School of Medicine

Neck of Woods

Campus-wide:
The Offices of Title IX & CAP concluded Sexual Assault Awareness Month by joining Denim Day and hosting an awareness table to share on and off campus resources. They also accepted donated denim items to give to a local shelter. Denim Day was created in April 1999, when the women of the Italian Parliament protested a high court decision that overturned a sexual assault conviction because the victim was wearing tight denim jeans. The decision sparked international outrage and ignited a movement that continues to this day. Now recognized each year on the last Wednesday of April, Denim Day is a powerful reminder that what someone wears is never consent.

Biochemistry
Dr. Suresh Alahari attended and gave a talk entitled “Understanding racial disparities in triple negative breast cancer” at the 2026 American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Dr. Alahari also served on the poster judging panel for best presentation.

Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
Eric Lazartigues, PhD was featured in the spring edition of the American Physiological Society’s Neural Control and Autonomic Regulation’s newsletter.

LSU-LCMC Cancer Center
With support from Senator John Kennedy, Dr. Steve Nelson secured $12M in vital funding for scientific equipment to outfit the newly renovated research labs. These state-of-the-art facilities will accelerate recruitment of highly skilled research scientists who are critical to achieving National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation for Louisiana.

Medicine
Dr. Jameel Ahmed (Cardiology), the LSU Electrophysiology team, and the Cath Lab at University Medical Center are the first in Louisiana to implement the OmniaSecure, a defibrillator lead that detects and relays abnormal heart rhythms to an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D) and is a critical component of the system in delivering prompt and appropriate care.

Dr. Zee Ali (Cardiology) presented the talk “Less Metal, More Medicine - Role of Drug Coated Balloons in Coronary Disease” at the Cardiology Research Technologies (CRT) meeting in Washington, D.C.

 

 

Dr. Paul LeLorier (Cardiology) was selected to serve on the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Item-Writing Task Force. His first term runs from April 15, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

Dr. Frank Smart (Cardiology) was interviewed about the importance of maternal cardiovascular health on the Fox 8 morning show.

Dr. Juzar Ali (Pulmonary-Critical Care) was recently named the new Executive Director for the Spirit of Charity Foundation. As a nationally and internationally respected pulmonary and critical care physician, educator, and health leader, Dr. Ali brings decades of clinical excellence, academic leadership, and community advocacy to guide the Foundation into its next chapter of service. Read the full article here. 

Dr. Cynthia J. Brown was recently elected as one of two Councilors for the Association of Professors of Medicine (APM) for a three-year term. Part of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM), the APM is the organization of departments of internal medicine representing chairs of medicine at medical schools and independent teaching hospitals.

Drs. Ben Springgate and Ashley Wennerstrom (Community and Population Medicine, and Center for Healthcare Value and Effectiveness) presented “Lessons from Community Academic Partnerships Supporting Resilience in a Changing Climate” to the Clinical Scholars Action Network at their annual meeting in New Orleans.  

The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency Program announced new leadership:

• Dr. Trevor Boudreaux will serve as program director.
• Dr. Elyse Cleveland will serve as associate program director.

Dr. Robert McMyne (image, right) has been announced as the new Program Director of the Pain Management Fellowship program.

Dr. Eric Stockwell (image, left) has been announced as the new Associate Program Director of the Pain Management Fellowship program.

 

Fellowship Program Administrators Cecelia Estep MJ, C-TAGME (Endocrinology and Pulmonary/Critical Care) and Ann Marie Onesti, MS, CTAGME (Rheumatology and Gastroenterology) presented “Virtual, In-Person, or Both? Interviewing in a Changing Landscape” at the recent 2026 ACGME Conference in San Diego, CA. The talk focused on the evolving residency and fellowship interview process and the current practical considerations navigated by programs nationwide.

Dr. Milena Vukelic (Rheumatology) will serve as project lead for LSU Health as it joins the International Lupus Research Network.

