Center for Brain Health Annual Report 2021-2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The past year has been one of growth. Twenty new faculty have joined our mission to teach, to heal and to discover. They have expertise in neurosurgery, pharmacology, psychiatry, biostatistics, microbiology, neuropsychology, neonatology, neurology and more (see pages 20 and 21), bringing vital intellectual capital to our region.

This year brought the opening of “The Bridge”, dementia resource center that provides wrap around support for families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease. The program is a partnership between the CBH and The Bridge Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center, a community non-profit organization. Services include support groups, family counseling, free memory screening, care navigation, social events and education, as well as assistance with care access and information about research and clinical trials in our region. In the first year of operation the facility served over 4,000 people.

Community support for the CBH has been tremendous this year. Local donors, foundations and merchants have given generously to our research and community outreach efforts. None of this work would be possible without your continued support.

Thank you.

Sincerely, Elizabeth A. Disbrow, PhD Director, Center for Brain Health Professor, Department of Neurology LSU Health Shreveport

LEADERSHIP

Elizabeth A. Disbrow, PhD

Director, Center for Brain Health

Professor, Department of Neurology LSU Health Shreveport

Hung Wen “Kevin” Lin, PhD

Assistant Director, Center for Brain Health Director of the Stroke Center for Research Associate Professor of Neurology

Suzanne Tinsley, PT, PhD

Assistant Director, Center for Brain Health

Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement

Assistant Dean, School of Allied Health Professions Parks Endowed Professor of Neurological Rehabilitation

BOARD OF DIRECTORS FY21-22

Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology Director of Center for Brain Health

Christopher Kevil, PhD

Vice Chancellor of Research

Dean of School of Graduate Studies Professor of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology

Hung Wen (Kevin) Lin, PhD

Director of the Stroke Center for Research

Assistant Director of Center for Brain Health Associate Professor of Neurology

Suzanne Tinsley, PhD, PT

Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement, Assistant Dean – SAHP, Professor of Neurological Rehabilitation

Assistant Director of Center for Brain Health

Roger Kelley, MD

Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology

James Patterson, II, MD, PhD

Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Clinical Research Director of Louisiana Addiction Research Center

Nicholas Goeders, PhD

Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neurosciences

Executive Director of Louisiana Addiction Research Center

Karen Stokes, PhD

Director of Center for Cardiovascular Disease and Sciences, Scientific Excellence

Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology

Sharee N. Light, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Angel Wood Lowe, MEd CBH Project Manager

ACTIVITIES

Jun Li, PhD

Associate Professor Director of Basic Stroke Research Department of Neurology University of Texas - Houston

“Stroke Induced Respiratory Disorder and Cognitive Decline: Influence of Sex and Age”

Srdjan Joksimovic, PharmD, PhD

Penn Research Associate Department of Neurology Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia & University of Pennsylvania

“T-Typle Calcium Channel in the Subiculum: A New Player in Hippocampal Memory Processing”

Stephen J. Crocker, PhD

Associate Professor Department of Neuroscience University of Connecticut School of Medicine

“How Aging Impacts Glial Cell Functions and Diseases of the Central Nervous System”

Xiangming

Zha, PhD

Associate Professor Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences School of Pharmacy University of Missouri – Kansas City

“Brain Acid Signaling and Neuroprotection”

Technology’s Role and Evolution in Neuro-rehab

The concept of “meeting patients where they are” transcends medicine. The idea itself is one of the reasons that compelled many of us to join the medical profession; a field that continues to inspire us all. The transcendence of this concept can be observed in a variety of patients we see as part of the Center for Brain Health’s neurorehabilitation program. Each of these patients has a unique set of rehabilitation needs, and technology can help meet those needs regardless of where patients are on the recovery continuum.

Over time, technology has enabled healthcare professionals to better meet and help their patients make measurable progress. From the minute a patient enters an episode of care to their home discharge, patients move forward with a feeling of confidence that they will meet their personal goals. Advances have been made in technology that allow therapists to meet patients at the very beginning of their rehabilitation journey and assist them throughout the recovery process to achieve better outcomes in a shorter amount of time.

The effect of technology was never more evident than with a recent young patient who needed access to technological advances, and care that was outside the norm in order to get him back to the daily activities of an active boy. Initially, BW was a normal six-year-oldy boy, running and playing like everyone his age until he was diagnosed with Perthese Disease (PD) in November 2019. PD is a disorder of the hip that leads to weakening of the bone and can result in multiple fractures or complete collapse of the femoral head. BW was placed on a nonweight bearing protocol for his right leg in August of 2020 awaiting his first surgery to repair the problem. He required two extensive surgeries over the next 15 months

ACTIVITIES

Technology’s Role and Evolution in Neuro-rehab [continued]

by specialists in Dallas, Texas, which required him to be non-weight bearing on his right leg for a total of 18 months. He was finally given the green light to start partial weight bearing in December of 2021, with the medical clearance for full weight bearing activities in March of 2022. But because he was so young when all this started, he really didn’t have good working motor memory of what normal walking felt like. He started physical therapy in December 2021, but his family sought our input in June 2022 to assist with his full recovery.

BW walked on his toes on his right leg and had a noticeable limp. However, his legs were the same length and he had normal strength in the muscles of his legs. There was not a structural or functional reason he walked with these impairments. We decided to simply start back with providing him with the normal experience of what normal walking feels like and to assist his muscles to fire when they are supposed to by using our available technology for him to “re-learn” how to walk and run normally. We were able to use our BioNess Neuroprosthetic technology to fire the muscles of his leg in the normal sequence of walking to “re-train” his brain how to do this simple activity. We also used our Vector Gait -n-Safety system to provide body weight support to allow him to walk longer distances and to start to learn the pattern of running before he was ready to run over ground. His surgeon was ecstatic that BW had this technology available to him and was more than pleased with his recovery on subsequent visits back to Dallas for check-ups. We are happy to say BW is back starting the 3rd grade running, swimming, and playing like all kids his age should be able to do.

This was a perfect example of “meeting a patient where they are” and challenging them to progress to where they want to be. We pursued the most aggressive approach possible, while still ensuring BW’s safety, and technology allowed us to assess his limits more easily, while also maximizing his therapy time with appropriate, yet challenging activities that were very important to him and his family.

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS

LSU Health Shreveport Researcher and CBH Faculty Member Among Team to win People’s Choice Award for American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s Change Agents Competition

Oleg Chernyshev MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Sleep Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport, and Washington University Sleep Center teammates, Luqi Chi, MD, MSCE, FACP; and Brian Toedebusch, BA, RPSGT, took home a $2,500 prize and were named the winners of the AASM Change Agent People’s Choice Award for their proposed creation of a “Mobile Sleep Medicine Model.” The inaugural Change Agents Competition held by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is a contest with the goal of generating creative ideas towards the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Members of the AASM and the broader sleep medicine community vote on the People’s Choice winner. Chernyshev and team proposed a sleep lab on wheels that would improve access to care and expand treatment availability to 80% of sleep apnea patients. The imagined mobile unit would offer sleep disorders screening, testing, treatment, and followup care.

Dr. Shawn McNeil Named President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association (LPMA)

Shawn McNeil, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Associate Program Dir.ector of the Psychiatry Residency Training Program, and Director of Neuroinformatics Research, assumed the office of President of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association (LPMA) on May 25, 2022.

Dr. McNeil represented LPMA on the Executive Council as deputy and Resident-Fellow Representative beginning in 2017. He assumed the position of Treasurer in 2019 and served as Secretary in 2020. He was elected and served as President-Elect in 2021. Dr. McNeil also currently remains on the Budget and Finance Committee, serves as Editor of the LPMA Newsletter and has participated on the CME Planning Committee to develop educational programming for LPMA’s annual spring and fall meetings.

Noel Foundation Gives $100,000 for Parkinson’s Disease Research to

LSUHS

Center for Brain Health

The Center for Brain Health (CBH) at LSU Health Shreveport has received a $100,000 gift to create the Noel Foundation, Inc. Endowed Professorship Honoring Dr. Robert C. Leitz, III in Parkinson’s Disease Research. The gift represents the first endowed funding in support of the Center for Brain Health. It will expand the study of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia and fund neurological training equipment for graduate and medical students studying at LSU Health Shreveport. One goal of the research is to determine how to make care available to the estimated 55,000 citizens in North Louisiana living with Parkinson’s disease.

The CBH was established to increase neuroscience-related education, improve and expand care for patients with brain disorders, and attract young specialists and pioneering clinical trials to North Louisiana. Through the endowment, the CBH will expand its team of researchers and clinician scientists with expertise in Parkinson’s disorder and increase competitiveness for federal research grants.

“This generous endowment honoring Dr. Leitz and the Parkinson’s disease community is so inspiring. I want to thank the Noel Foundation for their support. We will continue to work to improve the lives of people fighting this disease until we find a cure,” said Dr. Disbrow.

News Coverage: Bossier Press

The endowed professorship honors the Noel Foundation’s former president, Dr. Robert C. Leitz III, who has courageously battled Parkinson’s disease for many years. Dr. Leitz is a Professor Emeritus of English at Louisiana State University in Shreveport and served the Noel Foundation for over 20 years. “The Noel Foundation is pleased to establish the first endowment at the Center for Brain Health and proud to honor Dr. Leitz,” said Merritt B. Chastain Jr., President of the Noel Foundation. “We hope that through this gift, others will also give to support Parkinson’s disease research at LSU Health Shreveport to help the many victims of the disease.”

The Noel Foundation has long supported LSU Health Shreveport, giving to many initiatives, including medical student scholarships, the Center for Medical Education, and educational opportunities at the School of Allied Health Professions.

The Noel Foundation’s endowment has been awarded to Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Center for Brain Health. Dr. Disbrow has been at LSU Health Shreveport for nine years and, in that time, has led the effort to establish the CBH and “The Bridge,” a community resource for patients and families struggling with dementia. Her work in Parkinson’s disease helped identify cognitive deficits in motor planning and cognitive flexibility as major contributors to the symptoms of the disease, over and above the traditional definition of Parkinson’s as a motor disorder.

CORE FACILITIES

Animal Behavioral Core

The Animal Behavioral Core (ABC) was built to provide researchers with the tools necessary to determine the functional phenotype of experimental animal models of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, neurologic, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders.

Children’s Center

The Children’s Center (CC) at the School of Allied Health Professions provides interdisciplinary developmental evaluations including child diagnostic assessment and the Applied Behavioral Analysis Program for Children with Autism.

Human Neuroimaging Core

The Human Neuroimaging Core provides infrastructure for research involving state of the art imaging and high thruput image analysis.

Neurologic Rehabilitation Program

The Center for Brain Health is partnered with the School of Allied Health Professions Neurologic Rehabilitation Program (NRP). This program, which is part of the Faculty Rehabilitation Clinic (FRC) at LSUHS is a fully operational out-patient rehabilitation clinic providing state of the art care for our community.

Sleep Center

Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Sleep Medicine Center provides clinical evaluations and treatment for sleep disorders and participates in sleep medicine clinical trials.

Stroke Center

Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport vascular neurology (stroke) and neurology specialists provide the advanced stroke care services needed to achieve optimal recovery and participates in stroke research clinical trials.

