School of Medicine

The Pulse - March 2024

Karen Cappiello Remembered

Long time School of Medicine employee Karen Cappiello passed away surrounded by loved ones on December 29th, 2023.  A memorial service was held in January.

Cappiello served the school for more than 20 years, starting as a coordinator in the Neuroscience Center of Excellence in 2002, and then moving to the department of pharmacology in 2005. From there she was promoted to assistant business manager and eventually transferred to the department of genetics. Cappiello was promoted to business manager of the department of family medicine in 2011 and later transferred to the department of pathology in 2015, where she remained until her retirement in May of 2023.
 
Cappiello was diagnosed with ocular melanoma in 2017, an extremely rare form of cancer that affects the eye (only an incidence of five per million adults). According to Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Ben Lousteau, her courageous participation in various clinical trials provided data that has aided in treatment therapies for cancer patients. 

“While consistently receiving treatment for her cancer since the time of her diagnosis, she never wavered in her dedication to LSUHSC, her family, and friends. She truly loved her work here and always felt she was making a difference, and she was,” he said in an email to faculty and staff.  

Her full obituary can be found here.