LSU SOM had the most representation on the American College of Physicians (ACP) Infectious Diseases Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP) Committee with three faculty members: Dr. Katie O'Neal (Baton Rouge), Dr. Victoria Burke (Infectious Diseases) and Dr. Fred Lopez (Infectious Diseases). The committee met recently in Philadelphia to update content and questions. MKSAP has been the go-to gold-standard learning resource for internal medicine physicians for nearly 60 years.

Dr. Catherine Hudson (Gastroenterology) has been appointed as the new President of the Louisiana Gastroenterology Society (LGS). The LGS was founded in 2002 by Dr. David Raines, Dr. Luis Balart, and Dr. Elwyn Lyles to advance the scientific study and medical practice of gastroenterology in Louisiana while also serving as an organizational force for professional engagement. This organization promotes collaboration between academic centers and practicing physicians across the state.

The Gastroenterology team (Drs. Danny Raines, Catherine Hudson, Nisha Loganantharaj, John Hutchings, Stephen Landreneau, and Jason Stibbe) worked with University Medical Center to open a new AI image-guided interventional lab, making it the first location in Louisiana to utilize AI to minimize x-ray dose to patients and staff during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and image-guided endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures.

Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology
Dr. Sunyoung Kim, Head of the NSF EPSCoR Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology in Adaptive Nanomotor Development and Professor in the departments of genetics and biochemistry & molecular biology, was the keynote speaker at Sling Health’s National Demo Day. Demo Day is the culmination of months of collaboration, iteration, and visionary thinking by Sling Health student teams who present solutions to real clinical problems designed, developed, and validated together with mentors and clinicians. In addition to providing the keynote address, Dr. Kim had the opportunity to explore student-led medical and engineering needs here in the community at Sling Health Nola.

Ophthalmology

The department held a Bootcamp Day for second-year medical students.

 

 

 

Drs. Kyle Crawford, Kara Ye, and Tanvi Chokshi were selected and attended the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Mid Year Forum in Washington, D.C.

Drs. Anirudh Mukhopadyay and Crawford presented at the 2026 New Orleans Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting.

Dr. Ye also presented a poster at the 2026 American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.

Dr. Maria Reinoso presented a lecture and served as a member of a panel for the Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology Annual meeting in San Diego, CA.

Dr. Jayne S. Weiss presented a lecture to the Online Fellowship in Cornea and External Diseases for American and international fellows.

Dr. Weiss also led a Pathways to Leadership Breakfast with colleagues at the Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology in San Diego, CA.

Orthopaedic Surgery
Dr. Vinod Dasa presented “Nine-Months Post-launch Suzetrigine Utilization Patterns in Real-World Settings” at the 51st Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine (ASRA) Meeting in Phoenix, AZ and at PainConnect 2026, the American Academy of Pain Management’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City, UT.

Dr. James Laborde published an article as invited guest in the U.S. Professional Tennis Association newsletter titled “How to Prevent & Cure Common Painful conditions in Tennis Players.”

Dr. Laborde also lectured and demonstrated surgery in the cadaver lab at Academy of Minimally Invasive Foot & Ankle Surgery meeting in Orlando, FL.

The department was well represented at the OARSI 2026 World Congress on Osteoarthritis in West Palm Beach, FL:

• Students Erik Piedy, Grace Brandhurst, and Rafael Guzman-Arevalo with Dr. Dasa presented “Temporary and Permanent Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Knee Pain: A Systematic Review.”
• Students Piedy, Daniel Zuckerman, Callie Dickinson, Christopher Bloise, and Andre Mouton with Dr. Claudia Leonardi and Dr. Dasa presented “The Role of Bone Quality in Selective Patellar Resurfacing.”
• Students Ryan Smith, Charles Hawkins, Piedy, and Cade Harkrider with Dr. Leonardi, Dr. Ravi Rajendra, and Dr. Dasa presented “The Efficacy of Preoperative Cryoneurolysis in Obese Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty.”
• Students Annelise Juneau, Zuckerman, Hawkins, Connor Robin, Charles DePaolo with Dr. Andrew Pierce, Dr. Leonardi, and Dr. Dasa presented “Post-TKA Pain and Function Trajectory Following Modern Multimodal Analgesia Protocols.”

