Dr. Daniel Kapusta Named Pharmacology Interim Department Head
Daniel Kapusta, PhD, has agreed to serve as the Interim Department Head for Pharmacology, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Kapusta joined the faculty as assistant professor of pharmacology in 1991 and has devoted his entire 34-year academic career to the department and the school. He was promoted to professor of pharmacology with tenure in 2000 and was awarded the L.A. Barker Endowed Chair of Pharmacology Education.
“I’m honored to become the Interim Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. I am looking forward to working with our faculty as we develop plans for the department’s future,” he said. “I plan to encourage our faculty to pursue professional development and work toward strengthening our research funding while furthering their academic careers. We have a legacy of senior faculty to continue our strong mission in biomedical education and mentoring both students and junior faculty.”
Dr. Kapusta’s dedication to educating LSU medical students has been demonstrated by the number of times and years he has spent as the pharmacology course director, pharmacology content director, director of disease and therapy of the renal system, and director of the 2nd year physician assistant clinical pharmacology course. His excellence in teaching has been recognized with the prestigious LSU School of Medicine Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award, the Aesculapian Society Excellence in Teaching Award for six years, the School of Allied Health, Physician’s Assistance Program Didactic Speaker of the Year for four years and by being honored by four School of Medicine classes for excellence in teaching.
Dr. Kapusta has had an outstanding academic career with over 70 publications, four patents, 100 abstracts, and 50 invited lectures. He has served as reviewer for over 20 journals. He has been awarded over 30 grants, including multiple NIH grants, and was PI and Director of the NIH funded LSU Center of Biomedical Research Education (CoBRE) program in cardiovascular biology. In addition, he has served on multiple committees across the years, including the School of Medicine Appointment and Promotions Committee, the Medical Student Promotion and Readmission Committees, and multiple Department Head, Section Chief and Associate Dean search committees.
Dr. Kapusta obtained a bachelor’s in zoology from University of Florida, Gainesville and received his PhD from LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans. Subsequently, he completed a post doctoral fellowship at the University of Iowa College of Medicine and was assistant research scientist there from 1987 to 1990.