Dallas: The prestigious 2013 TANA Award of Excellence was presented to Dr. Samba Reddy at the 19th TANA Convention held in Dallas, Texas, from May 24-26, 2013. This biannual TANA award, the highest honor bestowed to Telugu scientific professionals, is recognized as one of the most prestigious awards around the globe, said TANA (Telugu Association of North America) President Thotakura Prasad.
Dr. Reddy, an Indian-born pharmaceutical scientist at Texas A&M University, is also bestowed with the rare distinction of being one of the “Youngest Medical Professors in the U.S.”
Dr. Reddy was selected unanimously for this renowned award by a committee chaired by Prof. Anantha Babbili. His outstanding research accomplishments have brought pride to the community, inspired students for medical careers, and elevated the spirit of India worldwide, according to the professionals and organizers of the TANA convention that attracted nearly 10,000 people.
Indian Central Minister and Mega Star Dr. K. Chiranjeevi presented the award to Dr. Samba Reddy at the awards banquet attended by over 2000 dignitaries, including prominent NRIs in the U.S., film stars, ministers, politicians, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, doctors, media, and many guests from India, Canada, and abroad. Dr. Reddy, who hails from the small village of Cherlapally in Warangal, was felicitated by the Hon’ble Judge Supreme Court of India Jasti Chalameswar, a special Guest of Honor at the awards program.
Dr. Reddy earned this honor for his “pioneering research work discovering novel treatments to reduce the burden of brain illnesses such as epilepsy, migraine, brain injury and breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of neurological disorders that affects millions of patients worldwide.” It is very hard to discover a new medicine that contributes to the healthcare of people at a global level, but he is credited with the discovery/development of ganaxolone, a new drug for treating seizures and brain disorders.
“I am very grateful to TANA for this recognition at such an elegant award ceremony,” he said after receiving the award at the Dallas Convention Center. “The scientific accomplishments in my lab would have not been possible without the hard work of my students and postdocs, and the grant support from NIH worth several millions of dollars,” said Dr. Reddy, who also won the NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence in 2000 for his discovery of a neurosteroid therapy for catamenial epilepsy.
Reddy is presently working as a Professor in the College of Medicine at Texas A&M University, one of the biggest universities in America with close to 50,000 students enrolled. He teaches neurology and pharmacology courses to medical and graduate students. As principal investigator, he directs a cutting-edge research program on new drug discoveries and development focusing on brain diseases of epilepsy, status epilepticus, and pesticide poisoning. He has been the editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Nanotechnology, and review editor of the Aging Neuroscience and Frontiers in Pharmacology journals.
He is a board-certified pharmacist, member of the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), and works as an ad hoc expert review member in the U.S. Department of Health NIH study sections and the Department of Defense Medical Research program.
He received a B.S. (pharmacy) from Kakatiya University in Warangal, and M.S. (pharmacy) and Ph.D. (pharmacology) from Panjab University in Chandigarh. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1998 for advanced research. After a postdoctoral fellowship at NIH in Washington D.C., he began an independent career at North Carolina State University and moved to the Texas A&M College of Medicine to advance his drug development research.
“This is an exciting honor and I am absolutely humbled to be able to represent medical and pharmaceutical fields at Texas A&M in this award. Ever since my school days in India, I always dreamed of making a major discovery and now am reaching that goal in America,” said Dr. Reddy.
In addition to over 100 research publications, he has written 6 major books, and presented over 150 seminars and lectures worldwide at a young age. Also, his biography has been cited in the Who’s Who of World Scientists.
Dr. Reddy received many awards and honors over the last two decades including the Governor Gold Medal, IDMA Award, ASPET Award, Prous Award, Uvnas Award, Malhotra Award, Sigma Xi Award, ASIOA Award, and NATA Award of Research Excellence.
Although busy with work, Dr. Reddy still contributes to charitable programs, community services, free health camps, and educational programs. He established the Kakatiya Foundation in 2008, which helps needy students with scholarships, awards, and career growth.
He is truly setting the bar high for younger generations to follow their American dream and excel in their endeavors.