Department representatives also made several presentations at the Louisiana Orthopaedic Association, including:

• Dr. Michelle Moore, Dr. Leonardi, and Dr. Carter Clement presented “Introversion in Surgical Residency: A Risk Factor for Burnout?”
• Student Chase Nevers, Dr. Yamilet Gonzalez, and Dr. Amit Bhandutia presented “Social Media and Cervical Laminoplasty: Evaluating Patient Perception.”
• Students Zahra Vafaei Naeini, Callie Dickinson, Daniel Zuckerman, and Anna LeJeune with Dr. Leonardi and Dr. Bhandutia presented Impact of Injury Characteristics on Noncontiguous Spinal Fracture Outcomes.  

Students Richard Hawkrider, Ty Gregory, Julianne Guercio, and John Carleton, with Dr. Matthew Scott and Dr. Jessica Rivera presented “Effects of Bromelain on Fibroblast Viability and Myofibroblastogenesis” at the Orthopedic Research Society Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC.

Otolaryngology
The department was well represented at the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meeting in April:

• Dr. Lisa Morris was a panelist at the Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meeting where she discussed pediatric reconstruction.  
• Dr. Alyssa Ovaitt moderated a panel on orbital trauma and was a panelist discussing nasal reconstruction. 
• Dr. Jill D’Souza was a panelist. 
• Read about the residents at the conference.

Dr. Katie Melder participated in a panel discussion on recurrent sinonasal malignancies for the Sinonasal Cancer Collaborative Virtual Tumor Board. 

Dr. Ovaitt and Dr. Laura Hetzler were course instructors at the UAB Facial Plastics Anatomy Course in Birmingham. AL in April. They will also present on multiple reconstructive topics at the Gulf States Otolaryngology meeting in Gulf Shores, AL in June.  

Dr. Ovaitt also served as co-director of the LSU Resident Soft Tissue Anatomy Course in March.

Dr. Hetzler also participated in a medical mission trip to Ecuador in March through the Global Smile Foundation. 

Dr. Morris also gave an invited talk on multidisciplinary team care at the Cohn-Rives Conference in March.  

Dr. Morris participated in two medical mission trips to India and Peru earlier this year.  

Dr. Robert Peden and Dr. Vilija Vaitaitis conducted oral cancer screenings, with support from several LSU medical students during  the Tour de Lis Charity Bike Ride and Medical Fair Fundraiser, organized by the Cancer Association of Louisiana.

 

 

Many other faculty members and residents will also present at the Gulf States Meeting in June:

• Dr. Gregory Marks and Dr. Armand Jacques will participate in the case debate on "Robots vs Chemoradiation for Oropharyngeal Cancer."
• Dr. Alexandra Rose will present at the Gulf States meeting Panel on "Difficult Pediatric Airway" with Dr. Lauren Buck. 
• Dr. Katie Melder and Dr. Nick Poche will present "What to Put in the Nose After Sinus Surgery."   
• Dr. Caroline Bonaventure will present the "Best ENT Cases on the Gulf Coast." 

Dr. Stephen Hernandez presented at the North American Skull Base Society Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA on Approaches to the pterygopalatine and infratemporal fossa.  

Dr. Andrew McWhorter was elected to the American Board of Otolaryngology Exam Council. The ABOHNS Exam Council is composed of volunteers who lend their diverse personal and professional experience to preparation and administration of exams, as well as development of exam content. Members of the Exam Council are elected, and those who serve are eligible to be nominated for Director. This group has representation from all specialty practice areas. Each Exam Council member serves a three-year term, with up to two consecutive terms permitted.  

Dr. Jingya Wang has been appointed as a new gratis faculty member at the rank of Clinical Assistant Professor, effective April 1, 2026. 

