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D. Samba Reddy, PhD, RPh

D. Samba Reddy
D. Samba Reddy, PhD, RPh, FAAPS, FAAAS

Professor, Department of Neurosciences and Experimental Therapeutics

Contact

Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
8447 Riverside Pkwy
1010 Medical Research and Education Building
Bryan , TX 77807
sambareddy@tamu.edu
Phone: 979.436.0324
Fax: 979.436.0086

Education and Training

  • Panjab University, Chandigarh, PhD, Pharmacology, 1998
  • Texas State BOP, Austin, TX, R.Ph, Pharmacy
  • National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, Postdoctoral

Research Interests

  • Cellular & Molecular Pathophysiology and Neurotherapeutics of Epilepsy and Brain Disorders
  • Dr. Reddy is a board-certified pharmacist-pharmacologist who has been researching new drug development for epilepsy and related brain disorders for over 25 years. Epilepsy and seizure disorders affect about 60 million people worldwide, including 3 million civilians and veterans in the United States. Currently, there are no medications that offer a cure for epilepsy. The Reddy lab is developing innovative, disease-modifying therapies for preventing the development and progression of epilepsy. Reddy directs a productive multidisciplinary research group utilizing pharmacological, neuroimaging, electrophysiological, neuropathological, and molecular techniques. Current projects in the Reddy lab are centered on elucidating the molecular pathophysiology of, and developing mechanism-based novel drug therapies for, epileptogenesis, status epilepticus, post-traumatic epilepsy, post-stroke epilepsy, and chemical neurotoxicity. Dr. Reddy has a longstanding interest in neurosteroids as novel anticonvulsants and neuroprotectants, and his lab has conducted pioneering investigations on neurosteroid interactions at synaptic and extrasynaptic GABA-A receptors. The seminal contributions of the Reddy lab in elucidating the role of neurosteroids in the brain culminated in the discovery of neurosteroid replacement therapy. This therapy consists of administering a synthetic neurosteroid during a period of decreased levels or deficiency state to alleviate seizures or diminish mood disorders such as catamenial epilepsy, premenstrual syndrome, and post-partum depression. Many of Dr. Reddy’s research innovations have had profound impact for improved healthcare and clinical practice. For instance, in 2019, the first neurosteroid allopregnanolone (brexanolone) was approved by the FDA for clinical use in post-partum depression, which affects nearly 10% of childbearing women. Additionally, the “first-in-class” synthetic neurosteroid ganaxolone is undergoing clinical trials for treating epilepsy and seizure disorders.
  • The Reddy lab also has great interest in military medicine projects, such as development of novel antidotes for chemical warfare nerve agents, identification of prevention strategies for post-traumatic epilepsy, and testing treatments for Gulf War illness in veterans. Reddy was instrumental in discovering many preclinical models, mechanism-based treatment strategies, and novel medicines for such complex brain disorders. His research projects have been funded by the NIH and DOD for over 15 years. He is the principal investigator of an NIH CounterACT project focusing on novel treatments for organophosphate and nerve agent intoxication. He also directs a DOD project on post-traumatic epilepsy after traumatic brain injury, which affects many soldiers who have been in combat.
  • Dr. Reddy teaches both medical and graduate courses on human pharmacology and therapeutics. He mentors many undergraduates and doctoral & postdoctoral trainees. Dr. Reddy has published over 195 papers and book-chapters (h-index 51; i10-index 119), which are available worldwide (http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2735-9550).

Awards, Recognition and Service

  • Fellow, American Epilepsy Society (AES)
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • Fellow, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
  • SAB Member, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Contributing Editor, Epilepsy Currents (AES Journal)
  • Chartered Member, NIH Study Section ANIE & CNNT
  • Editor-in-Chief, Int J Pharm Sci Nanotechnology
  • Associate Editor, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience; Int J Mol Sci (IJMS)
  • Delegate Member, The United States Pharmacopoeia (USP)
  • Registered Pharmacy Practitioner, Texas, United States
  • Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award
  • NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence
  • Texas A&M Medicine Excellence in Research Award (2015)
  • Science & Technology Excellence award (2018)
  • Mario Toppo Distinguished Scientist Award (2019)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award in Pharmacy (2019)
  • Texas A&M AFS Distinguished Achievement Award in Research (2020)
  • Editorial Member, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
  • Chancellor EDGES Fellow (2020)