The Bridge

The Bridge is a dementia resource center that provides wrap around support services for patients and families struggling with dementia. In addition, our organization promotes awareness in the community through a variety of outreach efforts including support groups, community events, and civic involvement, all under one roof. It is a collaboration between the LSU Health Shreveport Center for Brain Health and The Bridge Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center, a local non-profit organization. In November 2021 we hosted a ribbon cutting and open house ceremony to celebrate opening our doors at 851 Olive Street.

From the 4,000 square-foot facility, we offer support services including:

■ Support groups for caregivers,

■ Educational First Wednesday Workshops addressing common concerns such as behavioral management, estate planning and understanding long term care,

■ Counseling services for clients and their families

■ Care navigation and case management

■ Access to clinical trials and other research

■ Dementia friendly social activities for patients and loved ones

■ Speakers for local community groups

All of our services are free.

When we first opened our doors, our original goal was to serve 1,500 people. We have surpassed this goal, serving over 2,200 people from Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, and Webster parishes. This number reveals the demand and necessity for Alzheimer’s and dementia resources in Northwest Louisiana.

CBH Development

The CBH has received philanthropic gifts and has been awarded several private foundation grants to support the activities and initiates of the center. Listed below are examples of support for the CBH from 2020-2021

INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPY

The CBH has received philanthropic gifts and has been awarded several private foundation grants to support the activities and initiates of the center. Listed below are examples of support for the CBH from 2020-2021

INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPY

$1,000 – Neuro-rehabilitation Program – Sharon & Cres Gardner $150,000 – The Children Are Our Future – Kinsey Family $10,000 – Sarg Gill

$1,000 Neuro rehabilitation Program Sharon & Cres Gardner $150,000 The Children Are Our Future Kinsey Family $10,000 Sarg Gill

PRIVATE FOUNDATION GRANTS $56,000 – Noel Foundation Grants 2021, 2022 $100,000 – Noel Foundation Endowed Professorship in the CBH $36,525 – LWCC Foundation $22,000 – Beard Foundation

PRIVATE FOUNDATION GRANTS

$56,000 Noel Foundation Grants 2021, 2022 $100,000 Noel Foundation Endowed Professorship in the CBH $36,525 LWCC Foundation $22,000 – Beard Foundation 2020-2021

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Decreasing Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Black Population during COVID 19: Eat Right and Move Program

M Vazquez Morgan PhD PT1   Grace Peterson PhD2   Suzanne Tinsley PhD PT1

1Louisiana State University Health Shreveport  - Center of Brain Health

2Louisiana State University College of Agriculture, LSU Ag Center

Nearly 42.5% of adults over the age of 20 in the U.S. are currently obese, according to the CDC. Louisiana ranks 9th in the nation for obesity at 35.9%. Further, the percentage of adults reporting sedentary behavior is higher in Louisiana than in the US population. Due to sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits, Louisiana has higher national death rates in obesity related diseases such  as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer according to the CDC. The Black population has higher rates of obesity related diseases and has displayed increased morbidity and mortality during the COVID 19 pandemic. Community placed programs targeting at risk populations have proven effective in reducing cardiovascular risk factors in a variety of US cities. The Eat Right and Move program is a  community placed program started to decrease obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in local economically disadvantaged Black populations. The program includes weekly (3 times a week) exercise classes and monthly cooking classes and seminars for a period of 6 months. There were 30 participants in the IRB approved pilot study. Baseline measures included: Blood pressure, BMI, lipid panel, A1C, C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, class attendance, Exercise Efficacy scale, REAP Nutritional Assessment, SF 36 Quality of Life Scale, endurance and strength measures. These measures were repeated at the completion of the 6-month program. Eighty percent of the participants completed the 6 month program. Funding included: $50,000 National Gannett Grant, $15,000 Community Foundation Grant, and $6K from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Sigma Rho Omega Chapter.

The following results display the percentage of participants who exhibited improvements in the measured variables post intervention: BMI reduction: 70.8%, BP reduction: 66.6%, leg strength improvement: 91.6%, cardiac endurance gains: 91.6%, quality of life improvement: 83.3%, nutrition: 83.3%, LDL cholesterol reduction: 58.3%, triglycerides reduction: 50%, inflammatory marker reduction: 80%, blood glucose improvement: 45.4%. The majority of participants enrolled in the Eat Right and Move program displayed decreased cardiovascular risk factors after completion of the 6 month program.

Results from the Eat Right and Move Pilot study display that community-placed programming in areas of food and activity deserts, done in conjunction with input from community members, can be effective in improving cardiovascular risk factors (BMI, hypertension, blood glucose, hyperlipidemia) in the Black population.

To provide sustainability for the program Community Health Organizers (CHO’s) were trained in 2022 to take over the program and continue to provide exercises and nutrition classes as well as community outreach. This Phase 2 of the study was funded by Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Commission: Louisiana Well Again Grant.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Institutional Wellness

OUR MISSION

To promote the health and wellness of our LSUHS community through education and efforts that encourage habits of wellness, inspire and empower individuals to take responsibility for their own health, and support a sense of community in which health and overall well-being is recognized as an essential element of success.

Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Wellness Cole Endowed Professor in Community Health Initiatives Associate Professor School of Allied Health Professions Physical Therapy Department (318) 813-2944 | www .lsuhs .edu

Marie Vazquez Morgan PhD, PT

Second Saturday for Seniors

The Center for Brain Health and The Bridge Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center have created a workshop for caregivers and people with dementia. The topics of the events include anything from BINGO to equine therapy and are designed to support social interaction and fun for families struggling with dementia.

Raising Awareness of Dementia Support

This year offered numerous opportunities to reach the greater Northwest Louisiana community. Through events and health fairs, we were able to provide education on Alzheimer’s and aging, including information about our Care Navigator program and ways to cope with care giving. Members of the community were excited to learn about our Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s research which resulted in a fantastic response to our invitation to participate in the studies.

SOME

OF THE EVENTS WE ATTENDED:

RESEARCH FUNDING SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Reggie Lee Receives a Five Year Grant from the National Institutes of Health to study serum and glucocorticoidregulated kinase 1 (SGK1) in the Brain .

Reggie Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, has been awarded $1.83 million for a total of five years of funding from the National Institutes of Health to study SGK1 signaling in the brain after cardiopulmonary arrest. Cardiac arrest is a major cause of death/disability in the US affecting more than 325,000 people per year with only a 10% survival rate. Dr. Lee’s longterm goal is to decrease brain damage by reviving cerebral blood flow, thus diminishing subsequent neurological deficits. Additionally, Dr. Lee would like to modulate SGK1 signaling, a major player in the brain thought to be involved in metabolism, aging, and diabetes to afford better outcomes after brain ischemia.

Dr. Celeste Wu LSU Health Shreveport post-doctoral fellow, receives Career Development Award from American Heart Association

Celeste Y.C. Wu, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Neurology, was awarded the American Heart Association Career Development Award. Dr. Wu received $231,000 in funding and will be the principal investigator (PI) exploring the role of enzyme catalysts in age-induced vascular dementia.

Dr. Kevin Lin Receives a Three-Year Grant from the American Heart Association to Study Neurovascular Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease

Kevin Lin, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology, has been awarded $300,000 for a total of 3 years of funding from the American Heart Association to study neurovascular function in Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Lin’s long-term goal is to decrease brain damage by reviving cerebral blood flow thus diminishing subsequent neurological deficits. The goals of this funded project is to investigate protein arginine methyltransferase 4, an enzyme that is elevated in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Regulation of this enzyme can provide novel insights into the therapeutic opportunities of Alzheimer’s disease.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Roger Kelly

LSUHS, BRF Partnering on National Alzheimer’s Study

By Linnea Allen, KTBS TV

Roger Kelley, MD, Professor in the Department of Neurology, is the local principal investigator of a national study sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association and American College of Radiology. LSU Health Shreveport and the Biomedical Research Foundation’s Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy have partnered to bring the IDEAS (Imaging Dementia-Evidence for Amyloid Screening) study to Northwest Louisiana. The study, which will focus on minority populations in underserved areas, uses a PET scan (positron emission tomography) of the brains of people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia to locate beta-amyloid plaque, a contributing factor to Alzheimer’s disease formation pathology. Understanding the link between plaque formation and cognitive decline, especially in a diverse population, is critically important in the development of dementia treatment for all.

Media Coverage: KTBS 3 ABC

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Baojin Ding

Wins Center for Brain Health Spring 2022 Grant and Aid

Biochemically identify dysregulated factors in DYT1 dystonia via iPSC-derived neurons

Dr. Baojin Ding’s research in the Ding Lab focuses on cellular and molecular neuroscience and neurological diseases. Specifically, they use patient-specific neurons to determine the pathogenesis of neurological diseases and seek novel molecular targets for therapeutic interventions. Currently, the projects in the Ding Lab are supported by DOD and NIH grants and the Center for Brain Health Spring 2022 Grant and Aid.

The research efforts in Dr. Ding’s laboratory are focusing on Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and related Neurological Diseases. Research programs include (1) the timing mechanisms of gene expression in maturing neurons, (2) the regulations of nucleocytoplasmic transport in neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration, and (3) modeling human neurological diseases using patient-derived neurons.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Christina Ledbetter

Wins Center for Brain Health Spring 2022 Grant and Aid

Remote vs. In-person Delivery of LearningRx One-on-One Cognitive Training During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Non-inferiority Study

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged in-person delivery of cognitive training. Some clinics pivoted to remote delivery for those impacted by lockdowns, illness, or fear of exposure to the virus. However, it was unknown if remote delivery using teleconferencing technology was as effective as in-person delivery. The current study compared the outcomes of remote delivery to in-person delivery of ThinkRx cognitive training during 2020. The sample included 381 child and adult clients from 18 cognitive training centers. One group (n = 178, mean age = 12.3) received traditional in-person delivery of cognitive training. The second group (n = 203, mean age = 11.7) received remote delivery of one-on-one cognitive training via Zoom teleconferencing. Each client was assessed before and after the intervention using the Woodcock Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Clients completed an average of 112 h of cognitive training delivered by a clinician in 90-min sessions 3 or 4 days per week. Paired samples t-tests revealed significant differences from pretest to post-test across all constructs for both groups. After Bonferroni correction, MANOVA revealed no significant difference in changes scores between the two intervention groups on any of the subtests. With very small effect sizes, linear regression analyses indicated that age was a significant predictor of change in working memory and processing speed for the in-person group, and a significant predictor of change in overall IQ score for the teletherapy group. Non-inferiority analyses indicated remote delivery is not inferior to inperson delivery on the primary outcome measure of overall IQ score along with processing speed, fluid reasoning, long-term memory, and visual processing. Although in-person training results were slightly higher than remote training results, the current study reveals remote delivery of cognitive training during COVID-19 was a viable alternative to in-person delivery of cognitive training with little practical differences based on the age of client.

