School of Medicine

Residents, Fellows, Grad Students and Post-Docs News

Anesthesiology
Dr. Lindsey Lang (image, below left) and Dr. Keionne Green (image, below right) were named as the new Chief Residents, taking over from outgoing chiefs, Dr. Carlos Guardia Ferrer and Dr. Morgan Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The department welcomed new Interns at the White Coat Ceremony on June 22, 2026. (Image, below: Back row from left to right: John Helmstetter, Associate Program Director, Lauren Wilkin, Noah Roberson, Patrick Quarles, Keneth Granados, Ryan Kline, Program Director Front row: Shahan Maqbool, Lily Valiulis, Maritza Martinez)

Medicine
Baton Rouge IM Residents Dr. Kaleb Robin and Dr. Josh Campbell along with Dr. Jorge Castellanos (Baton Rouge Cardiology) published a case report in JACC: Case Reports titled, “4-Dimensional Intracardiac Echocardiography-Guided Antegrade TAVR Using a Novel CABLE -TAVR Technique.”

Gastroenterology Fellow Dr. Katherine Cates was one of only four fellows from the south to complete the inaugural IUSCAN intestinal ultrasound training course, demonstratrating how intestinal ultrasound has grown and transformed the IBD clinic and training.

Dr. Pranaya Pakala (IM Resident), Dr. Cates (GI Fellow), Ann Porter Uhlhorn and Dr. Nisha Loganantharaj (Gastroenterology) had a paper accepted in the Journal of Digestive Diseases and Hepatology titled “Preventative Healthcare Maintenance in IBD: Addressing Clinical Practice Gaps in the United States.”

LSU Emergency Medicine residents had a sizeable presence at the American Academy of Emergency Medicine’s Annual Scientific Assembly in Seattle:

• Amber Davidson (PGY-4) presented a poster titled Thinking Outside the Box- Adolescents Presenting with Acute Psychomotor Changes.
• Jordan Smith (PGY-3) presented a poster titled Atypical Guillan Barre Syndrome in the Pediatric Emergency Department.
• Jessica Aird (PGY-3) and Andrej Pogribny MD (Peds/EM faculty) presented a poster titled Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in a Pediatric Patient After Allogenic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

The Rheumatology Section attended the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology. Rheumatology fellows Dr. Suzanne Cooper and Dr. Seemal Faisal presented posters.

The department announced many awards in conjunction with graduation:

• New Orleans
  • Mitch Capella - Internal Medicine Resident of the Year
  • Autumn Collins - Categorical Intern of the Year
  • Ty Theriot - Preliminary Intern of the Year
  • Keyur Patel - EM/IM Resident of the Year
  • Samuel Maltby - Med/Peds Resident of the Year
  • Nathan Williams - Med/Peds Intern of the Year
  • Hayle Scanlan (Pulmonary/Critical Care) and Dr. Michael Olejniczak (Pulmonary/Critical Care) (tie) Fellow of the Year
• Baton Rouge
  • Jared Kuyper - Resident Teaching Award
  • Parker Yount - Chief Residents’ Award
  • Outgoing Chief Residents Dr. John Johnson, Dr. Katelin Wilder-Wixson and Dr. Stephanie Vick were also recognized.
• Lafayette
  • Courtney Vaccaro - Intern of the Year
  • Hardy Hang - Resident of the Year
  • Jacob Cunningham - Summit Award

Ophthalmology
Rick Mukhopadhyay, MD was selected to attend the 20^th Annual Heed Resident Retreat. The goal of this retreat is to promote careers in academic ophthalmology.

Orthopaedic Surgery
Resident Dr. Irfan Khan, together with faculty member Dr. Paul Phillips, published two articles in Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation: Increasing Patient Interest in Meniscus Surgery During Last 15 Years With Pain and Recovery Being Most Frequently Searched Topics Online and Google Searches About Rotator Cuff Repair Have Increased Over the Past 15 Years With Pain and Postoperative Recovery Being the Most Frequently Searched Topics.

Otolaryngology
Cheng Ma, MD was announced the department’s first Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery Fellow.