Pathology
Faculty and residents presented posters at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) Conference in San Antonio, TX. Pictured, left to right: Dr. Ridin Balakrishnan, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology; Dr. Yu Liu, PGY3; Dr. Angelle Jolly, Chief Resident; and Dr. Zhiyan Fu, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology.

 

Segmental atrophy of the liver: Review of a rare pseudotumor was authored by Ayesha Younus, Yu Liu, Ellen E. Connor, Zeng-Ying Wu, Hwajeong Lee, and Zhi-Yan Fu. This publication was featured in the World Journal of Clinical Cases and was referenced at the Hans Popper Hepatopathology Society presentation during the USCAP Conference in San Antonio, TX.  

Pediatrics
Drs. Shannon Palombo, Amy Prudhomme, Amanda Messer, and Leslie Reilly hosted a dinner for the LSUHSC Protégés program for all students interested in pediatrics. Protégés is a volunteer program comprised of LSUHSC faculty, staff, and residents who make themselves available to students for professional and personal mentoring to enrich and individualize students’ experiences at the LSU School of Medicine.

The department was well represented at the Southern Society for Pediatric Research (SSPR) annual regional conference that was held in New Orleans.

• Julie Gallois (Neonatology) represented LSU as Institutional Representative, poster session mentor, and lead reviewer and moderator for the Neonatal Case Reports Symposium.
• Luke Wall (Allergy/Immunology) served as Council Member, abstract reviewer, poster session mentor, and moderator for the Allergy Immunology Rheumatology session.
• Mary Johnson (Neonatology) served as moderator for the Neonatal Case Reports Symposium.
• Read more about the residents and fellows participation.

Dr. Elizabeth Wisner won a jeopardy competition hosted by the Anaphylaxis, Dermatology and Drug Allergy Interest Section at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.

 

Adel Shalabi (Research) and Dr. Kayla Phelps (Critical Care) recently presented their poster “Pediatric Health Equity Research Capacity Assessment in the Gulf South” at the XULA Conference.

 

 

The department’s Working Moms Lunch & Book Exchange provided an opportunity to connect through conversation and community. Attendees enjoyed sharing their favorite books, exchanging new reads, and engaging in meaningful discussions with fellow working moms.

 

The Endocrinology Division hosted the PESTOLA Conference (Pediatric Endocrinology Society of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas) in New Orleans, bringing together leading experts from across the region to share knowledge and advances in pediatric endocrinology. Several of the featured speakers included department faculty:

• Dr. Ricardo Gomez, who also served on the Leadership and Planning Team, presented "Emergencies & Inpatient Care: Calcium Disorders."
• Dr. Stuart Chalew presented "Controversies in Assessing Diabetes Management: Does HbA1c Have a Future in the Era of Continuous Glucose Monitoring?"
• Dr. Regina Zambrano presented "Gen-ETHICS: Ethics in the Age of Genomics – Crafting a Responsible Future."
• Dr. Dania Felipe Ramirez presented "A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) and Shifting Patterns in Diagnosing CAIS: Updates on Presentation and Management."

More information about the conference program can be found in the program book.  

Dr. Regina Zambrano (Genetics) presented "From Patterns to Panels: A Pediatrician’s Guide to Syndromic Evaluation and Testing" at the Pediatric Jambalaya Conference in Lafayette.

Gratis faculty Dr. Russell Zwiener (Gastroenterology) recently presented "Advanced Endoscopy in Pediatrics" at the American College of Gastroenterology/Louisiana Gastroenterology Society regional meeting. He was also voted in as the next vice president of the Louisiana GI Society (LGS) for the 2026-2027 year serving as the only pediatric representative for the entire society.

