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Newsmakers of the Week                                           SEPTEMBER 26, 2025        |  The Indian Eye 31



        posted on X: “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of       UNMC awards
        Charlie Kirk is now in custody.” The claim was later corrected after it proved
        false.
            Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, a Republican, called Patel’s error      Siddappa Byrareddy for
        “amateur hour” and questioned his professionalism.
                           Kathy Hochul                                                             Research


              endorses Zohran Mamdani

                          for NYC Mayor



               ew York Governor Kathy Ho-
               chul has endorsed Democrat-
        Nic nominee Zohran Mamdani
        for mayor ahead of the November
        election, describing him as a leader
        committed to affordability and safety
        in the city, Al Jazeera reported.
            In an opinion piece for The New
        York Times on Sunday, Hochul said
        her decision followed “frank con-
        versations” with Mamdani, who won
        the Democratic primary in May.
            “In our conversations, I heard a
        leader who shares my commitment                                          iddappa Byrareddy, PhD, Singer Professor of Microbial Pathogenesis
                                                                                 and vice chair for research in the University of Nebraska Medical Cen-
        to a New York where children can                                    Ster (UNMC) Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neurosci-
        grow up safe in their neighbour-                                    ence, has been named UNMC’s 20th Scientist Laureate.
        hoods and where opportunity is                                          The award is the highest honor that UNMC bestows upon its researchers.
        within reach for every family,” she                                     Dr. Byrareddy, who joined UNMC in 2016, leads the Byrareddy Labo-
        wrote. “I heard a leader who is fo-                                 ratory at UNMC, which holds as its mission “to combat some of the most
        cused on making New York City af-                                   formidable microbes in human history.” He specializes in research into HIV
        fordable -- a goal I enthusiastically                               pathobiology and cure strategies, COVID-19 and other emerging viral threats
        support,” Hochul added.
                                                                            including Zika and Mpox.
                                                                                “Dr. Byrareddy is one of the most prolific investigators we have on cam-
        According to Al Jazeera, Mamdani, a 33-year-old left-wing politi-   pus,” said Ken Bayles, PhD, vice chancellor for research at UNMC. “His abil-
        cian, secured 56.4 percent of votes in the Democratic primary,      ity to identify a problem, conduct a study and write it up for publication is
                                                                            second to none. This was especially apparent during the pandemic, when he
        defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, who         authored multiple highly cited papers and review articles on SARS-CoV-2.”

        has positioned himself as a pro-Israel candidate and was part of
        a legal team defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanya-     “The best in science is measured by traits; the most obvious to
        hu, has chosen to stay in the race despite his loss, highlighting   all are drive, intelligence, creativity, risk-taking and dedication,”
        divisions within the Democratic Party.                              said Howard Gendelman, MD, chair of the UNMC Department of
                                                                            Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience. “But it is often
            Recent polls suggest Mamdani holds a 22-point lead, though prominent   overlooked personal qualities that better define success. These
        Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minori-
        ty Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Congressman Ritchie Torres have not yet   are the qualities that define Dr. Byrareddy. These are persever-
        endorsed him. Hochul had previously been more cautious but her support   ance, resilience and dogged drive, embodied in the face of failure.
        signals a significant shift. Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen criticised Dem-
        ocrats for their hesitation, saying in Iowa, “They need to get behind him, and   He turns those failures to success.”
        get behind him now,” accusing them of the “kind of spineless politics” that
        “people are sick of.”                                                   Dr. Byrareddy said it is a privilege to be recognized as the Scientist Lau-
            Al Jazeera reported that Mamdani has campaigned with independent   reate at UNMC.
        Senator Bernie Sanders and progressives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and    The recognition, he said, is a testament to the dedication and excellence
        Pramila Jayapal, but continues to receive fewer endorsements from centrist   of his current and former research teams, his collaborators and the support-
        Democrats.                                                          ive environment provided by UNMC. It shows the commitment to rigorous,
            Thanking Hochul, Mamdani welcomed her “support in unifying our par-  hypothesis-driven research that spans viral pathogenesis, immune-based ther-
        ty” and praised her “focus on making New York affordable” and “her resolve   apies, antiviral development and translational science.
        in standing up to Trump.”                                               It  also  reflects  an  ongoing  commitment  to  scientific  discovery  and  re-
            US President Donald Trump has also weighed in, telling Fox and Friends   al-world impact, he said.
        that Mamdani’s polling strength reflects “a rebellion against bad candidates ...   “I view this honor as both recognition and responsibility to continue pur-
        they’re tired of it.” He added, “I’m not looking at the polls too carefully, but   suing innovative interventions that improve health outcomes and reduce the
        it would look like he is going to win, and that is a rebellion,” while referring to   global burden of disease,” Dr. Byrareddy said.
        Mamdani as “my little communist mayor.”                                                                      Continued on next page... >>


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