Honors and Awards
Congratulations to the following faculty and staff for achieving special distinction this quarter:
Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
Eric Lazartigues, PhD, has been selected by the American Heart Association’s Council on Hypertension
to present the 2023 Lewis K. Dahl Memorial Lecture. This award and lecture were established
in 1988 by the Council for High Blood Pressure Research (now known as the Council
on Hypertension) in honor of Dr. Dahl’s pioneering work on the relations between salt,
the kidney and hypertension, and for establishing a major genetically based experimental
model of hypertension (Dahl salt-sensitive rat). The award will be presented during
Hypertension 2023 Scientific Sessions, an in-person event in Boston, Massachusetts,
in September, 2023.
Internal Medicine
Four department faculty were elected to the LSU Faculty Assembly: Dr. Allison Augustus-Wallace (Medicine); Dr. Jennifer Hart (Comprehensive Medicine); Dr. Sanjay Kamboj (Hospital Medicine); and Dr. Michelle Korah-Sedgwick (Pulmonary/Critical Care/ Allergy/Immunology).
Dr. Victoria Burke was awarded the 2023 Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award for Clinical Sciences. Established in 1997, the awards represent the preeminent recognition given to faculty for teaching each year. Department heads as well as student and resident leaders coordinate the faculty nominations and a School of Medicine standing committee reviews the nominations.
Many awards were announced at the School of Medicine Pre-Commencement Ceremony earlier this year, including:
- Dr. Taniya De Silva (Endocrinology) was awarded the Conferee of the Oath of Hippocrates and the Best Clinical Professor.
- LSU-Baton Rouge won Best Clinical Department.
- The Class of 2023 voted Dr. Dean Lauret (LSU-BR), Dr. Matthew Foy (LSU-BR), Dr. Randy Roig (LSU-NO), Dr. Victoria Burke (LSU-NO), and Dr. Fred Lopez (LSU-NO) as hooders.
The Internal Medicine Emergency Medicine residency program recently held their graduation and a number of awards were presented to faculty:
- Clerkship faculty - Randy Sorge, MD
- Off-site clinical faculty - Robert Mercadel, MD
- Jeffrey St Clair award - Bruce Hurley, MD
- Academic faculty - Randy Sorge, MD
Dr. Frank Smart (Cardiology) has been named the Interim Vice President of Research at UMC. He will be overseeing all research activities at UMC and brings a wealth of experience to the role.
Pathology
Associate Program Director Dr. Ellen Connor received the UMC Best New Faculty Member Award. Dr. Connor also was this year’s recipient of the Resident Education and Commitment Award. This award was established in 2010 by the LSU Pathology Residents to honor one faculty member who shows an extraordinary commitment to the program and to the teaching of residents. It is presented by the Chief Residents at the end of the year.
Pediatrics
Dr. Ryan Pasternak and the Youth Reproductive Equity (YRE) team were recently awarded the Group Award by the Adolescent Health Initiative in recognition of their innovative and exceptional work in the field of adolescent health. They were honored at the annual summit in May.
Physiology
Dr. Jason Gardner was awarded the 2023 Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award for Basic Sciences. Established in 1997, the awards represent the preeminent recognition given to faculty for teaching each year. Department heads as well as student and resident leaders coordinate the faculty nominations and a School of Medicine standing committee reviews the nominations.
Psychiatry
Phillip T. Griffin, PhD has been appointed as the Louisiana Psychological Association's (LPA) representative
to the Louisiana Commission on HIV and Hepatitis C Education, Prevention and Treatment.
Dr. Griffin provides clinical services for this population at UMCNO's Infectious Disease
Clinic. He has been a member of LPA since 1981 and was elected president of that organization
in 1993 and again in 2009.
Dr. Michelle Moore was elected as Chair of the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists and will serve in this role through June 2024.
Surgery
Dr. John Morrison was chosen by medical students for the W. Chapman Lee Award for best faculty teacher.