LSU Pediatrics was well represented at the annual COMSEP conference in Vancouver:

• Hospital Medicine's Leslie Reilly presented two posters: "Charting the Ascent: A Qualitative Study of Current and Former Medical Student Liasions' Perceptions of the Role" and "Reaching New Heights Together: Faculty Perspectives on Partnering with Pediatric Medical Student Liasions, A Mixed-methods Study." She also led the workshop "Building Bridges: Enhancing Trainee Education while Caring for Children with Medical Complexity" along with fourth year medical students Beau Goodreaux and Toni Henry as well as physicians from three other institutions. Dr. Callie Roth and fourth year medical student Samual Newcomb also contributed.
• Dr. Reilly also presented the workshop "Innovative Electives: Beyond the Bedside" with several collegues from COMSEP.
• Dr. Amy Creel and Dr. Robin English presented the workshop "Mapping the Education Scholarship Trail: A Journey of Belonging, Becoming, and Personal Identity" with contributions from Dr. Amanda Messer.
• Neonatology's Dr. Jessica Patrick also attended.

The department recently participated in the Body Oddy Oddy Rising Stars Female Youth Program Health Forum, an event dedicated to empowering young women with the knowledge and confidence to take charge of their health and well-being. The event was hosted by the Pontchartrain (LA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated in partnership with the New Orleans Leadership in Access and Advocacy for Pediatrics Network. The event was led by Sylvia Rushing, NP, Services to Youth Chair, along with chapter President, Dr. Sheryl Kennedy Haydel, chapter members, and was thoughtfully planned and coordinated by Dr. Kimiyo Harris Williams. A panel of physicians and nurse practitioners, including Dr. Kirk Thame, Dr. Tina Simpson, Dr. La'Nasha Tanner-Sanders, Dr. Jhanae O'Guin, Dr. Aleah Singleton, Dr. Attiyya Chisolm, and Jaime Taylor, NP addressed a wide range of health topics relevant to adolescent girls, including preventive care, mental health, reproductive health, and overall wellness.

Physiology
Dr. Elizabeth Avegno presented the talk "Mesoamygdala contributions to anxiety-like behavior in rats" at "RSA Gordis Awardees: Where are They Now" webinar.

Dr. Ilse Pamela Alonso-Vazquez presented the seminar "Neural circuit adaptations in alcohol withdrawal: from sleep disruption to chronic pain vulnerability" at the Physiology Seminar Series.

Dr. Scott Edwards served on the NIH/CSR Molecular and Cellular Neuropharmacology (MCNP) study section in March 2026.

Dr. Edwards also presented an update of future aims of the Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center (CARC) at the International URBAN ARCH Center Annual Meeting in March 2026.

Dr. Janos Paloczi presented the seminar "The interplay of endocannabinoids and alcohol drinking in cardiovascular physiology" at the Physiology Seminar Series.

Dr. Paloczi also had the opportunity to meet with Hungarian President Dr. Tamas Sulyok who visited New Orleans and the Hungarian diaspora for the Hungary national holiday in March (image, right).

Dr. Sydney Vita gave an invited seminar "Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption as a Driver of Neurodegenerative Disease" at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Comparative Biomedical Sciences Department Seminar Series. Baton Rouge, in January.

Dr. Vita was also the Keynote Speaker at the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS) 85th Annual Meeting in Biloxi, MS. Dr. Vita presented the talk "Neurodegenerative Consequences of Blood-Brain Barrier Injury."

Surgery
Dr. Fabienne Gray and her team at Manning Family Children's received historic funding for her BE SMART initiative, which began after the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy in Connecticut to raise awareness that secure gun storage –- storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition -– can save children’s lives. Manning Family Children’s joined Rep. Troy A Carter, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, the New Orleans Health Department, and other community partners to celebrate more than $1 mllion in federal funding to expand the Safe Children Initiative across Southeast Louisiana. This investment will allow for the distribution of more than 5,000 free biometric gun safes to families throughout the region while providing secure firearm storage education to every participating household. This important funding will help sustain and expand the gun safety program at Manning Family Children’s, which to date has provided more than 3,500 biometric gun safes across our community, helping to keep guns securely stored and out of the hands of children.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Danny Womac organized a crawfish boil competition to promote awareness and raise funds for breast cancer reconstruction.