The department announced Resident Research Day Awards:

• 1^st Place: Carley Boyce, MD (image, below left)
• 2^nd place: Shardai Mamidi, MD (image, below middle)
• 3^rd Place: Adam Turry, MD (image, below right)

 

Pathology
The 2026 LSUHSC-NO Pathology Residency Program graduates are: Julia Rivera-Sustache, MD (image, below center); Asra Feroze, MBBS (image, below left); and Haibo Wang, MD, PhD (image, below right). A recognition dinner was held in New Orleans at Ralph’s On The Park to recognize and congratulate the graduates. Each graduate was presented with a framed graduation certificate. Dr. Rivera-Sustache accepted a hematopathology fellowship at the University of Rochester, Dr. Feroze accepted a fellowship in gynecologic pathology at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and Dr. Wang accepted a breast pathology fellowship at Yale University.

Yu Liu, MD, accepted a fellowship in gynecologic pathology at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The department announced the 2026-27 residents:

• Cristina Briones, MD - University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery Philippines
• Madison Calloway, DO Lincoln Memorial University—DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine Tennessee
• Ryan Miller, MD Louisiana State University School Of Medicine New Orleans

PGY1 resident Dr. Ryan Miller received the department’s 2026 Russell L. Holman Memorial Award. This award is presented each year to a graduating senior who has selected a career in pathology, maintained a high GPA in all anatomic and clinical pathology coursework, and has made contributions, such as enduring teaching materials, to pathology during medical school. Dr. Miller was presented with a plaque, and a monetary award from the Louisiana Pathology Society. (Image, left, from left: Gordon L. Love, MD; Ryan Miller, MD; Ellen Connor, MD, PhD; and Grace Athas, PhD)

The abstract Eosinophilic Solid and Cystic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Series Expanding the Morphologic and Immunophenotypic Spectrum (Anastasia Karakachoff, MD; Yaomin Chen, MD; Yu Liu, MD; Tracy Dewenter, MD; and Ritu Bhalla, MD) was accepted for the 2026 CAP.

The abstract What Attracts First-Time Blood Donors? A Retrospective Outcome Analysis of Blood Drives at Postsecondary Educational Institutions across Southern Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast (Gabriel Peterman; Andria Chada Jenkins, MD; Paul Adams; Fern Tsien, PhD; Ellen Connor, MD, PhD) was accepted for the 2026 ASCP and CAP-ACP.

Pediatrics
Interns participated in the annual American Academy of Pediatrics White Coat at the Capitol Day in May. Kayla Beamon and Ryan Agsunod represented the program while meeting with state legislators and policymakers, observing the HHS committee meeting, and networking with pediatricians from across Louisiana. 

 

 

 

Resident Dr. Caroline Gueniot received a $5,000 LSUHSC Resident Research Opportunity Award for her research project, Immune Function in Children with FOXP1 Mutations. Her project is mentored by Dr. Luke Wall. This award recognizes promising resident-led research and supports ongoing efforts to advance pediatric care through scientific discovery.

Allergy & Immunology fellows Dr. Nadjel Opamen and Dr. Meaghan Bank represented the department at the Louisiana Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Scientific Session, held in June in New Orleans:

• Dr. Opamen presented More Than Just High IgE: Uncovering a Rare Genetic Association.
• Dr. Bank presented A Challenging Case of Alpha-Gal Syndrome.

Residency and Fellowship graduates took home diplomas throughout several ceremonies. The graduation ceremony for Pediatrics, Medicine/Pediatrics, and Pediatric/Emergency Medicine residency graduating classes was held at the Audubon Tea Room.

 

Separately, Pediatric Subspecialty Fellowship programs held their ceremony at the Audubon Tea Room.