Amy Lawson Moore 1, Terissa Michele Miller 1, Christina Ledbetter 1 2

Vinita Batra, PhD

Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Specializes in addiction, aging, epilepsy, and pain assessment

Nobel Bhuiyan, PhD

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine

Specializes in biostatistics

Specializes in neonatology, perinatal research

Juliana Fort, MD, MPH, MBA

Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Enjoys training in the expressive arts therapies that enrich psychotherapy and personal growth

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Studies cellular and molecular neuroscience and molecular diseases

Hongyan Guo, PhD

Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Specializes in herpes simplex virus, cell death, and innate immunity

Rohit K. Jangra, PhD, MVSc, BVSc, AH (=DVM)

Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Studies hantaviruses and coronaviruses

Sharee N. Light, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Specializes in Clinical Neuropsychology, Affective Neuroscience, Functional Brain Imaging, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Social Cognition, Positive Affect

Shawn E. McNeil, MD, FAPA

Clinical Assistant Professor Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Clinical research investigating new treatment for management of irritability associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Deepak Kumbhare, PhD

Instructor of Research, Department of Neurosurgery

Specializes in research on cognitive and movement disorders

Randal Buddington, PhD Executive Director of Stonewall Research Facility

Baojin Ding, MD, PhD

Claudia Orellana, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Specializes in General Psychiatry

Changwon Park, PhD Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology

Research involves the establishment and maintenance of the cardiovascular system

Evelyn Pryor, MD Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Division Chief of Telemedicine

Specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics

Lauren Rachal Sant, PT, DPT Instructor of Physical Therapy

Specializes in Neurological Physical Therapy

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology, Neuroscience

Specializes in Neurobiology of alcohol & substances use disorders, neuromodulators, neurodegenerative disorders, & synaptic plasticity

Vesna Tesic, PhD

Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Neurology

Specializes in the study of stroke

Jamie Toms, MD

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

Specializes in Epilepsy, Movement Disorders, Parkinson’s Disease, General/Complex Cranial and Spine Diseases

Celeste YC Wu, PhD

Assistant Professor of Research,

Department of Neurology Specializing in stroke and ischemia research

Arif Yurdagul, Jr., PhD Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology

Specializes in cardiovascular pathophysiology with an emphasis on atherosclerosis progression and regression

Quanguang Zhang, PhD Professor of Neurology

Research interests include photobiomodulation therapy, exercise therapy, and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy

Armando Salinas, PhD

Joined LSUHS - 1994

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Boston University

PhD – Boston University Post-Doctoral – Vanderbilt University

HONORS/AWARDS

2016-17 President, Vice President (201516), International Society for Neurovascular Disease

Grant Review, Deutsche Forschung Gemeinschafte (2008-2020) Editor in Chief, Pathophysiology President, LSUHS Faculty Senate (219-2020)

HONORS/AWARDS TRAINEES

Mansoureh Barzegar Travel Award to American Society for Sleep Research

Luke White Dialysis Clinics Inc

J. Winny Yun, PhD

Annette Funicello Research Fund Research Award

COBRE Supplement Award ‘Alzheimer’s disease and Sulfide Metabolism”

J . Steven Alexander, PhD

Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Professor, Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Medicine and Neurology

Jonathan.Alexander@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My current research focuses on the mechanisms of stroke injury and the use of stem cells to suppress brain damage, a major cause of neurovascularmediated disability. I am a member of the Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and am helping to develop IP related to stem cell therapies in stroke. We also have patent technology related to the development of a vascular stabilizer, Bryostatin-1 which is in development for neurovascular stress in Alzheimer’s disease and in transplantation. We also have patented technology related to crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol 3D bioprinting for synthetic bone, esophagus, biliary duct replacements.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Cananzi, S.G., White L.A., Barzegar M., Boyer C.G., Chernyshev O., Yun J.W., Kelley R.E. Almendros, I., Minagar, A., Farré, M., and J.S Alexander (2020) Obstructive sleep apnea intensifies stroke severity following middle cerebral artery occlusion. Sleep Medicine, (in press).

Yun J.W., Barzegar M., Boyer C.J., Minagar A., Couraud P.O., and J.S. Alexander (2019) Brain Endothelial Cells Release Apical and Basolateral Microparticles in Response to Inflammatory Cytokine Stimulation: Relevance to Neuroinflammatory Stress? Front Immunol. 10:1455.

Ballard D.H., Tappa K., Boyer C.J., Jammalamadaka U., Hemmanur K., Weisman J.A., Alexander J.S., Mills D.K., and P.K. Woodard. (2019) Antibiotics in 3D-printed implants, instruments and materials: benefits, challenges and future directions. J 3D Print Med. 3(2):83-93.

Joined LSUHS - 2020

EDUCATION/TRAINING

PA – Texas Tech University

Mark

Ardoin, PA-C, MPAS

Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychiatry Mark.Ardoin@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Mr. Ardoin is certified with National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and is a part of the Louisiana Association of Physician Assistants. Mark has been actively working in Behavioral Medicine and General Psychiatry since 2017. He has treated a variety of disorders including Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Anxiety, Addiction, Dementia, and PTSD.

Joined LSUHS - 1992

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – LA Tech University

PhD – Texas A&M University Post-Doctoral – Texas A&M University

HONORS/AWARDS

Invited member, LA DHHS Take Aim at Cancer in Louisiana Initiative Clinical Committee on Breast and Colon Cancer American Cancer Society Champion of Hope Invited faculty of the Principles and Practice of Cancer Prevention and Control Course, part of the National Cancer Institute Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention

Southern American Federation for Clinical Research/Southern Society for Clinical Investigation Student Research Award Distinguished Graduate Research AwardTexas A&M University

REVIEW PANELS

NIH, Scientific Review Panel

American Cancer Society, Scientific Panel Review: Cancer Control and Prevention: Psychosocial and Behavioral Research

HRSA, Scientific Review Panel

Connie Arnold, PhD

Professor of Medicine and Feist-Weiller Cancer Center Associate Director, Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats Specialty in Health Literacy

Connie.Arnold@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

As a health services research for the past 28 years, I have co-led an interdisciplinary team investigating the impact of patient literacy on health and healthcare. I was the principal investigator (PI) on a five-year American Cancer Society health literacy intervention to evaluate followup strategies to improve regular colorectal screening in rural Federally Qualified Health Centers in the state. Along with Dr. Terry Davis, I have a productive record of federally funded research developing and implementing interventions to reduce disparities and improve health outcomes of vulnerable populations. Our wide –ranging work focuses on improving cancer screening in rural Federally Qualified Health Centers, self-management of diabetes in safety net settings and use of health coaches to facilitate weight loss in community clinics as well as developing strategies to improve medication adherence. We are the Health Literacy Principal Investigators for the NIH funded Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LA CaTS), where training is provided statewide in communicating understandable and useful information to patients and the public, an unprecedented collaborative effort among eleven academic institutions in Louisiana.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Disbrow EA, Arnold CL, Glassy N, Tilly CM, Langdon KM, Gungor D, Davis TC. (2020) Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementia Resources: Perspectives of African American and Caucasian Family Caregivers in Northwest Louisiana. Journal of Applied Gerontology. JAG-19-0232;

Davis T.C., Rademaker A., Morris J., Ferguson L.A., Wiltz G., and C.L. Arnold. (2019) Repeat Annual Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural Community Clinics: A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate Outreach Strategies to Sustain Screening. Journal of Rural Health. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12399.

Myers C., Martin C., Newton R., Apolzan J., Arnold C., Davis T., Price-Haywood E., and P. Katzmarzyk. (2019) Cardiovascular Health, Adiposity, and Food Insecurity in an Underserved Population. Nutrients. 11(6): 1376.

Kevil C.G., Goeders N., Woolard M.D., Bhuiyan M.D., Dominic P., Kolluru G., Arnold C.L., Traylor G., and A.W. Orr. (2019) Methamphetamine Use and Cardiovascular Disease: In Search of Answers. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 39:1739–1746.

Davis, T.C., Arnold C.L., Mills G., and L. Miele. (2019) Qualitative Study Exploring Barriers and Facilitators of Enrolling Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Trials and Biobanking. Brief Research Report, Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 7:74.

Arnold C.L., Rademaker A., Morris J., Wiltz G., Ferguson L.A., and T.C. Davis. (2019) Followup Approaches to a Health Literacy Intervention to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural Community Clinics: A Randomized Control Trial. Cancer. 2019 125(20):3615-3622.

Hadden K.B., Arnold C.L., Curtis L.M., Gan J.M., Hur S., Kwasny M., McSweeney J.C., Prince L.Y., Wolf M.S., and T.C. Davis. (2018) Rationale and development of a randomized pragmatic trial to improve diabetes outcomes in patient-centered medical homes serving rural patients. Contemporary Clinical Trials. 73:152-157.

Sheila Asghar, MD Clinical Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics Sheila.Asghar@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2019

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Medical Degree - Panjab University – India

MS (Psychiatry) University of AlbertaCanada

ABOUT

I am a pediatric neurologist with a subspecialty in sleep medicine. While working as a research, assistant/associate at the University of Alberta in Canada, I developed an interest in clinical research and was involved in many clinical trials using psychiatric medications. This interest led me to pursue a Master’s Degree; my project investigated the use of amphetamines as a model for mania in healthy volunteers (Asghar et al, 2003).

After I earned my Master’s Degree, I obtained my residency position and worked on mitochondrial disorders, which subsequently led to the publication of an abstract in the International Congress of Pediatric Neurology. After my residency, I obtained a faculty position at Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock. I became the Director of the Neuro Behavioral Clinic and, in collaboration with the Genomics group, we investigated subclinical seizures in children with autism and their relation to oxidative stress markers. I was very fortunate to work with Dr. Jill James, a pioneer in the field. Additionally, I developed a clinical guideline for Restless Leg Syndrome which is updated every two years and published on the ANGELS network at UAMS, AR.   After I left to pursue a fellowship in sleep medicine, I coauthored a chapter entitled “The Use of Melatonin in Autistic Spectrum Disorder” with my mentor and widely published authority on autism, Dr. Beth Malow, (Asghar and Malow, 2014).

Recently, with the passing of my father who had dementia and bladder cancer, my focus of research interest has changed. Full blown dementia is a devastating condition with little option for treatment. Currently I am working on a predementia model, exploring cognitive impairment in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

I believe that my expertise in both Sleep Medicine and Pediatric Neurology has allowed me to explore these particular areas of research interest. Additionally, as a faculty member at Louisiana State University

I have been fortunate to have an IRB approved study looking at the neurological effects of COVID in children.  I have co-authored a recent paper with my colleagues in Hershey looking at COVID neurological effects in children. I am passionate about teaching. I have mentored medical students, residents and fellows. Recently, I developed a curriculum for nurse practitioners in pediatric neurology which has been adopted as guidelines by our department.

