based education, helps foster innovation and encourages curiosity. Given that there are so many important problems in the world still to solve, research provides the tools to help us address them.
My research will make a difference because:
Optimal placental development and function is important for a healthy pregnancy. My lab studies how drug exposures affect placental function and fetal brain development, so protective interventions can be designed to reduce harm. We also develop medicines to treat pregnancy complications, by creating targeted nanoparticles that selectively deliver drugs to the placenta. This allows the placental abnormalities underlying these conditions to be treated, while preventing the potentially harmful transfer of drugs into the baby’s circulation. Being born too small or too early influences many aspects of health in later life, so optimizing pregnancy outcomes helps to create a healthier society.
The best advice I’ve ever received is:
Never say never – you have no idea where life may take you.
Three things you may not know about me are:
- My favorite country is Japan.
- I share a birthday with Nikola Tesla.
- I am a direct descendant of John Harrison, the inventor of the marine chronometer, a device used to calculate longitude at sea.