 

 

 

Program Director Dr. Chelsey Sandlin announced awards in conjunction with a graduation ceremony:

• Sarah Stobbs, MD - Penny Scurto, MD Outstanding Pediatric Resident Award
• Jodi Hardy, MD and Sam Maltby, MD - Outstanding Combined Resident Award
• Leah Smith, DO - Gretchen Life, MD Award, awarded to the graduating resident who embodies Gretchen’s zeal for life and love for patients
• Ariel Hall, MD - Outstanding Cardiology Resident, selected by cardiology faculty to recognize a resident with outstanding clinical and professional performance on the rotation
• Shannon Glennon, MD - Outstanding Hematology/Oncology Resident, selected by hematology/oncology faculty to recognize a resident with outstanding clinical and professional performance on the rotation
• Darrius Williams, MD - Outstanding Teaching Resident Award, awarded annually by third year medical students for excellence in teaching during their pediatrics clerkship
• Andree Judd, DO - Bonnie Deselle, MD PICU Resident of the Year Award
• Scarlett Flaz, MD - Outstanding Fellowship Teaching Award, awarded annually by the residents in recognition of outstanding teaching and mentoring skills
• Nali Gillespie, MD; Caroline Gueniot, MD;Ariel Hall, MD; Meghan McCord, MD - Alfonso Vargas, MD Research Award, for the residents who demonstrated outstanding performance in pediatric research
• Henry Smith T, MD - Intern of the Year Award, given annually by pediatrics PGY 1, 2 and 3, acknowledging an intern who exemplifies the values of the residency: dedication to the care of patients, advocacy for their patients, professionalism, interdisciplinary collaboration, and collegiality among residents
• Aysha Gibson, MD - Pediatric Alumni Award, for the senior medical student who demonstrated outstanding interest and performance in pediatrics.

Residents Drs. Meghan McCord and Sage Jordan, along with faculty mentor Dr. Zachary Daniels, had their abstract accepted for an oral presentation at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition in San Diego. Their presentation, Severe Pediatric MOG Antibody-Associated Disease with Diffuse Cerebral Edema, Elevated Intracranial Pressure, and Evolving Contrast-Enhancing Lesions, highlights an important and complex pediatric neurologic case.

Physiology
Dr. Keishla Rodriguez-Graciani was awarded the prestigious 2026 Nadia Chaudhri Rising Scholar Award (NCRSA) of the Research Society of Alcohol.

Dr. Rodriguez-Graciani also presented the poster Alcohol Use is Associated with Frailty and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Older Adults at the 2026 Research Society on Alcohol Annual Meeting.

Dr. Rodriguez-Graciani also gave a talk, Electrical Pulse Stimulation on SIRT1 Signaling and Mitochondrial Function in Ethanol-Treated Myotubes. It was selected for Oral Talk in Session: Hot Topics in Endocrinology and Metabolism at the 2026 American Physiology Summit. This was also presented as a poster.

Evan Doré successfully defended his Master of Science Thesis titled Behavioral and Molecular Signatures of Social Stress-Escalated Alcohol Drinking.

Surgery
Dr. Andrew Fuglestad received the Colin Goodier, MD Memorial Award.

Dr. Briana Sylvester was selected for the Norma J. Preston Humanism Award.

Dr. Kay Ann Simmons was honored with the Kennan J. Buechter Trauma Award.

Dr. Rebecca Moreci received the Hill-Spencer Pediatric Surgery Award.

Dr. Molly Perkins was chosen for the Outstanding Resident in Minimally Invasive Surgery Award.

The Dr. Eugene Berry Scholarship for Surgical Education was awarded to:

• Dr. Katherine Foley
• Dr. Celestino Castanon
• Dr. Rebecca Moreci

Dr. Gerry Victor received the Warren L. Gottsegen Award.

Dr. Jacob Stover was voted by General Surgery faculty for the Professors’ Award for Overall Excellence in Clinical Performance.

General surgery residents chose the following for Outstanding Resident Awards:

• PGY-5: Dr. Kay Ann Simmons
• PGY-4: Dr. Priscilla Tanamal
• PGY-3: Dr. Cassidy Wheeler
• PGY-2: Dr. Sabrina Yu Alfonzo
• PGY-1: Dr. Branden Munster

Dr. Andrew Malek was awarded Best Plastic Surgery Student.

Dr. Mark Maier was chosen as Best Plastic Surgery Research Resident.

Dr. Adeem Nachabe was awarded Best Clinical Plastic Surgery Resident.

Dr. Iris Hunt received the Paul R. Hastings, MD Critical Care Award.

Dr. Emma Hazenberg was chosen for the Douglas Leonovicz Vascular Surgery Award.

Dr. James Charles received the Best Resident Teacher Award.