Awards and Honors
Congratulations to the following faculty and staff for achieving special distinction this quarter:
Cell Biology and Anatomy
Dr. Jason Mussell received the Golden Apple Award from the School of Dentistry.
Dr. Gregory Casey received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty from the School of Nursing.
Medicine
LSU-BR Internal Medicine was chosen as the best department by senior medical students.
The award was announced at the School of Medicine Pre-Commencement Ceremony
Dr. Jennifer Avegno (Emergency Medicine) recently received the Public Health Trailblazer Award from the Council for the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Dr. Taniya De Silva (Endocrinology) was chosen by senior medical students to deliver the Conferee of the Oath of Hippocrates at the School of Medicine Pre-Commencement Ceremony.
Dr. Matthew Foy (Baton Rouge) was chosen as the Best Clinical Teacher by senior medical students.
Dr. Shane Guillory (Hospital Medicine) was awarded the Allen A. Copping Clinical Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award by senior medical students during the School of Medicine Pre-Commencement Ceremony.
Dr. Jorge Martinez (Hospital Medicine & Emergency Medicine) was recently honored through the renaming of the White Coat ceremony for new interns. The ceremony is now named the Dr. Jorge Martinez White Coat Ceremony. Dr. Martinez gave the first annual lecture about the history and power of the white coat.
Drs. Matthew Foy (Baton Rouge), Cacky Hebert (Comp Med), Angela Johnson (Baton Rouge), Dean Lauret (Baton Rouge), Cathy Lazarus, and Fred Lopez (Infectious Diseases) were selected as hooders for the commencement ceremonies.
Three faculty members received a Resident’s Choice Award:
- Dr. Dexter Matrana (Allergy/Immunology & Primary Care)- Clinic Faculty of the Year
- Dr. Seth Vignes (Hospital Medicine) - Hospitalist Faculty of the Year
- Dr. Amita Krishnan (Pulmonary/Critical Care) – Sub-Specialty Faculty of the Year.
The following emergency medicine faculty received awards:
- David Rayburn, MD - Academic Faculty of the Year
- Bridgette Egan, MD - Jeffrey St. Clair Memorial Clinical Faculty of the Year Award
- Cassandra Koid, MD - Off-Site Clinical Faculty of the Year
Dr. Ben Springgate (Community and Population Medicine) has been named a 2025 Leading Doctor in Internal Medicine by Inside New Orleans Magazine.
Neuroscience Center of Excellence
Louisiana State Senator Jimmy Harris submitted Senate Resolution 46 to commend Dr.
Nicolas Bazan for his groundbreaking discovery of Elovanoids and his pioneering contributions to
the understanding and treatment of critical brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases.
Pathology
Dr. Ridin Balakrishnan, Assistant Professor, Clinical Pathology, received this year’s Resident Education
and Commitment Award. (Image, left to right: Dr. Haibo Wang, Dr. Julia Rivera, Dr.
Ridin Balakrishnan, and Dr. Asra Feroze)
Autopsy Assistant Justin Lofton received this year’s Best Support Staff Award. (Image, left to right: Dr. Haibo Wang,
Dr. Asra Feroze, Justin Lofton, and Dr. Julia Rivera)
Pediatrics
Robin English, MD, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education and Professor of Clinical
Pediatrics, was been selected as a Master Pediatrician Honoree by the Louisiana Academy
of Pediatrics. Dr. English was formally recognized during the Inaugural Awards Gala,
held in conjunction with the annual conference.
Charles Hemenway, MD, PhD was awarded the Nicholas Gagliano, MD Outstanding Faculty Award, given annually by the pediatric residents for excellence in teaching, and for sharing, through knowledge and example, the facts and feelings that prepare them for a lifetime of service to children.
Leslie Reilly, MD received the Suskind Outstanding Pediatric Faculty Award, presented annually to the faculty member who has made an outstanding academic contribution to the education, research, clinical service and advocacy missions of the department.
Several members of the department were part of winning projects at LSUHSC's QI Forum:
- Best Oral Presentation ($1,000 Travel Award): Standardizing Naloxone Co-Prescription to Promote Harm Reduction in Pediatric Sickle Cell Pain Management. Nali Gillespie, MD, Morgan Viviano, MD, Alexis Brantley, MD, Leah Smith, DO, Ushma Bhandary, MD, Dana LeBlanc, MD, and Molly Sonenklar, MD
- Best Poster Presentations ($500 Travel Award): Increasing the Detection of Pediatric Oncology Patients at Risk for Malnutrition Using
a Specialized Screening Tool. Casey M. Treuting, MD, Cori A. Morrison, MD, Jourdan A. Mills, RD
Pharmacology
Pharmacology
Dr. Andrew Catling received the Basic Science Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award.
Allyson Bennett was recognized as the “Didactic Instructor of the Year” by the Physician’s Assistant program.
Psychiatry
Dr. Rahn Bailey was honored with an American Psychiatric Association Special Presidential Commendation
in recognition of his service in global mental health and member services. The award
was presented to Dr. Bailey at the association’s annual meeting.
Radiology
Dr. Alexandra Fairchild was awarded a Society of Interventional Radiology Fellowship (FSIR) at SIR. FSIR is
based on outstanding credentials, achievements and community contributions to interventional
radiology, SIR and the SIR Foundation. Dr. Fairchild is also the Chair of SIR’s Carrier
Advocacy Workgroup and led an in-person meeting for the committee earlier this year.