Representative Publications

  • Chuang S-H and Reddy DS (2020). Isobolographic Analysis of Anticonvulsant Activity of GABA-A Receptor-Modulating Synthetic Neurosteroids Brexanolone and Ganaxolone with Tiagabine and Midazolam. J Pharmacol Exp Therap Dec 16, 2019 [Epub ahead of print]. 
  • Reddy DS, Perumal DR, Golub V, Habib A, Kuruba R and Wu X (2020). Phenobarbital as Alternative Anticonvulsant for Organophosphate-Induced Benzodiazepine Refractory Status Epilepticus and Neuronal Injury. Epilepsia Open (RVSD).
  • Reddy SD, Younus I, Sridhar V, Reddy DS (2019). Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Experimental Epileptogenesis and Refractory Epilepsy. Int J Mol Sci. Jan 8;20(1): 1-23.
  • Chuang S-H and Reddy DS (2019). Zinc reduces antiseizure activity of neurosteroids by selective blockade of extrasynaptic GABA-A receptor-mediated tonic inhibition in the hippocampus. Neuropharmacology 148:244-256.
  • Reddy DS, Carver CM, Clossen B and Wu X (2019). Extrasynaptic GABA-A receptor-mediated sex differences in the antiseizure activity of neurosteroids in status epilepticus and complex partial seizures. Epilepsia 60(4):730-743.
  • Reddy DS (2019). An enigmatic role of tonic inhibition in gabapentin therapy. EBioMedicine (Lancet group) 42:14-15.
  • Reddy DS (2019). Mechanism-based novel antidotes for organophosphate neurotoxicity. Current Opinion in Toxicology 14:35-45.
  • Reddy DS, Yoshimurab RF, Ramanathana G, Carver CM, Johnstone TB, Hogenkamp DJ, and Gee KW (2018). Role of β2/3-specific GABA-A receptor isoforms in the development of hippocampus kindling epileptogenesis. Epilepsy & Behavior 82:57-63.
  • Reddy DS, Jones M, Hunn, Crepeau AZ and Maganti R (2018). Neuroendocrine aspects of improving sleep in epilepsy. Epilepsy Research 147: 32-41.
  • Reddy DS, Wu X, Golup V, Dashwood WM and Dashwood RH (2018). Measuring histone deacetylase inhibition in the brain. Current Protocols in Pharmacology June; 81(1):e41.
  • Chuang S-H and Reddy DS (2018). 3β-Methyl-neurosteroid analogs are preferential positive allosteric modulators and direct activators of extrasynaptic dGABA-A receptors in the hippocampus dentate gyrus subfield. J Pharmacol Exp Therap 365(3):583-601.
  • Kuruba R, Wu X and Reddy DS (2018). Benzodiazepine-refractory status epilepticus, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration after acute organophosphate intoxication. Biochim Biophys Acta 1864(9 Pt B):2845-2858.
  • Wu X, Kuruba R, and Reddy DS (2018). Midazolam-resistant seizures and neuronal injury following acute intoxication with diisopropylfluorophosphate, an organophosphate pesticide and surrogate for nerve agents. J Pharmacol Exp Therap 367(2):302-321.
  • Chuang S-H and Reddy DS (2018). Genetic and molecular regulation of extrasynaptic GABA-A receptors in the brain: Therapeutic insights for epilepsy. J Pharmacol Exp Therap 364:180-197.
  • Reddy SD, Clossen B and Reddy DS (2018). Epigenetic histone deacetylation inhibition prevents the development and persistence of temporal lobe epilepsy. J Pharmacol Exp Therap 364:97-109.
  • Reddy DS (2018). GABA-A Receptors Mediate Tonic inhibition and neurosteroid sensitivity in the brain. Vitamins and Hormones 107:177-191. 
  • Reddy DS (2018). Drug Therapy for the Management of ADHD (Chapter 18). In: Brody’s Human Pharmacology, 6th Edition (Eds. Lynn Wecker et al,), Elsevier, pp-18-2-18-7.
  • Reddy DS (2018). Drug Therapy for Migraine Headache (Chapter 31). In: Brody’s Human Pharmacology, 6th Edition (Eds. Lynn Wecker et al,), Elsevier, pp-31-2-31-7.
  • Reddy DS (2017). Sex differences in the anticonvulsant neurosteroids. J Neurosci Res 95:661-670.
  • Reddy DS, Gangisetty O and Wu X (2017). PR-Independent neurosteroid regulation of a2-GABA-A receptor plasticity in the hippocampus subfields. Brain Res 1659: 142–147.
  • Reddy DS and Colman E (2017). A comparative analysis of human organophosphate poisonings using social media. Clin Transl Sci 10(3):225-230.
