Dr. Jawed Siddiqui is 2026 CCRI Researcher of the Year

Dr. Jawed Siddiqui, associate professor of cell and molecular biology, is the 2026 CCRI Researcher of the Year. 

He was presented with this award during the Dr. James “Tate” Thigpen Grand Rounds Seminar, where he also delivered a talk highlighting his research findings, “The Significance of Lipoylation in Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis to Develop Innovative Therapeutics.”  

“I am so grateful to accept this honor, and sincerely thank CCRI and the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology leadership,” Siddiqui said. “I am also fortunate to have a great team, especially Dr. Gunjan Sharma, Dr. Mohammad Abdullah Khan and Sadaf Haider. Without them, this would not have been possible. I also want to thank my wife and children. This would not have been possible without their support and encouragement.” 

A biotechnology graduate of Calicut University, Siddiqui earned a PhD in endocrinology and bone biology from the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research Central Drug Research Institute in India. He came to UMMC in 2024 after serving as an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center School of Medicine. 

Dr. Ajay Singh, professor of cell and molecular biology and CCRI associate director of basic and translational research, who presented the award, said that in the short time Siddiqui has been at CCRI, he has made remarkable progress in research and in gaining internal and external grants, including a recent 5-year R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute totaling nearly $2.6 million to study prostate cancer bone metastasis. 

“Dr. Siddiqui’s work reflects the kind of scientific excellence that strengthens our mission,” he said. “His discoveries are opening new avenues in metastatic cancer research and helping position CCRI to make an even greater impact.”