Akhilesh Reddy
Akhilesh Reddy is a British physician-scientist. He studied on the MB/PhD programme at the University of Cambridge and received a PhD from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.[1] He was a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow in Clinical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He is currently an associate professor of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania.[2]
Akhilesh Reddy | |
---|---|
Nationality | British |
Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Neuroscience Chronobiology Genetics Pharmacology |
Institutions | Francis Crick Institute MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology |
Research
In 2011, Reddy's research group made a significant breakthrough by revealing the existence of circadian clocks within human red blood cells (erythrocytes).[3] This discovery challenged prior assumptions that mammals lacked circadian clocks without DNA, RNA production, or protein production. The oscillations observed in red blood cells could be interpreted as a form of biochemical or chemical oscillation, extending over a prolonged 24-hour timeframe.[4] The impact of this work garnered recognition from notables like Sir Christopher Dobson, who drew parallels to established short-period oscillations in chemical systems.[4] The research received commendation within the circadian rhythms research community, with peers describing it as 'exceptional' in post-publication peer reviews on Faculty of 1000.[5][6][7][8]
In collaboration with the research team led by Andrew Millar in Edinburgh, Reddy's group extended their contributions by demonstrating 24-hour oscillations that manifest in marine algae without necessitating RNA production.[9] This groundbreaking finding represented the inaugural display of circadian rhythms in higher organisms without the involvement of new RNA formation.
In 2012, Reddy's research group unveiled a comprehensive revelation: redox circadian oscillations are universally present across evolutionary epochs, spanning from bacteria to humans. This insight was enabled by the utilization of peroxiredoxin proteins, a novel molecular perspective into circadian dynamics.[10] Michael Rosbash, a Nobel laureate, acknowledged the significance of this contribution, highlighting how it challenged conventional animal models that emphasized PER-CLK transcription. Rosbash underscored the emerging consideration of metabolism and peroxiredoxin hyperoxidation in the orchestration of circadian rhythms.[11]
In 2018, Reddy's team showed the intimate links between core glucose metabolism and circadian transcriptional oscillations, as well as non-canonical circadian rhythms in clock-less fruit fly cells.[12] These findings show that there continues to be an incomplete understanding of molecular circadian rhythms in a range of organisms.[13]
Controversy
In December 2019, Reddy underwent a hearing at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal regarding alleged overpayment by both University College of London and the University of Cambridge.[14] Reddy was suspended for nine months from the medical practice in the United Kingdom; the case is subject to an appeal in the High Court, and sanctions have not yet been applied.
Awards
- 2011: EMBO Young Investigator Award.[15]
- 2012: Lister Prize.[16]
- 2012: Colworth Medal.[17][18][19]
- 2013: Academy of Medical Sciences Foulkes Foundation Medal.[20][21]
- 2014: Elected to American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).[15]
- 2014: FEBS Anniversary Prize.[22]
- 2015: Linacre Medal and Lecture (Royal College of Physicians).[23]
References
- "Dr Akhilesh Reddy Bio at the Lister Institute". Archived from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- "Akhilesh B. Reddy, MA MB BChir PhD FRCP". Perelman School of Medicine. University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- O'Neill, John S.; Reddy, Akhilesh B. (26 January 2011). "Circadian clocks in human red blood cells". Nature. 469 (7331): 498–503. Bibcode:2011Natur.469..498O. doi:10.1038/nature09702. PMC 3040566. PMID 21270888.
- Dobson, Christopher M. (2014). "Dynamics and Timekeeping in Biological Systems". Annual Review of Biochemistry. 83 (1): 159–164. doi:10.1146/annurev-biochem-013014-102724. PMID 24606145.
- Mistlberger, Ralph (3 February 2011). "Faculty of 1000 evaluation for Circadian clocks in human red blood cells": 8488054. doi:10.3410/f.8095959.8488054.
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(help) - Rodgers, Ray (3 February 2011). "Faculty of 1000 evaluation for Circadian clocks in human red blood cells": 8487057. doi:10.3410/f.8095959.8487057.
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(help) - Nitabach, Michael (28 February 2011). "Faculty of 1000 evaluation for Circadian clocks in human red blood cells": 9095057. doi:10.3410/f.8095959.9095057.
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(help) - Hastings, Michael (14 March 2011). "Faculty of 1000 evaluation for Circadian clocks in human red blood cells": 9415054. doi:10.3410/f.8095959.9415054.
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(help) - O'Neill, John S.; van Ooijen, Gerben; Dixon, Laura E.; Troein, Carl; Corellou, Florence; Bouget, François-Yves; Reddy, Akhilesh B.; Millar, Andrew J. (26 January 2011). "Circadian rhythms persist without transcription in a eukaryote". Nature. 469 (7331): 554–558. Bibcode:2011Natur.469..554O. doi:10.1038/nature09654. PMC 3040569. PMID 21270895.
- Rachel S. Edgar; Edward W. Green; Yuwei Zhao; Gerben van Ooijen; Maria Olmedo; Ximing Qin; Yao Xu; Min Pan; Utham K. Valekunja; Kevin A. Feeney; Elizabeth S. Maywood; Michael H. Hastings; Nitin S. Baliga; Martha Merrow; Andrew J. Millar; Carl H. Johnson; Charalambos P. Kyriacou; John S. O'Neill; Akhilesh B. Reddy (16 May 2012). "Peroxiredoxins are conserved markers of circadian rhythms". Nature. 485 (7399): 459–464. Bibcode:2012Natur.485..459E. doi:10.1038/nature11088. PMC 3398137. PMID 22622569.
- Rosbash, Michael (9 June 2017). "A 50-Year Personal Journey: Location, Gene Expression, and Circadian Rhythms". Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. 9 (12): a032516. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a032516. ISSN 1943-0264. PMC 5710103. PMID 28600396.
- Rey, Guillaume; Milev, Nikolay B; Valekunja, Utham K; Ch, Ratnasekhar; Ray, Sandipan; Silva Dos Santos, Mariana; Nagy, Andras D; Antrobus, Robin; MacRae, James I; Reddy, Akhilesh B (1 August 2018). "Metabolic oscillations on the circadian time scale in Drosophila cells lacking clock genes". Molecular Systems Biology. 14 (8): e8376. doi:10.15252/msb.20188376. ISSN 1744-4292. PMC 6078164. PMID 30072421.
- Ode, Koji L; Ueda, Hiroki R (24 September 2018). "Lost in clocks: non‐canonical circadian oscillation discovered in Drosophila cells". Molecular Systems Biology. 14 (9): e8567. doi:10.15252/msb.20188567. ISSN 1744-4292. PMC 6151625. PMID 30249605.
- "Cambridge and UCL professor 'did not notice' double salaries". BBC News. 31 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- "ASCI - The American Society for Clinical Investigation". the-asci.org. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- "2012 Lister Prize for Ak Reddy". Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science. 10 May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- Looi, Mun-Keat. "Colworth Medal for Trust Fellow". Wellcome Trust Blog. Archived from the original on 21 April 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- "Dr Akhilesh Reddy awarded Colworth Medal". St John. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- "The Colworth Medal". www.biochemistry.org. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
- "Foulkes Foundation Medal " The Foulkes Foundation". foulkes-foundation.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- "Foulkes Foundation Medal | Academy of Medical Sciences". www.acmedsci.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- "FEBS Anniversary Prize der GBM – Homepage der Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie e.V." gbm-online.de (in German). Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- "Biography | The Francis Crick Institute". The Francis Crick Institute. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.