School of Medicine

Student, Residents, Fellows, Graduate Students and Post-Doc News

Anesthiology
Three CA-1 residents had their abstracts accepted at the 57th Annual Meeting for The Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) in Portland, Oregon: 

• Dr. Keionne Green: Abstract No. 2044214, Complete Heart Block in Pregnancy
• Dr. Lindsey Lang: Abstract No. 2044207, Anesthetic Management: Emergent Craniotomy and Cesarean Delivery
• Dr. Brandi Sun: Abstract No. 2044486, IR Embolization for Delayed Hysterectomy after Classical Cesarean.

Dr. Franckiana Lormeus was named University Medical Center 2025 Resident of the Year. The announcement was made during LCMC Health’s celebration of its Annual Resident & Fellow Appreciation Week. 
 

 

 

Medicine
Dr. Ariean Loo-Hernandez (PM&R) was named the Touro Hospital 2025 Resident of the Year.

 

 

 

Dr. Charles Woodall (IM Resident) was awarded a VA Health Professions Trainee of the Academic Year 2024-2025 after being nominated by the VA palliative care team.

 

 

Dr. Keyur Patel (IM/EM Resident) was honored as the Outstanding Resident of the Quarter at UMC.

 

 

 

 

The following residents and fellows have been selected for membership into the Louisiana Beta Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society: Lara Boudreaux, MD (Gastroenterology); Joshua DeBlieux, MD (Emergency Medicine); Courtney LaChute, MD (Internal Medicine); Ryan Leonard, MD (Internal Medicine); Humza Malik, MD (Internal Medicine); Stephany Nguyen, MD (Internal Medicine); and Parker Yount, MD (Internal Medicine).

Pathology
The residency program announced Dr. Haibo Wang, Dr. Asra Feroze, and Dr. Julia Rivera (pictured, left to right) as the 2025 Chief Residents. 

The department welcomed new residents for 2025-26: 

• Andria Chada, MD – Universidade do Estado do Para Faculdade de Medicina Belem, Brazil
• Anastasia Karakachoff, MD – Universidad Nacional de Rosario Facultdad de Ciencias Medicas, Argentina
• Vishva Mistry, DO – Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University

Residents contributed to the following journal articles:

• “An Incidental Finding of Appendiceal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor with Abundant Skeinoid Fibers: A Rare Case Report with Insights from a Comprehensive Literature Review," Yu Liu, MD, Yaomin Chen, MD, Asra Feroze, MBBS, published in Diagnostics.
• "Time of Death Estimation in Forensic Pathology: A Brief Assessment of Methods and Reliability," Michael Webber, DO, Ellen Connor, MD, PhD, published in WIREs Forensic Science.
• "Eosinophilic vacuolated tumor (EVT)," Ayesha Younus, MBBS, Ritu Bhalla, MD, published in Pathology Outlines.
• "Balanitis/phimosis," Angelle Jolly, MD, Ritu Bhalla, MD, published in Pathology Outlines.

Pediatrics
Medical student Prashum Chanda recently presented a poster with Dr. Callie Roth at the Council of Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP) annual meeting in Indianapolis. 

 

 

Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
Resident Carly Boyce was published in Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America: Boyce C, Ovaitt AK, Hetzler L. Closed Treatment of the Internal Nasal Valve. Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2025 Apr;58(2):295-302. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2024.08.012. Epub 2025 Jan 3. PMID: 39755476.

Resident Katelyn Robillard with Assistant Professor Alyssa Ovaitt authored a book chapter: Robillard, K, Ovaitt, AK. Alternatives for Scalp Reconstruction. Otolaryngology Clinics on Upper Third of the Face for Otolaryngologists. 

Resident John C. Lemoine’s abstract, Breaking the Mold: Treating Laryngeal Mucormycosis While Sparing the Larynx, was accepted for poster presentation at the AHNS 2025 Annual Meeting at Combined Otolaryngology Spring Meetings (COSM) held in May.  

Resident Dr. John Poche received a Resident Research Grant for "Computational Fluid Dynamics Evaluation of Sinonasal Flow During Respiration and Nasal Irrigation Following Transnasal Endoscopic Surgery."

Pediatrics
Pediatrics, Medicine/Pediatrics, and Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine Residency Programs successfully matched for the 2025-2026 academic year:
Pediatric Interns:

• Ryan Agsunod - LSU Shreveport
• Kayla Beamon - University of Mississippi 
• Logan Brickner - William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Alyssa Bryant - University of Arkansas
• Will Davis - LSU Shreveport
• Nathan MacMaster - Tulane University
• Natasha Mark-Borno - Ponce Health Sciences University
• Jack McDonnell - Tulane University
• Jessica McKenzie - University of Mississippi
• Margaret Mena - LSU New Orleans
• Holly Monk - LSU New Orleans
• Cathy Nguyen - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Rajesh Sharma - Tribhuvan University
• Henry Smith - University of Alabama
• Tina Tran - University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine
• Amy Urbina Pacheco - Tulane University 

Medicine/Pediatric Interns

• Leah Noe - University of Florida
• Ud Okorafor - Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
• Nathaniel Williams - University of Tennessee
• Lauren Ziegenbein - University of Nebraska

Pediatric/Emergency Medicine Intern

• Skylar Taylor - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow Kalya Griese was recently awarded the Manning Family Children's Fellow of the Year award.

 

 

 

Hematology and Oncology fellows recently presented at the Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana:

• Dr. Heather Valdin gave an oral presentation on modern techniques for managing complex pediatric leukemia.
• Drs. Valdin, Casey Treuting, Anna Simon, and Caitlin Sullivan also presented posters on their research projects.
• Several LSU pediatric residents, including Drs. Nali Gillespie, Alexis Brantley, Morgan Viviano and Leah Smith presented posters at CAGLA as well.
• Drs. Gillespie and Sullivan presented additional work they have done focused on adult oncology.

 

Pediatric residents Drs. Maddie Stansberry, Eleanor Koonce, Caroline Trammell, and Lexi Glaser recently took part in a panel discussion on life as a resident with members of the Pediatric Interest Group at LSUHealth. The Pediatric Interest Group is composed of first- and second-year medical students with an interest in pediatric careers. Dr. Brian Barkemeyer serves as the faculty advisor. Many current pediatric residents were former members of the Pediatric Interest Group, including Dr. Trammell who is a former PIG president.

Assistant Clerkship Director Leslie Reilly organized a 4th-year medical student bootcamp for students entering pediatrics. Dr. Reilly, along with Drs. Callie Roth, Susan Glass, Shannon Palombo, PHM fellows Dr. Kayla Griese and Dr. Joey Sansone, and Respiratory Therapy helped demonstrate procedures such as LP's, IO's, IV's, hazard awareness, and intubation. On the second day of bootcamp, Drs. Callie Roth, Chelsey Sandlin, Amy Prudhomme, Leslie Reilly and future chief residents Dr. Maddie Stansberry and Dr. Nick Tadros held workshops on order entry, calling a consult, handoff, informed consent, and triage. 

 

Physiology
Joshua Edavettal, MD/PhD trainee, successfully defended his PhD dissertation. His research focused on how the heart responds to chronic and heavy alcohol consumption, and whether those effects differ between males and females.

Taylor Fitzpatrick-Schmidt also successfully defended her PhD dissertation. Edavettal and Fitzpatrick Schmidt return to medical school this summer.

Fitzpatrick-Schmidt also chaired a symposium titled Winter Chill: Navigating the Cold Truths of Chronic Pain and Substance Use Disorders at the Winter Conference on Brain Research in Lake Tahoe, CA.

Eden Gallegos was awarded the 2025 Roheim Award of Research Excellence. The award is given annually to the Department of Physiology’s most accomplished graduate student over the past calendar year for their research accomplishments.

Gallegos also gave a talk entitled Alcohol and metabolic stressors synergistically alter lipid and mitochondrial homeostasis in a MetALD spheroid model at the 2025 Alcohol-Induced End Organ Diseases Gordon Research Conference. Gallegos also chaired the 2025 Gordon Research Seminar, a trainee-led, one-day event preceding Gordon Research Conference, where she presented a poster under the same title.

Gallegos, with Meagan Donovan and Kaitlin Couvillion, represented the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence at the Peer Advocate Liaison’s Student Resource Fair earlier this year.

Nick Harris gave a talk entitled Dual Use of Nicotine Vaping and Chronic, Binge Alcohol: Cardiovascular Outcomes in a Mouse Model at the 2025 Alcohol-Induced End Organ Diseases Gordon Research Conference. He gave a talk and presented a poster under the same title at the Gordon Research Seminar.

Stephanie Lee received a Student Merit Award from the Research Society on Alcohol.

Lee also chaired a symposium titled New Discoveries in Cannabinoid Research: Exploring Therapeutic Potential, Sex Differences, and Translational Implications for Pain and Affective Disorders at the Winter Conference on Brain Research in Lake Tahoe, CA.

Postdoctoral fellow Keishla Rodriguez-Graciani gave a talk entitled Role of Antioxidants and Electrical Pulse Stimulation in Protecting Against Oxidative Stress-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Aged Muscle Cells at the 2025 Alcohol-Induced End Organ Diseases Gordon Research Conference. She presented a poster at GRC under the same title.