  • Reddy DS (2017). Do oral contraceptives increase epileptic seizures? Expert Rev Neurotherapeutics 17(2):129-134.
  • Clossen BL and Reddy DS (2017). Novel therapeutic approaches for disease-modification of epileptogenesis for curing epilepsy. Biochim Biophys Acta 1863(6):1519-1538.
  • Younus I and Reddy DS (2017). Epigenetic interventions for epileptogenesis: A new frontier for curing epilepsy. Pharmacology & Therapeutics 177: 108-122.
  • Clossen BL and Reddy DS (2017). Catamenial-like seizure exacerbation in mice lacking extrasynaptic dGABA-A receptors. J Neurosci Res, 95:1906-1916.
  • Wu X, Muthuchamy M and Reddy DS (2017). Atomic force microscopy investigations of fibronectin and α5β1-integrin signaling in neuroplasticity and seizure susceptibility in experimental epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 138: 71-80.
  • Reddy DS (2017). Perimenstrual seizures and neurosteroid withdrawal (Chapter 63). In: Models of Seizure and Epilepsy, 2nd edition (Eds. Pitkanen A, Buckmaster P, Galanopoulou A, Moshe SM), Elsevier Press); pp-933-940.
  • Younus Y and Reddy DS (2017). A Resurging boom in new drugs for epilepsy and brain disorders. Exp Rev Clin Pharmacol 11(1):27-45.
  • Reddy DS (2017). Clinical pharmacology of modern antiepileptic drugs. Int J Pharma Sci Nanotech 10(6): 3875-3890.
  • Reddy DS and Volkmer II R (2017). Neurocysticercosis as an infectious acquired epilepsy worldwide. Seizure: Eur J Epilepsy 52:176-181. 
  • Reddy DS (2016). Catamenial epilepsy: discovery of an extrasynaptic molecular mechanism for targeted therapy. Front Cell Neurosci 10(101): 1- 14.
  • Younus I and Reddy DS (2016). Seizure facilitating activity of the oral contraceptive ethinyl estradiol. Epilepsy Res 121:29-32.
  • Carver CM and Reddy DS (2016). Neurosteroid structure-activity relationships for functional activation of extrasynaptic dGABA-A receptors in the hippocampus. J Pharmacol Exp Therap 357:188–204.
  • Carver CM, Chuang S-H and Reddy DS (2016). Zinc selectively inhibits the neurosteroid-sensitive, extrasynaptic d-GABA-A receptors in the hippocampus. J Neurosci 36(31): 8070–8077.
  • Reddy DS and Golub VM (2016). The pharmacological basis of cannabis use for epilepsy. J Pharmacol Exp Therap 357:45–55.
  • Reddy DS and Estes W (2016). Clinical potential of neurosteroids for CNS disorders. Trends Pharmacol Sci 37(7): 543-561. 
  • Reddy DS (2016). Neurosteroids for the potential protection of humans against organophosphate toxicity. Ann NY Acad Sci 1378(1):25-32.
  • Xin W, Muthuchamy M and Reddy DS (2016). Application of atomic force microscopy protocol for measurement of membrane plasticity and extracellular interactions in single neurons in epilepsy. Front Ageing Neurosci 8(88):1-19.
  • Reddy DS (2016). The neuroendocrine basis of sex differences in epilepsy. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 152:97-104. 
  • Reddy DS, Bhimani A, Kuruba R, Park MJ and Sohrabji F (2016). Prospects of modeling post-stroke epileptogenesis. J Neurosci Res 95:1000-1016.
  • Reddy DS, Clossen B and Medi H (2016). Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuroinflammation in epilepsy. Int J Pharm Sci Nanotech 9(4):  3331-3336.
  • Reddy DS (2016). The utility of cannabidiol in the treatment of refractory epilepsy. Clin Pharmacol Therap 17(2): 129–134.
  • Reddy SD, Younus I, Clossen B and Reddy DS (2015). Antiseizure activity of midazolam in mice lacking delta-subunit extrasynaptic GABA-A receptors. J Pharmacol Exp Therap   353:517–528.  
  • Reddy SD and Reddy DS (2015). Midazolam as an anticonvulsant antidote for organophosphate intoxication: A pharmacotherapeutic appraisal. Epilepsia 56(6):813–821.
  • Golub VM, Brewer J, Wu X, Kuruba R, Short J, Manchi M, Swonke M, Younus Y and Reddy DS (2015). Neurostereology protocol for unbiased quantification of neuronal injury and neurodegeneration. Front Aging Neurosci 7:196.