Vinita Batra, PhD Post-Doctoral Fellow Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Vinita.Batra@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2020

EDUCATION/TRAINING

B-Pharm – Pune University – India

MS – LSU – Shreveport

PhD (Neuropharmacology) - LSUHS

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Batra completed her first postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Drs. Nicholas Goeders and Jessica Wilden with a primary focus on deep brain stimulation pharmacotherapy in modulating methamphetamine drug addiction. Currently, Dr. Batra’s research interests include employing neuroimaging modalities such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) in exploring the functional and structural brain connectome with a particular interest in the Default Mode Network (DMN). Her research expertise encompasses preclinical behavioral, molecular, and surgical skills across a variety of neurological conditions of addiction, aging, epilepsy, and pain assessment. With a background in addiction, she intends to study the interplay between neuroplasticity, addiction connectome (structural and functional connectivity changes in the addicted brain), and behavioral measures of neuropsychological testing in the clinical population.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Disbrow E, Stokes KY, Ledbetter C, Patterson J, Kelley R, Pardue S, Reekes T, Larmeu L, Batra V, Yuan S, Cvek U, Trutschl M, Kilgore P, Alexander JS, Kevil CG. Plasma hydrogen sulfide: A biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Alzheimers Dement. 2021 Mar 12. doi: 10.1002/ alz.12305. PMID: 33710769

Batra V.R, Schrott L.M. Acute oxycodone induces the pro-emetic pica response in rats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2011 Dec;339(3):738-45. doi: 10.1124/jpet.111.183343. Epub 2011 Aug 29. PMID: 21875950

Batra V.R., Guerin G.F., Goeders N.E., Wilden J.A. A General Method for Evaluating Deep Brain Stimulation Effects on Intravenous Methamphetamine Self-Administration. J Vis Exp. 2016 Jan 22;(107):e53266. doi: 10.3791/53266. PMID: 26863392

Batra V.R., Tran T.L., Caputo J., Guerin G.F., Goeders N.E., Wilden J.A. Intermittent bilateral deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens shell reduces intravenous methamphetamine intake and seeking in Wistar rats. J Neurosurg. 2017 Apr;126(4):1339-1350. doi: 10.3171/2016.4. JNS152524. Epub 2016 Jul 8. PMID: 27392268

Mohammad Alfrad Nobel Bhuiyan, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Internal Medicine Nobel.Bhuiyan@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2015

EDUCATION/TRAINING

B Sc - University of Dhaka

M Sc - University of Dhaka

M .Sc . - University of Cincinnati

Ph .D - University of Cincinnati

CURRENT RESEARCH

My current research focus is on drug abuse and drug abuse related cardiovascular and cognitive dysfunction. My long-term research interests involve the development of theory and applications in different areas of statistics and working with applied biostatisticians and clinical investigators to ensure their use in real biomedical applications. I have also specialized in machine learning and its application to large environmental and clinical datasets.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Thotamgari SR, Grewal US, Bhuiyan MAN, Zain A, Dominic P The Association of Cardiac Arrhythmias with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy in Hospitalized Patients: Insights from National Inpatient Sample. (European Journal of Cancer, July 2022).

Johnette M, Caroline ES, Jazzlynn T, Robert L, Timothy JM, Victor JAVQ, Pam Mc, Laura A, Bhuiyan MAN, James CP, Kevin SM, Social Media Use and Body Image Issues Among Adolescents in a Vulnerable Louisiana Community, Frontiers in Psychiatry, July, 2022.

Thotamgari SR, Aakash RS, Javaria A, Danish B, Sindhu T, Akhilesh B, Bhuiyan MAN et al “Low Left Atrial Appendage Emptying Velocity is a Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Catheter Ablation.” Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. June, 2022.

Davis TC, Beyl R, Bhuiyan MAN, Davis AB, Vanchiere JA, Wolf MS, & Arnold CL,COVID-19 Concerns, Vaccine Acceptance and Trusted Sources of Information among Patients Cared for in a Safety-Net Health System. Vaccines, 2022, 10(6), 928.

Batra V, Kevin SM, Brianne K, Amber NE, Yahya G, Laura N, Murray P, Bhuiyan MAN et al. “Early onset cardiovascular disease related to methamphetamine use is most striking in individuals under 30: A retrospective chart review.” Addictive behaviors reports (2022): 100435.

Shah AN, Erika R, Bhuiyan MAN, Wolfe C, Bosse D, Simmons JN, Shah SS, Brokamp C, and Beck AF “Using Geomarkers and Sociodemographics to Inform Assessment of Caregiver Adversity and Resilience.” Hospital Pediatrics 12, no. 8 (2022): 689-695.

Davis TC, Curtis LM, Wolf MS, Vanchiere JA, Bhuiyan MAN, Horswell R, Batio S, and Arnold CL “COVID-19 Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behavior Among Patients in a Safety-Net Health System.” Journal of Community Health 47, no. 3 (2022): 437-445.

Aishwarya R, Abdullah CS, Remex NS, Alam S, Morshed M, Nitu S, Hartman B, Bhuiyan MAN et al. “Molecular Characterization of Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction in Sigma 1 Receptor (Sigmar1) Knockout Mice.” The American Journal of Pathology 192, no. 1 (2022): 160-177.

Bhuiyan MAN, Ryan P, Oroumyeh F, Jathan Y, Roy M, Balachandran S, & Brokamp C. Source-specific contributions of particulate matter to asthma-related pediatric emergency department utilization. Health Information Science and Systems, 2021, 9(1), 1-9.

Abdullah CS, Aishwarya R, Alam S, Remex NS, Morshed M, Nitu S, Miriyala S, Bhuiyan MAN et al. “The molecular role of Sigmar1 in regulating mitochondrial function through mitochondrial localization in cardiomyocytes.” Mitochondrion 62 (2022): 159-175.

Abdullah CS, Aishwarya R, Alam S, Morshed M, Remex NS, Nitu S, Kolluru GK, Traylor J, Miriyala S, Panchatcharam M, Hartman B, King J, Bhuiyan MAN, Chandran S, Woolard MD, Yu X, Goeders NE, Dominic P, Arnold CL, Stokes K, Kevil CG, Orr AW, Bhuiyan MS. Methamphetamine induces cardiomyopathy by Sigmar1 inhibition dependent impairment of mitochondrial dynamics and function. Commun Biol 2020 Nov 17;3(1):682.

Abdullah CS, Alam S, Aishwarya T, Miriyala S, Bhuiyan MAN, Panchatcharam M, Pattillo CB, Orr AW, Sadoshima J, Hill JA, Bhuiyan MS. Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy associated with inhibition of autophagic degradation process and defects in mitochondrial respiration. Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 14;9(1):2002. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-37862-3.

Joined LSUHS - 2011

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MA (Counseling and Guidance) – Louisiana Tech University

MS (Psychology)

PhD (Counseling Psychology) - Louisiana Tech University

HONORS/AWARDS

Faculty Award for Excellence in Service 2020

Adam Blancher, PhD

Clinical Associate Professor, School of Allied Health Professions Clinical Psychologist, LSUHS Children’s Center

Adam.Blancher@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Dr. Blancher is fully licensed to practice psychology in the state of Louisiana. He serves as one of the psychologists on the interdisciplinary team at the LSU Health Shreveport Children’s Center and is the consulting psychologist with the Ark-La-Tex Craniofacial and Cleft Center. He demonstrates expertise in the areas of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and other neurodevelopment disorders and childhood mental illness. His teaching interests include Behavioral Statistics and Abnormal Psychology with an emphasis on Neurodevelopmental Disorders (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD). His research interests are in the fields of psychological assessment and diagnosis with an emphasis on Neurodevelopmental Disorders. He also has interest in research with individuals with Cleft Lip and Palate.

CURRENT RESEARCH

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD are two of the most common Neurodevelopmental Disorders. I am a licensed psychologist and my role at the LSU Children’s Center is to provide comprehensive diagnostic evaluations to identify children with these disorders. It is the first step in the treatment process. I also provide educational opportunities for students at various levels at LSUH-Shreveport. Finally, my research interests include ASD and ADHD.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Yetman, M., Blancher, A., Massey, N., & McGill, M. (in press). An overview of therapeutic interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other neurodevelopmental disorders. In J. L. Matson (Ed). Treatment of Development Disabilities.

Yetman, M., Blancher, A., & Reekes, T. (2020). Establishing a Health and Wellness Intervention Program for Head Start Teachers and Staff. The International Journal of Health, Wellness, and Society, 11(1): 23-34.

Randal Buddington, PhD Professor of Research Executive Director of Stonewall Research Facility

Randal.Buddington@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – University of California, Riverside

MS – Arizona State University, Tempe

PhD – University of California, Davis

Postdoc - UCLA

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Buddington completed his Bachelor of Science at the University of California, Riverside in 1976, followed by a Master of Science at the Arizona State University, Tempe. He completed his PhD at University of California, Davis and Postdoctoral training at UCLA before initiating an academic career spanning 30 years and a research program dedicated to developmental and integrative physiology with an emphasis on improving healthcare. As the director of the LSUHS Stonewall Research Facility, he is facilitating interdisciplinary, multi-institutional studies by basic scientists and clinicians using large animals as biomedical models for research and medical training.

Gary Burton, MD Professor, Department of Medicine Gary.Burton@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 1986

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS - Weber State College, Ogden, Utah

MD - University of Utah College of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah

Residency - Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina

Fellowship - Hematology/Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina

HONORS/AWARDS

LSUHS-Shreveport: Allen A Copping Excellence in Teaching Award 2001 .

LSUHS-Shreveport: Humanism in Medicine Award 2003

Edna Sterling Boatright Professorship in Cancer Care September 2014

CLINICAL ENDEAVORS

Director of lnpatient and Outpatient clinical Oncology Units, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana.

Co-Director of Multidisciplinary Breast Sarcoma and Brain Tumor Programs, LSU Health Sciences Center.

Director Clinical Research Feist-Weiller Cancer Center.

LSU Health Shreveport site Principal Investigator for Southwest Oncology Group.

Clinical Research Coordinator Gulf States Minority-Based NCORP.

CURRENT RESEARCH

As principal investigator, Dr. Burton has conducted extensive industry-based clinical research trials for: Amgen, Inc., Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, BiPar Sciences, Celldex Therapeutics, Inc., Coley Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilley and Company, EMD Serono, GD Searle and Company (Pharmacia), GlaxoSmithKline, Isis Pharmaceuticals, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Synta Pharmaceuticals, Vascular Biogenics Ltd., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and Ziopharm Oncology.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Ampil F, Burton GV, Gonzalez-Toledo E, Nanda A. Do we need whole brain irradiation in multifocal or multicentric high-grade cerebral gliomas? Review of cases and the literature. J Neurooncol 85:353-5, 2007.

Boniol S, Boyd M, Koreth R, Burton GV. Wernicke encephalopathy complicating lymphoma therapy: case report and literature review. South Med J 100:717-9, 2007

Peddi P, Ajit NE, Burton GV, El-Osta H. Regression of a glioblastoma multiforme: spontaneous versus a potential antineoplastic effect of dexamethasone and levetiracetam. BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Dec 23;2016

Joined LSUHS - 2017

Nancy Bushnell-Harper, MA, LPC Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics Nancy.Bushnell-Harper@lsuhs.edu

ABOUT

Nancy Bushnell-Harper is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She was in private practice for 25 years seeing families, adults and conducting groups. As a clinical instructor in the LSU Health Shreveport, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, she supervises psychotherapy for psychiatry residents and teaches many of the psychotherapy lectures.  Nancy is on American Balint Faculty and conducts regular Balint groups. Outside of work she and her husband have five terrific children and one grandchild; she enjoys playing tennis, gardening, travel and art.

Debbie Chandler, MD, MBA

Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology Associate Dean of Student Affairs, School of Medicine

Debbie.Chandler@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2010

EDUCATION/TRAINING

University of Medicine

10/1988 – 09/1994 Port-au-Prince, Haiti Degree: M .D .

