Awards and Honors
Congratulations to the following faculty and staff for achieving special distinction this quarter:
Cell Biology & Anatomy 
The department received the Aesculapian Society’s award for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Carmen Canavier accepted the award on behalf of the department.
Dr. Sarah Garner was awarded the Aesculapian Society 2025 Excellence in Teaching Awards for L1 fall
semester. Both awards were presented at the April 14th banquet held at Mambo’s in
the French Quarter.
Dr. Thomas Lallier won the Faculty Assembly award for mentoring.
Internal Medicine
Dr. Paul LeLorier (Cardiology) is the first physician in Louisiana to be certified by the United Council
for Neurologic Subspecialties as a Diplomate in the subspecialty of Autonomic Disorders.
Dr. Keith Van Meter’s (Emergency Medicine) paper, “Effect of cardiopulmonary resuscitation on perfusion in a porcine model of severe hemorrhagic shock,” was highlighted as one of the top 10 papers at the recent National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) meetings. Dr. Raul Coimbra, the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, selected the manuscript as the Editor’s Choice, Best of Basic/Translational Science, for the February issue.
Taniya De Silva, MD (Endocrinology); Catherine Hudson, MD (Gastroenterology); and Dexter Matrana, DO (Internal Medicine) have been selected for membership into the Louisiana Beta Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Neuroscience Center of Excellence
Dr. Nicolas Bazan was honored with a special Cell Death & Differentiation (CDD) Award in recognition
of the translational research carried out by Dr. Bazan and his team of researchers
on neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, age-related
macular degeneration and cognition after stroke and traumatic brain injury (concussions).
The award was given at the Academia Nazionale dei Lincei Neurodegenerative Diseases
conference in Rome, Italy, where Dr. Bazan presented his groundbreaking research in
degenerative disease and traumatic brain injury treatment.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Lisa Peacock, MD was voted by UMC New Orleans residents and fellows as this year's Top Clinical
Teacher. She was formally recognized on Doctor’s Day in March.
Pediatrics
The GABS (Girls and Adolescents with Blood and Sickle Cell Disorders) Clinic has been
designated as a Clinic of Excellence by the Foundation for Women and Girls with Blood
Disorders (FWGBD). This prestigious recognition marks a significant milestone in the
clinic’s mission to advance the care of girls and adolescents with blood disorders.
The clinic, located at the Manning Family Children's Hospital, is the only one of
its kind in Louisiana and is recognized among the top three clinics in the Hemophilia
Treatment Centers (HTC) region along with Texas Children's Hospital and Children's
Medical Center in Dallas. The clinic, led by Drs. Dana LeBlanc and Maria Velez, will be highlighted at the upcoming HTC regional meeting in Kansas City.
Urology
J. Christian Winters, MD, Vice Chancellor for Clinical Affairs, CEO of the LSU HealthCare Network, H.
Eustis Reily Professor of Urology and chairman of the department, has been awarded
the Female Pelvic Medicine Subspecialty Society Lifetime Achievement Award by the
Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction.