2025 Faculty Assembly Award Winners Announced
The LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine Faculty Assembly, in conjunction with Dean Dr. Richard DiCarlo, announced the winners of the 2025 Faculty Assembly Awards at the Spring General Faculty Meeting.
“These awards aim to acknowledge vitally important contributions by the School of Medicine faculty,” said Dr. Jason Gardner, President of the Faculty Assembly.
The winners are:
2025 Outstanding Service to the Institution:
Timothy Foster, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology
Dr. Foster’s performance and dedication across the board mark him as an outstanding citizen of the School of Medicine and the University. He was educated and trained at LSU and has been a member of the faculty since 2007. Dr. Foster heads a successful research program, has 17 US and international patents, and is on the scientific advisory boards of three biotech companies.
He also significantly contributes to the teaching mission, with seven School of Medicine and School of Graduate Studies courses and is an outstanding mentor. Dr. Foster serves on six departmental, three School of Medicine, four School of Graduate Studies and six institutional or system committees, serving as chair of the LSUHSC Student Misconduct Committee (having undertaken training and certification with the SUNY Student Conduct Institute) and vice-chair of the SOM International Travel Committee. He also chaired committees including the Chancellor’s Distinguished Dissertation Award Committee, and the SOGS sub-Committee on Research Embargo. He was the LSUHSC representative to LSU Legal which required over 250 hours of his time. Dr. Foster has contributed much through his well-funded research and extensive contributions to the educational/mentorship mission. He brings great value to the Institution through his dedicated service and leadership on multiple committees and working groups along with other administrative roles.
2025 Outstanding Service to the Community:
Tiffany Ardoin, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Dr. Ardoin is an LSUHSC-NO alum and serves as the Chief at LSU Internal Medicine in Baton Rouge. She is known as a role model for community engagement by her medical students, residents, and colleagues. Her efforts are deserving of recognition, not only for continued encouragement and support of how her current work impacts the health of the community, but also as acknowledgement of the inspiration she ignites in others.
Through her tireless dedication and ingenuity, Dr. Ardoin has led the charge in improving community health in the Baton Rouge area and beyond through her work in healthy eating, assessment of social determinants of health, research, education, and scholarship. Her collaboration with multiple community partners, including Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, Healthy BR, the Mayor’s Office, and the American Heart Association has led to greater recognition and appreciation for the impact that the LSU Health Sciences Center and School of Medicine have had on the Baton Rouge community. She serves the community with her outstanding work to improve healthy habits through her work as Director of the Geaux Get Healthy Program of Our Lady of the Lake and as President of the AHA Capital Area Board. She is involved in several outreach programs including being part of MyPlate Educational Intervention, Geaux Get Healthy Clinical Program, and Lack of Follow-up in Food Insecure Populations. She also co-authored “Geaux Get Healthy Community Wellness Program Guide” to provide education on community wellness, nutrition, and health education.
2025 Outstanding Accomplishments by a Junior Faculty Member:
Antonia Traina, MS, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Dr. Traina exemplified the qualities of leadership and scholarship as a graduating resident of the OB-GYN program in 2022. Her passion for women’s health, mentorship, and evidence-based patient care make her an outstanding member of the faculty, dedicated to teaching these principles to future physicians. Within two years of completing her fellowship, her leadership is recognized by her appointment as UMC GYN rotation director. She has been instrumental in reorganizing the resident surgical rotation curriculum, which has increased case volume and created a robust educational experience. She serves as assistant clerkship director, functions as a resident mentor, and participates in the ADVISER faculty committee, the group that assures that the residency is meeting its mission to train culturally competent and independent physicians in OBGYN.
Dr. Traina is a skilled surgeon and compassionate physician, and she role models this in practice every day with our learners. She is committed to the mission of LSU Health and to the practice of medicine.
2025 Outstanding Mentor:
Thomas Lallier, PhD, Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy
Dr. Lallier is Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy and is involved in teaching, service, mentoring and scholarship. He enriches the research experience of students far more than any other single faculty member. Dr. Lallier, who is housed at the School of Dentistry, has a very active research program, is course director for six courses, and teaches in several courses. He is the research mentor for more than 80 dental students and 60 dental residents (serving as secondary mentor for an additional 13 dental residents) with several of them completing residency programs nationally. This has also allowed for the students to publish peer-reviewed research articles. He has served on 17 PhD Committees and mentored one PhD candidate.
Dr. Lallier has been a prolific research mentor for many students and residents over the years. This past year was exceptional with a total of 32 mentees resulting in several abstracts presented at conferences.
2025 Outstanding Service in Community Engagement and Health Equity:
Lisa Harrison-Bernard, PhD, Department of Physiology
Dr. Harrison-Bernard is Professor of Physiology and the Program Director of the LSUHSC-New Orleans Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program in Biomedical Sciences. She is deeply committed to enhancing health equity within the community and at LSUHSC. Dr. Harrison-Bernard has trained 19 postbaccalaureate students for successful enrollment, retention, and completion of a PhD in the biomedical sciences. She has spearheaded and led various equity and anti-discrimination initiatives, including academic programs, workshops, and curriculum development aimed at improving health equity and has co-authored publications related to health equity.
She has made significant and lasting contributions to the SOM’s Community Engagement and Health Equity efforts, advancing the SOM's mission of fostering equitable inclusion. Additionally, she has contributed to development of innovative equity-based curricula and training workshops for professional development.