State University Hospital of Haiti 10/1995 – 10/1998 Port-au-Prince, Haiti Residency in Anesthesiology

Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg, France 10/1999 – 10/2000 Sub-Specialty certificate in Critical Care and Pain Management

Louisiana State University Hospital 07/2006 – 06/2007 Shreveport, Louisiana Internship in Anesthesiology

Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana 06/2007-07/2010 Residency in Anesthesiology

HONORS/AWARDS

2013: Evening for a Hero

2015: Outstanding contribution for the residency program

2015: Teacher of the Year

LANGUAGES: English, French, Spanish

CURRENT RESEARCH

Action of Non Depolarizing Blocking Agents on the pupillary reflexes Status: Pending

R 25 on Minority Summer Research Experiences Submitted June 2018

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Book Chapters

Neurocritical care Questions and answers, 1 East Carolina University Status: Contributor

The Role of Anesthesiology in Global Health A Comprehensive Guide Anesthesiologist “Role in Disaster Management” Debbie Chandler, Yenabi Keflemariam, Charles James Fox and Alan David Kaye

The Essence of Anesthesia. Kaye AD., Kalarickal PL, Fox CJ, Patil S, Chandler D, Cornett EM. (2015) Tranexamic Acid.

Scientific American Review Article: Patients in Post-partum and breastfeeding period Authors: Kaye, Fox, Cornett, Sen, Chandler

Pharmacologic Considerations of Anesthetic Agents in the Pediatric Population: A Comprehensive Review

Alan D. Kaye, MD, PhD, Charles J. Fox, MD , Ira W. Padnos, MD, Kenny P. Ehrhardt, MD, James H. Diaz, MD, Elyse Cornett, PhD, Debbie Chandler, MD, Sudipta Sen, MD, Shilpadevi Patil, MD

Joined LSUHS - 2009

EDUCATION/TRAINING

I M Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, Moscow, Russia 6/1996 – 12/2000 Medical Doctor Neurology Residency/PhD

Houston Headache Clinic, Houston, Texas 1998-1999 Clinical and Research Fellowship

American Society of Neuroimaging, USA 2/2004 Neurosonology Certification (TCD& carotid US

Atlantic City Regional Medical Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey 6/2005

Internal Medicine Internship

University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Department of Neurology, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas 6/2008

Neurology Residency

University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Department of Neurology, Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas 6/2009

Vascular Neurology Fellowship

Louisiana State University- Health Science Center, Department of Neurology, Shreveport, Louisiana 6/2010

Sleep Medicine Fellowship

Oleg Chernyshev, MD, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Neurology Oleg.Chernyshev@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

2018-present Director of Vascular Neurology Fellowship Program, Louisiana State University- Health Sciences Center, Department of Neurology, Shreveport, Louisiana.

2015-present Medical Director of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Sleep Disorders Center, Louisiana State University- Health Sciences Center, Department of Neurology, Shreveport, Louisiana.

2015-present Director of Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program, Louisiana State University- Health Sciences Center, Department of Neurology, Shreveport, Louisiana.

2015-present Director of Sleep Medicine Division, Louisiana State University- Health Sciences Center, Department of Neurology, Shreveport, Louisiana.

2014-present Director of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport Stroke Center, Louisiana State University- Health Sciences Center, Department of Neurology, Shreveport, Louisiana.

2014-present Stroke Director, Region 7 of Louisiana Emergency Network (LERN), Shreveport, Louisiana.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Chernyshev OY, McCarty DE, Moul DE, Liendo C, Caldito GC, Munjampalli SK, Kelley RE, Chesson AL Jr. A pilot study: portable out-of-center sleep testing as an early sleep apnea screening tool in acute ischemic stroke. Nat Sci Sleep. 2015 Oct 20;7:127-38. PMID: 26527904

Navalkele D, Barlinn K, Minagar A, Chernyshev OY. Exploration of Screening Practices for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Stroke Medical Community: A Pilot Study. Pathophysiology. 2016 Jun;23(2):105-9. PMID: 27129398

Joined LSUHS - 2010

EDUCATION/TRAINING

University of Nuevo Leon Medical School  Monterrey, México 8/1994– 7/2000

General Physician Certification

University Hospital “Jose E Gonzalez”  Monterrey, México 8/1996 – 7/2000  Internship And 3/2002 – 2/2005 Radiology Residency

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center  New Orleans, LA, USA  3/2005 – 2/2006

Neuroradiology Fellowship

Hospital Nuestra Señora del Rosario  Madrid, Spain

3/2006 – 2/2008

Interventional Radiology Fellowship

University of Santiago de Compostela  Santiago de Compostela, Spain

1/2013 – 11/2015

PhD

HONORS/AWARDS

Woodard Endowed Professorship in Neurosurgery, LSUHSC – Shreveport, 2018

Hugo Cuellar-Saenz, MD

Professor and Chair, Department of Radiology Professor, Department of Neurosurgery Hugo.Cuellarsaenz@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Principal Investigator. “Safety and efficacy of the Codman Enterprise stent in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms”. LSUHSC-Shreveport. 08/2011 –present.

Principal Investigator. “Safety and efficacy of the Target Wingspan stent in the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic disease”. LSUHSCShreveport. 08/2011 – present.

Co-investigator. Surgical Evaluation in Epilepsy. LSUHSC-Shreveport. 06/2016 – present.

Principal investigator. Safety and efficacy of the Visualized Intraluminal Support Device (LVIS and LVIS Jr.)in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. LSUHSC-Shreveport. 09/2016 – present.

Co-investigator. “Predicting the Safety and Effectiveness of Inferior Vena Cava Filters” LSUHSC-Shreveport. 03/2016 – present. Co-investigator. External Ventricular Drain Rapid Wean Trial. LSUHSCShreveport. 08/2016 – present. Co-investigator. Surgical Evaluation in Epilepsy. LSUHSC-Shreveport. 06/2016 – present.

Co-investigator. “Effectiveness of Dr. Stroke Code System in Door to Needle times” LSUHSC-Shreveport. 05/2016 – present.

Principal investigator. “TESLA Trial: Thrombectomy for Emergent Salvage of Large Anterior Circulation Is-chemic Stroke”. LSUHSC-Shreveport. 09/2020-present.

Joined LSUHS - 2006

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Tulane University School of Medicine New Orleans, LA 1980-1984 MD

Alton Ochsner Foundation Hospital Jefferson, LA 1984-1985 Internship – Prelim Medicine

Tulane University School of Medicine New Orleans, LA 1985-1988 Residency -Neurology

HONORS/AWARDS

2007 to present: “Best” and “Top” Doctors in Louisiana

Debra Davis, MD Professor of Clinical Neurology and Residency Program Director Department of Neurology

Debra.Davis@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Residency Program Director 2009 – 2022. UCNS Certification in Headache Medicine. Education of students and training of residents in all aspects of neurology. A regular grand rounds lecturer.

RESEARCH

Sub-Investigator: “A phase II randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebocontrolled, multicenter study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of abatacept in adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (ACCLAIM)”, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), May 2014 – 2016 Sub-Investigator: “MS-LAQ-302E: A multinational, multicenter, open-label, singleassignment extension of the MS-LAQ-302 (BRAVO) study, to evaluate the longterm safety, tolerability and effect on disease course of daily oral laquinomod 0.6 mg in subjects with relapsing multiple sclerosis”; TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., May 2014-2017 Sub-Investigator: “A multinational, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group study performed in subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of glatiramer acetate (GA) injection 40 mg administered three times a week compared to placebo in a double-blind design (GALA)”; TEVA Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd., May 2014- 2016 Sub-Investigator: “The insulin resistance intervention after stroke trial (IRIS): A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of pioglitazone, compared with placebo, for prevention of stroke and myocardial infarction after ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack”; Yale University., May 2014-2016 Sub-Investigator: “A dose-blind, multicenter, extension study to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of two doses of BG00012 monotherapy in subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis”; Biogen Idec, Inc., May 2014 – 2017

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

Munjampalli S, Davis DE. Medicinal-Induced Behavior Disorders. Neurol Clin. Feb 2016; 34(1); 133-170. PMID: 26613997

Christian Cajavilca, MD, Debra Davis, MD, Oleg Y. Chernyshev, MD, PhD, and Alireza Minagar, MD. HIV infection of human nervous system: neurologic manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment. In: Inflammatory Disorders of the Nervous System. Ed by: Minagar and Alexander. Springer 2016 PMID: 32689612

Javalkar V, Kuybu O, Davis D, Kelley RE. Factors Associated with Inpatient Mortality after Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Updated Information from the United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2020 Mar;29(3):104583. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2019.104583. Epub 2019 Dec 18. PMID: 318621

Kuybu O, Amireh A, Davis D, Kelley RE, Javalkar V. Prevalence of ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation in young patients with migraine national inpatient sample analysis. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2020 Aug;29(8):104972. doi: 10.1016/j. jstrokecerebrovasdis.2020.104972. Epub 2020 Jun 13. PMID: 32689612

Joined LSUHS - 1980

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BA - Emory University

MA - LSU - New Orleans

PhD The Fielding Institute

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP

National Academy of Medicine, Health Literacy Roundtable

Healthy People 2020, Health Literacy/Health Communication Section

US Pharmacopeial Convention, Expert Panel on Health Literacy

Health Literacy Advisory Boards, AMA and American College of Physicians FDA, Drug Safety and Risk management Committee

HONORS/AWARDS

NINR Strategic Plan Working Group Excellence in Extramural Research,LSUHSC-S

Doak Health Literacy Champion Award

Allen A Copping Excellence in Teaching Award

Significant Achievement in Public Health Research, LA Public Health Assoc

W H .O Innovative Practice Award for Childhood Vaccine Communication Package

Pfizer Visiting Professor in Health Literacy

• University of New Mexico

• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

• Baylor School of Medicine

Director, N LA Community Foundation

REVIEW PANELS

NIH Stage 1 Reviewer, Challenge Grants in Health Science Research

NIH Study Section, Scientific Review Panel

National Research Council, Reviewer Office of Women’s Health, Scientific Review Panel

Terry Davis, PhD Professor of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine Terry.Davis@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research focuses on the impact of Health Literacy on health and healthcare. Seminal achievements include the development of the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and creation of user-friendly patient education and provider training materials that are used nationally. Along with Dr. Connie Arnold, I have a productive record of federally funded research to reduce disparities and improve health outcomes of vulnerable populations. Our wide –ranging work focuses on improving cancer screening in rural Federally Qualified Health Centers, self- management of diabetes in safety net settings and use of health coaches to facilitate weight loss in community clinics, as well as developing strategies to improve medication adherence. We are the Health Literacy Principal Investigators for the NIH funded Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LACaTS), where we provide training statewide in communicating understandable and useful information to patients and the public. We founded the N Louisiana /LSUHS Research Community Advisory Board and were appointed to serve on the Governor’s COVID -19 Health Equity Task Force. Our current research includes assessing low-income patients concerns and acceptance of COVID -19 and Influenza vaccines.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Bailey, S; Griffith, J; Vuyyuru C; Batio,S; Valaquez, E ;Carpenter, D; Davis T; Parker R , Taddeo ,M Wolf, M.  Development and validation of HL6 a Brief Technology -Based Remote Measure of Health Literacy. J GEN Intern. Med March 2022

Davis TC, Beyl R, Bhuiyan MAN, Davis AB, Vanchiere JA, Wolf MS, Arnold CL. COVID-19 Concerns, Vaccine Acceptance and Trusted Sources of Information among Patients Cared for in a Safety-Net Health System. Vaccines. 2022; 10(6):928. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10060928

Rainey,R, Theiss. L, Lopez.E, Wood T,  Marques, I, Cannon J, Gregory D. Ke, Morris M ,Hollis R, Davis,T Chu,D. Characterizing the Impact of Verbal Communication and Health Literacy in the Patient-Surgeon Encounter ,American J of Surgery  April 2022

Bader,M, Zheng, L, Rao D,  Shiyanbola, O, Myers L, Davis T, O’Leary ,C ,Mc Kee, M, Wolf  M. Assaf, A  Towards a more patient-centered clinical trial process: a systematic review of interventions incorporating health literacy best practices. Contemporary Clinical Trials. May 2022 vol 166 doi 10.1016/jcctt 2022

Aker, J  Davis, T Leonard-Segal, A, Christman, L Travis,S, Beck, M; Newton, A . Evaluating Health Literacy in a Virtual Environment: Validation of the  REALM  -V and REALM - Teen -V for Virtual Use in Telemedicine or Videoconferencing Interactions.  Gen Intern Med March 2022 .doi.org/10.1007/s March

Davis TC, Morris JD, Reed EH, Curtis LM, Wolf MS, Davis AB, Arnold CL. Design of a randomized controlled trial to assess the comparative effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention to improve three-year adherence to colorectal cancer screening among patients cared for in rural community health centers. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 022 Feb;113:106654. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106654. Epub 2021 Dec 11. PMID: 34906745; PMCID: PMC8844093.

Davis TC, Curtis LM, Batio S, Davis AB, Wolf MS, Arnold CL.  COVID-19 Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behavior among Patients in a Safety-Net Health System. Journal of Community Health. 2022 Feb 3:1–9. doi: 10.1007/ s10900-021-01059-z. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35118553; PMCID: PMC8812349.

Davis TC, Arnold CL, Mills G, Lesser GJ, Brown WM, Schulz R, Weaver KE, Pawloski PA. Assessment of Oral Chemotherapy Nonadherence in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Using Brief Measures in Community Cancer Clinics: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(21):11045. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111045.

GRANTS

1 R01 CA240496-01A1 (Arnold)                06/01/2020-05/31/2025

National Institutes of Health/ National Institute of Cancer Patient-Centered Reminders to Inform, Motivate, and Engage Colorectal Cancer Screening Adherence in Rural Communities: The PRIME-CRC Trial, Role: Co-Principal Investigator 2 U54 GM104940-02                                              Ryan, Donna (PI)                        07/01/17-06/30/28

Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center Role: Literacy Core Director 2 UG1 CA189854 (Ochoa)                                        01/01/2020-12/31/2024

National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute     National Cancer ORP The Gulf South Minority/Underserved NCI Community Oncology  Role: Health Literacy Specialist  8/21/2022   NIH (Krousel-Wood) Health

LA CEAL . Role: Site Principal Investigator

Baojin Ding, MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Baojin.Ding@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2022

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS of Medicine (M D ) – Medical College of Qingdao University, China

MS – Wenzhou Medical University, China

PhD – Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Postdoctoral Fellow – University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester MA

MEMBERSHIPS/PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Society for Neuroscience

American Society for Cell Biology

Associate Editor: Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience (2018-)

Editorial Board: American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (2020-)

HONORS/AWARDS

DoD Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) Discovery Award (2020) South Louisiana Mid-Winter Fair Association/ BORSF Professorship (2020-2023)

The Friends of the Alzheimer’s Disease Center Alzheimer’s Disease Research Award (2017)

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research focuses on cellular and molecular neuroscience and neurological diseases. Primary cells, reprogrammed human neurons from patient fibroblasts and induce pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and genetically modified mice are used as model systems. Techniques in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry are employed to determine the cellular and molecular mechanisms in neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration and seek molecular targets for therapeutic interventions for related neurological diseases. Current research projects can be grouped into three closely correlated directions. 1. The timing mechanism of gene expression in neuron maturation. 2. Nucleocytoplasmic transport regulation and its linkage to neurodegeneration. 3. Modeling human neurological diseases using patient-specific neurons.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Ding B*, Tang Y, Ma S, Akter M, Liu ML, Zang T, Zhang CL. (2021). Disease modeling with human neurons reveals LMNB1 dysregulation underlying DYT1 dystonia. J Neurosci. 41 (9): 2024-2038. Featured article and selected as JNeurosci’s Annual Spotlight

Akter M, Cui H, Sepehrimanesh M., Hosain A. and Ding B*. (2022). Generation of highly pure motor neurons from human induced pluripotent stem cells. STAR Protoc. 2022 Mar 10; 3(1):101223. (Invited protocol. Cell Press)

Akter M, Cui H, Chen Y-H and Ding B*. (2022). Generation of gene-corrected isogenic control cell lines from a DYT1 dystonia patient iPSC line carrying a heterozygous GAG mutation in TOR1A gene. Stem Cell Research. 62.July 2022, 102807.

Ding B* and Sepehrimanesh M. (2021). Nucleocytoplasmic transport: regulatory mechanisms and the implications in neurodegeneration. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22 (8): 4165.

Sepehrimanesh M., Akter M. and Ding B*. (2021). Direct conversion of adult fibroblasts into motor neurons. STAR Protoc. 2 (4) 17 December 2021, 100917

Ding B,* Akter M, and Zhang C-L. (2020). Differential Influence of Sample Sex and Neuronal Maturation on mRNA and Protein Transport in Induced Human Neurons. Front Mol Neurosci. 2020 Apr 3; 13: 46.

Sepehrimanesh M, and Ding B* (2020). Generation and Optimization of Highly Pure Motor Neurons from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells via Lentiviral Delivery of Transcription Factors. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 319: C771–C780.

Joined LSUHS - 2013

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – University of California Davis

MS – California State University Sacramento PhD – University of California, Davis Postdoctoral Fellow – University of California, San Francisco

HONORS/AWARDS

President, Society for Neuroscience

HONORS/AWARDS TRAINEES

Brianna Callicoatte, a student in the Cardio vascular Undergraduate Research Initiative for Underrepresented Students (CURIOUS) program, won 2nd place and became a national conference qualifier with her project titled “Vascular contributions to pro cessing speed deficits in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease . ”

Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD

Director, Center for Brain Health Associate Professor of Neurology

Elizabeth.Disbrow@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My work focuses on cognitive deficits in human age-related neurodegenerative disease. In Alzheimer’s disease, we recently reported that cognitive deficits were strongly correlated with disturbances in redox biology, specifically dysregulated sulfide metabolism. We are currently evaluating the efficacy of plasma sulfides as biomarkers of the vascular contribution to Alzheimer’s disease. In the community we have launched our new dementia resource center called “The Bridge.” It is a “one-stopshop” for patients and families struggling with dementia. In collaboration with a local non-profit call the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center, we provide support groups, education, social events, care navigation and access to research trials.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Disbrow EA, Stokes KY, Ledbetter C, Patterson J, Kelley R, Reekes T, Larmeu L., Batra V, Cvek U, Trutschl M, Kilgore P, Alexander JS, Kevil CG. (2021). Plasma Hydrogen Sulfide Bioavailability is a biomarker of Cognitive Function in Alzheimer’s disease and Related Dementias. Alzheimer’s & Dementia. doi. org/10.1002/alz.12305

Pereira C, LaRoche A, Arredondo B, Pugh E, Disbrow E, Reekes T, Brickell E, Boettcher A, Sawyer RJ. (2022). Evaluating racial disparities in healthcare system utilization and caregiver burden among older adults with dementia. The Clinical Neuropsychologist - Black Lives Matter special issue. Clin Neuropsychol. Feb;36(2):353-366. doi: 10.1080/13854046.2021.1951844

Disbrow EA, Glassy N, Dressler EM, Franz EA, Turner R, Ventura MI, Hinkley L, Sigvardt KA. (2022). Cortical Oscillatory Dysfunction in Early Parkinson Disease During Movement Activation and Inhibition. PLoS One. 2022; 17(3): e0257711. Published online 2022 Mar 4. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257711

Skidmore FM, Monroe WS, Hurt CP, Nicholas AP, Gerstenecker A, Anthony T, Jololian L, Cutter G, Bashir A, Denny T, Standaert D, Disbrow EA (2022). NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2022; 8: 28. Published online 2022 Mar 18. doi: 10.1038/s41531022-00287-x

ABSTRACTS

Reekes, T., Ledbetter, C., Stokes, K., Alexander, J., Bhuiyan, M., Pardue, S., Kevil, C., Disbrow, E. “Plasma sulfide dysregulation is associated with decreased white matter integrity.” Poster presented at International Society for Neurovascular Disease, New York, NY. 2022

Reekes, T., Ledbetter, C., Stokes, K., Alexander, J., Pardue, S., Kevil, C., Disbrow, E. “Elevated acid labile sulfide is associated with reduced general cognitive function.” Poster presented at Society for Neuroscience annual meeting, San Diego, CA. 2022

Joined LSUHS - 1993

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Tulane University New Orleans, LA 1975

BS, Psychology Rochester University Rochester, NY 1977

MEd, Education

University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL 1980

PhD, Physiology/Biophysics

University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL 1980-1982

Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Cellular Immunology

HONORS/AWARDS

Editorial Board, Molecular Neuropsychiatry 2017-present

Donard Dwyer, PhD

Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience Vice Chair for Research, Department of Psychiatry

Donard.Dwyer@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research is focused on understanding the genetic and molecular basis for psychiatric disorders. These disorders are highly heritable but the genetic architecture is complex - with polygenic contributions by risk variants in the genome. In addition, we study the role of leak current channels in the control of movement and behavior in animal models.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Dwyer, D. S. Genomic chaos begets psychiatric disorder. Complex Psychiatry 6: 20-29, 2020.

Kasap, M. and Dwyer, D. S. Na+ leak-current channel (NALCN) at the junction of motor and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. J. Neural. Transm. 128: 749-762, 2021.

Sall, S., Thompson, W., Santos, A. and Dwyer, D. S. Analysis of major depression risk genes reveals evolutionary conservation, shared phenotypes, and extensive genetic interactions. Front Psychiatry 12: 698029, 2021.

Franklin, C. and Dwyer, D. S. Candidate risk genes for bipolar disorder are highly conserved during evolution and highly interconnected. Bipolar Disord. 23: 400-408, 2021.

McPherson, P., Sall, S., Santos, A., Thompson, W. and Dwyer, D. S. Catalytic reaction model of suicide. Front. Psychiatry 13: 817224, 2022.

Kasap, M. and Dwyer, D. S. How variation in risk allele output and gene interactions shape the genetic architecture of schizophrenia. Genes 13: 1040, 2022.

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MA, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Drama Therapy Lesley University, 2022 Certificate in Expressive Art Therapy (Post Graduate Certificate) . Prescott College, Prescott, AR, United States August 2019December 2021

MA, English and Creative Writing, Poetry Southern New Hampshire University, 2021 .

MA, Liberal Arts Studies, Organizational Dynamics & Humanities Southern Methodist University, 2019

MBA, Business Centenary College, 2002

MPH, Public Health . University of South Florida, 2000

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship (Internship) Tulane Medical School, New Orleans, LA, United States July 1, 1989June 30, 1991

General Psychiatry Residency (Residency) Tulane Medical School, New Orleans, LA, United States July 1, 1986 - June 30, 1990

MD, Medicine . Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport,1986 .

BS, 6-year Pre-Med Accelerated Program Louisiana State University in Shreveport, 1984

Juliana Fort, MD, MPH, MBA

Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Director of the Psychiatry Clerkship Associate Program Director of the Child Psychiatry Residency

Juliana.Fort@lsuhs.edu

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Juliana Fort is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport. She is also a staff psychiatrist at Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. Fort is a graduate of the LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine in Shreveport and completed her Residency in the Department of Psychiatry at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans.

Dr. Juliana Fort is a board certified child and adolescent, geriatric, forensic, and addictions psychiatrist. She is also a registered play therapist / supervisor and enjoys training in the expressive arts therapies that enrich psychotherapy and personal growth through drama therapy, improvisation, art and poetry therapy.

Dr. Fort has four grown children; and, enjoys traveling to presentations and training her dog in her spare time.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Comardelle N, Edinoff A, Fort J. Delusions of Glass Under Skin: An Unusual Case of Somatic-Type Delusional Disorder Treated with Olanzapine. Health Psychology Research. 2022;10(3). doi:10.52965/001c.35500

Edinoff, A. Fort, J.M., Singh, C., Wagner, S.E., Rodriguez, J.R., Johnson, C.A., Cornett, E.M. Murnane, K, Kaye, A., & Kaye, A.D. (2022, June 30). Treatment of Chronic Pain. In (Ed.) Scholarly Community Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24657

Edinoff AN, Doppalapudi P, Fort JM. Chronic Synthetic Marijuana Use: A Case of First-Onset Seizures as a Withdrawal Symptom. Health Psychology Research. 2022;10(3). doi:10.52965/001c.34617

Edinoff, A. N., Fort, J. M., Singh, C., Wagner, S. E., Rodriguez, J. R., Johnson, C. A., Cornett, E. M., Murnane, K. S., Kaye, A. M., & Kaye, A. D. (2022). Alternative Options for Complex, Recurrent Pain States Using Cannabinoids, Psilocybin, and Ketamine: A Narrative Review of Clinical Evidence. Neurology international, 14(2), 423–436. https://doi. org/10.3390/neurolint14020035

Edinoff, A.N.; Nix, C.A.; Fort, J.M.; Kimble, J.; Guedry, R.; Thomas, G.; Cornett, E.M.; Kaye, A.; Kaye, A.D. Sexual Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: A Narrative Review of the Mechanisms and Clinical Considerations. Psychiatry Int. 2022, 3, 29-42. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint3010003

Glyn Gardner, MSN, PMHNP-C Instructor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

ABOUT

Glyn Gardner is a graduate of Northwestern Louisiana State University’s Graduate School of Nursing.  Glyn is Certified by the American Nurse Credentialing Center as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (across the lifespan).  Glyn trained at both the Veterans Administration in Shreveport and Brentwood hospital, as well as the Shreveport Behavioral Health Clinic.  Glyn is a veteran of the US Army and is passionate about doing his part to lower the veteran suicide rate.   Prior to psychiatry, Glyn worked as an ER nurse for over 9 years.  During his time as an ER nurse, Glyn earned his Emergency Nurse Certification, which he still holds; as well as the Pediatric Emergency Nurse and Trauma Nurse Certifications.

Joined LSUHS - 1985

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – LSU – Shreveport

PhD (Pharmacology) – LSUHS

Fellowship (Neuroscience) – The John Hop kins University, Baltimore, MD

HONORS/AWARDS

Executive Director – Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC)

Board of Directors, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana (CADA)

Recipient of 2020 Wayne Drewry Award for outstanding and distinguished contributions to the field of addictions .

Invited Speaker - NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Stimulant Task Force – 2020

HONORS/AWARDS TRAINEES

Maggie Mott - Travel Award, College on Problems of Drug Addiction (CPDD) - 2019

Nicholas Goeders, PhD

Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Executive Director, Louisiana Addiction Research Center

Nicholas.Goeders@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Goeders’ research involves investigations of the neurobiology of drug reinforcement using intravenous and intracranial drug self-administration, neurotoxin lesions, receptor analysis, and pharmacological, behavioral, and environmental interventions. Drug classes under investigation include opiates, psychomotor stimulants, and benzodiazepines. Current research is directed toward a better understanding of the neurobiology of cocaine and methamphetamine reinforcement with respect to receptor systems (benzodiazepine, dopamine, and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) binding sites) and brain regions (e.g., terminal fields for the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system) associated with stress and the activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Some of this research is being conducted via Phase 2 clinical trials by Embera NeuroTherapeutics, Inc. (founder and scientific board: N.E. Goeders; www. emberaneuro.com). In addition, the effects of environmental stress on the acquisition and maintenance of cocaine reinforcement as well as the effects of stress on drug-induced changes in cocaine self-administration are also being investigated. Selected cardiovascular and physio-sexual sexual effects of methamphetamine are also under investigation.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Sullivan, J.M. 3rd, Grant, C.A.,Reker, A.N., Nahar, L., Goeders, N.E. and Nam, H.W. Neurogranin regulates sensorimotor gating through cortico-striatal circuitry. Neuropharmacology 150:91-99, 2019. PMID: 30902751.

Kevil, C.G., Goeders, N.E, Woolard, M.D., Bhuiyan, M.S., Dominic, P., Kolluru, G.K., Arnold, C.L., Traylor, J.G., and Orr, A.W. Methamphetamine Use and Cardiovascular Disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 39(9):1739-1746, 2019. PMID: 31433698.

Keller, C.M. and Goeders, N.E. Lack of effect of the combination of metyrapone and oxazepam on brain dopamine. Brain Res. 1724:146435. 2019, PMID: 31491421.

Tian, X., Richard, A., El-Saadi, M.W., Bhandari, A., Latimer, B., Van Savage, I., Holmes, K., Klein, R.L., Dwyer, D., Goeders, N.E., Yang, X.W., Lu, X.H.. Dosage sensitivity intolerance of VIPR2 microduplication is disease causative to manifest schizophrenia-like phenotypes in a novel BAC transgenic mouse model. Mol Psychiatry 24(12):1884-1901, 2019. PMID: 31444475.

Keller, C.M., Spence, A.L., Stevens, M.W., Owens, S.M., Guerin, G.F., and Goeders, N.E. Effects of a methamphetamine vaccine, IXT-v100, on methamphetamine-related behaviors. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 237(3):655-667, 2020. PMID: 31758209.

Abdullah, C.S., Aishwarya, R., Alam, S., Morshed, M., Remex, N.S., Nitu, S., Kolluru, G.K., Traylor, J., Miriyala, S., Panchatcharam, M., Hartman, B., King, J., Bhuiyan, M.A.N., Chandran, S., Woolard, M.D., Yu, X., Goeders, N.E., Dominic, P., Arnold, C.L., Stokes, K., Kevil, C.G., Orr, A.W., and Bhuiyan, M.S. Methamphetamine induces cardiomyopathy by Sigmar1 inhibitiondependent impairment of mitochondrial dynamics and function. Commun. Biol. 3(1):682. 2020. PMID: 33203971.

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

DM – l’Universite’ d’Etat d’Haiti

Residency (Neurology) – University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

Fellowship (Clinical Neurophysiology) –LSUHNO

Fellowship (Neuromuscular Medicine) –Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA

Jenny Guerre, MD Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology

Jenny.Guerre@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Dr. Guerre has a strong connection with North Louisiana. From 2015 to 2019 she was able to provide high-level quality care to the community while running the Glenwood Outpatient Neurology Clinic in West Monroe.

Dr. Jenny Guerre is board certified by the ABPN (American Academy of Psychiatry and Neurology), the ABCN (American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology), and the ABEM (American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine.)

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Nankai University, China

PhD – Nankai University, China

Hongyan

Guo, PhD Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology

Hongyan.Guo@lsuhs.edu

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Guo received her BS in Biotechnology (2007), and PhD in Molecular Virology (2012) from Nankai University, China. She completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Emory University (2013-2015), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA, 2015-2017), and Georgia State University (2018-2021).

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Rebecca K Lane*, Hongyan Guo*†, Amanda D Fisher, Jonathan Diep, Zhao Lai, Yidong Chen, Jason W Upton, Jan Carette, Edward S Mocarski, William J Kaiser. Necroptosis-based CRISPR knockout screen reveals Neuropilin-1 as a critical host factor for early stages of murine cytomegalovirus infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 117 (33), 20109-20116. 2020 Aug 18.

Hongyan Guo, Ryan P Gilley, Amanda Fisher, Rebecca Lane, Vanessa J Landsteiner, Katherine B Ragan, Cole M Dovey, Jan E Carette, Jason W Upton, Edward S Mocarski, William J Kaiser. Species-independent contribution of ZBP1/DAI/DLM-1-triggered necroptosis in host defense against HSV1. Cell death & disease 9 (8), 1-11. 2018 July 26.

Hongyan Guo, William J Kaiser. ESCRTing necroptosis. Cell 169 (2), 186187. 2017 April 6.

Hongyan Guo, Shinya Omoto, Philip A Harris, Joshua N Finger, John Bertin, Peter J Gough, William J Kaiser, Edward S Mocarski. Herpes simplex virus suppresses necroptosis in human cells. Cell host & microbe 17 (2), 243-251. 2015 Feb 11

Pratyusha Mandal, Scott B Berger, Sirika Pillay, Kenta Moriwaki, Chunzi Huang, Hongyan Guo, John D Lich, Joshua Finger, Viera Kasparcova, Bart Votta, Michael Ouellette, Bryan W King, David Wisnoski, Ami S Lakdawala, Michael P DeMartino, Linda N Casillas, Pamela A Haile, Clark A Sehon, Robert W Marquis, Jason Upton, Lisa P Daley-Bauer, Linda Roback, Nancy Ramia, Cole M Dovey, Jan E Carette, Francis Ka-Ming Chan, John Bertin, Peter J Gough, Edward S Mocarski, William J Kaiser. RIP3 induces apoptosis independent of pronecrotic kinase activity. Molecular cell 56 (4), 481-495. 2014 Nov

Joined LSUHS - 2007

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Cornell University

MD – SUNY Upstate Medical University Residency – Baylor College of Medicine Fellowship – The Mayfield Clinic

HONORS/AWARDS

Resident Mentor, American Association of Neurological Surgeons

Member, Joint Washington Committee, American Association of Neurological Surgeons

Member, 2020 Annual Meeting Scientific Program Planning Committee, Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Member, Education Committee, Council of State Neurosurgical Societies

HONORS/AWARDS TRAINEES

Nimer Adeeb, MD, MBA

Louisiana Neurosurgical Societies Annual Meeting Best Clinical Research Presentation 2019

Matthew Hefner, MD

Louisiana Neurosurgical Societies Annual Meeting Dean Echols Award for Best Basic Science Presentation 2019

Bharat Guthikonda, MD, FACS, FAANS Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery Bharat.Guthikonda@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research focuses on the complexities of the clinical diagnosis, preoperative assessment, intraoperative participation, and postoperative management of patients with skull base lesions including complex tumors at the base of the skull, complex aneurysms located at the cranial base, and other such conditions as they relate to the skull base. My most recent research project examined the history of the condition penduncular hallucinosis and potential neurological causes of this condition including the possibility of it being a presenting symptom of brain tumors and resolving or improving the condition with neurosurgical resection. Although anatomic skull base research has always been my primary research interest, I am also interested in the socioeconomics and medical-legal aspect of neurosurgery.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Kosty JA, Mejia-Munne J, Dossani R, Savardekar A, Guthikonda B. Jacques Jean Lhermitte and the syndrome of peduncular hallucinosis. Neurosurg Focus. 2019 Sep 1;47(3):E9. doi: 10.3171/2019.6.FOCUS19342. PMID: 31473682.

Chernyshev OY, Bir SC, Maiti TK, Patra DP, Sun H, Guthikonda B, Kelley RE, Cuellar H, Minagar A, Nanda A. The Relationship Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms. J Clin Sleep Med. 2019 Dec 15;15(12):1839-1848. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.8096. PMID: 31839111; PMCID: PMC7099178. Kandregula S, Guthikonda B. Editorial. Out-of-court system: a fair fast track to savings of time and money. Neurosurg Focus. 2020 Nov;49(5):E12. doi: 10.3171/2020.8.FOCUS20764. PMID: 33130624.

LeFever D, Demand A, Kandregula S, Vega A, Hobley B, Paterson S, Trosclair K, Menger R, Kosty J, Guthikonda B. Status of current medicolegal reform in the United States: a neurosurgical perspective. Neurosurg Focus. 2020 Nov;49(5):E5. doi: 10.3171/2020.8.FOCUS20616. PMID: 33130614.

Joined LSUHS - 1990

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Florida State University

MA – University of California, Santa Barbara

PhD – University of California, Santa Barbara

Post-doctoral Fellow – University of Florida (Whitney Lab)

Research Faculty – Tufts University New England Medical Center

Kathryn

Hamilton, PhD

Professor, Departments of Cellular Biology & Anatomy and Neurology

Kathryn.Hamilton@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Co-Investigator with Dr. Liz Disbrow on Intramural grant.

My lab is studying neurogenesis in the mouse olfactory epithelium. In most mammals, including humans, the OE has an endogenous population of progenitor cells that can give rise to new olfactory sensory neurons though out life.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Trosclair, K., M. Si, M. Watts, N. Gautier, N. Voigt, J. Traylor, M. Bitay, I. Baczko, D. Dobrev, Dobromir, K. Hamilton, Md. S. Bhuiyan, P. Dominic, and E. Glasscock (2021) Kv1.1 potassium channel subunit deficiency alters ventricular arrhythmia susceptibility, contractility, and repolarization. Physiol. Rep. 9(1): e14702.

Watts, M., G. K. Kolluru, P. Dherange, S. Pardue, M. Si, , X. Shen, K. Trosclair, J. Glawe, Z. Al-Yafei, M. Iqbal, B. H. Pearson, K. A. Hamilton, A. W. Orr, E. Glasscock, C. G. Kevil and P. Dominic (2021) Decreased bioavailability of hydrogen sulfide links vascular endothelium and atrial remodeling in atrial fibrillation. Redox Biol Redox Biol. 38:101817. doi: 10.1016/j. redox.2020.101817. Epub 2020 Dec 3

Dhaibar, H., K.A. Hamilton, E. Glasscock (2021) Kv1.1 subunits localize to cardiorespiratory brain networks in mice where their absence induces astrogliosis and microgliosis. Mol Cell Neurosci 113:103615. doi: 10.1016/j. mcn.2021.103615. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Joined LSUHS – 2020

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BA – Stanford University

MS – Stanford University

MD – Stanford University School of Medicine Fellow – Howard Hughes Medical Institute Residency – University of Missouri School of Medicine Fellowship – University of Cincinnati

HONORS/AWARDS

NIH R25 Research Award

AANS Cerebrovascular Research Award

Stanford Biodesign / NIH Spectrum Medtech Grant

American Association of Neurological Surgeons Meeting, Chicago, USA, 2008 Second Place, Poster Award

Outstanding Abstract at the 24th Annual Medical Student Research Symposium at Stanford University

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellowship for Medical Students

Stanley Hoang, MD, MS Department of Neurosurgery Stanley.Hoang@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Hoang’s career and research focuses on the management of advanced, minimally-invasive, robotic, and complex spine surgery. He is also involved in a variety of research projects where he has received National Institute of Health (NIH) research funding, the Stanford Biodesign / NIH Spectrum Medtech Grant, and a cerebrovascular research award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). His current research interest is developing regenerative strategies to optimize neurological function and quality of life for patients with degenerative and traumatic spinal cord diseases, while his clinical interests include spinal degenerative and traumatic diseases, adult scoliosis and deformities, spinal oncology, and complex primary and revision spinal procedures. His work is dedicated to applying the latest image-guided surgical navigation, robotic technologies, and minimally invasive techniques to improve outcomes and accelerate recovery.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Mesfin FB, Hoang S, Ortiz Torres M, Ngnitewe Massa’a R, Castillo R. Retrospective Data Analysis and Literature Review for a Development of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Pathway for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion. Cureus. 2020 Feb 10;12(2):e6930. doi: 10.7759/cureus.6930.

Hoang S, Ortiz-Torres MJ, Rivera A, Litofsky NS. Middle cranial fossa approach to repair tegmen defects with autologous or alloplastic graft. World Neurosurgery. 2018. pii: S18788750 (18)

Hoang S, Liauw J, Choi M, Choi M, Guzman R, Steinberg GK (2009) Netrin-4 enhances angiogenesis and neurologic outcome after cerebral ischemia. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 29(2): 385-97

Liauw J, Hoang S*,Choi M, Eroglu C, Choi M, Sun GH, Percy M, Wildman-Tobriner B, Bliss T,Guzman R, Barres BA, Steinberg GK (2008) Thrombospondins 1 and 2 Are Necessary For Synaptic Plasticity And Functional Recovery After Stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 28(10): 1722-32 [*Cofirstauthor]

Guzman R, De Los Angeles A, Cheshier S, Choi R,Hoang S, Liauw J, Steinberg G (2008) Intracarotid injection of fluorescence activated cell-sorted CD49d-positive neural stem cells improves targeted cell delivery and behavior after stroke in a mouse stroke model. Stroke 39(4):1300-6

Lee C, Hoang S, Liauw J, Nguyen N, Liauw N, Choo K, Guzman R, Bliss T, Steinberg G (2006) Thrombospondin-4 mediates synaptogenesis and functional recovery following ischemia. Society for Neuroscience Meeting, Atlanta, US

Joined LSUHS - 2018

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MD – Tulane Medical School

Internship and Residency (Medicine)

Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital Boston, MA

Residency (Neurology) University of Miami Miami, FL

Fellowship (Cerebrovascular Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA

Roger Kelley, MD Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology

Roger.Kelley@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

I am collaborating in two proposed research projects on dementia with Dr. James Cardelli and a beta-amyloid PET scan study in dementia.

I collaborate with Dr. Disbrow in various studies.

I am funded through an NIH grant, The Quy Project, looking at cognitive impairment in the New Orleans elderly Vietnamese population.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

I have had five peer-reviewed articles published this year on stroke and pending book chapter on the hypothalamus in trauma and degenerative disease.

Liu E, Wang D, Sperling R, et al for the ELN 115727-301/302 Investigator Group. Biomarker pattern of ARIA-E participants in the phase 3 randomized clinical trials. Neurology 2018; 90:877-86

Jadebrey Kennon Gratis Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

Kennon__Jadebrey_V_@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BSN – Northwestern State University

MSN – University of South Alabama

MBA

ABOUT

Ms. Kennon has actively worked in the nursing field since 2002 in the areas of psychiatry and medical/surgical.  Jadebrey also holds a Master of Business Administration. Jadebrey is married with three children; she enjoys spending time with her family.

Joined LSUHS - 2002

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Northwestern State University

PhD – LSU Health-Shreveport Post-Doctoral – University of Alabama at Birmingham

HONORS/AWARDS

Malcolm Feist Endowed Chair for Cardiovascular Disease

Fellow of the Society, Society for Redox Biology and Medicine

Fellow, American Physiology Society- Heart and Circulatory Section

Past Chairman, Society for Redox Biology and Medicine

Board of Directors, Nitric Oxide Society

Vice President of Research and Scientific Excellence, Society for Redox Biology and Medicine

President of General Faculty, LSUHS

NHLBI Mentored Transition to Independence Study Section

NIH Atherosclerosis, Inflammation and Cardiovascular Sciences Study Section

HONORS/AWARDS -TRAINEES

Alex Gutierrez’

First Place Poster Session, CURIOUS program

Chris Kevil, PhD Vice Chancellor of Research Dean, School of Graduate Studies Christopher.Kevil@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Research in my laboratory centers around gasotransmitter regulation of endothelial function during arteriogenesis, angiogenesis, and atherogenesis. Studies are focused on chemical biology regulation of hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide, and their associated enzymes during vascular and inflammatory cell function during cardiovascular disease. We employ novel approaches for tissue protection against chronic tissue ischemia through stimulation of arteriogenesis and angiogenesis involving these gasotransmitter molecules. The lab has discovered that nitrite anion serves a critical role as an NO prodrug to attenuate tissue ischemia invoking signaling and transcriptional responses, that hydrogen sulfide generation is required for subsequent NO formation, and that sulfide metabolites are critical biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. These discoveries have led to numerous patents and new therapeutic approaches.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Kolluru GK, Shackelford RE, Shen X, Dominic P, Kevil CG. Sulfide regulation of cardiovascular function in health and disease. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2022 Aug 5:1–17. doi: 10.1038/s41569-022-00741-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35931887; PMCID: PMC9362470.

Islam MZ, Shen X, Pardue S, Kevil CG, Shackelford RE. The ataxiatelangiectasia mutated gene product regulates the cellular acid-labile sulfide fraction. DNA Repair (Amst). 2022 Aug;116:103344. doi:10.1016/j. dnarep.2022.103344. Epub 2022 May 14. PMID: 35696854.

Shackelford RE, Li Y, Ghali GE, Kevil CG. Bad Smells and Broken DNA: A Tale of Sulfur-Nucleic Acid Cooperation. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Nov 17;10(11):1820. doi: 10.3390/antiox10111820. PMID: 34829691; PMCID: PMC8614844.

Takata T, Jung M, Matsunaga T, Ida T, Morita M, Motohashi H, Shen X, Kevil CG, Fukuto JM, Akaike T. Methods in sulfide and persulfide research. Nitric Oxide. 2021 Nov 1;116:47-64. doi: 10.1016/j.niox.2021.09.002. Epub 2021 Sep 14. PMID: 34534626; PMCID: PMC8486624.

Shackelford RE, Mohammad IZ, Meram AT, Kim D, Alotaibi F, Patel S, Ghali GE, Kevil CG. Molecular Functions of Hydrogen Sulfide in Cancer. Pathophysiology. 2021 Sep 20;28(3):437-456. doi: 10.3390/ pathophysiology28030028. PMID: 35366284; PMCID: PMC8830448

Nadejda Korneeva, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Nadejda.Korneeva@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2009

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Master’s (Biophysics) – Krasnoyask State University – Russia

Courses of Advanced Molecular Biology –Moscow State University – Russia

PhD (Molecular Biology) – Moscow State University - Russia

HONORS/AWARDS

2018 - Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development (VA-ORD) . Reviewed two Small Projects in the Rehabilitation Research Section .

2019 – German Cancer Research Center in the Helmholtz Association Proposal DKFZMOST Cooperation in Cancer Research

CURRENT RESEARCH

We are studying effect of opioids on neuronal degeneration and drug-use disorders using animal models. In addition, we are investigating signaling pathways and chemical compounds that can be used as non-opioid treatment of pain.

We are also monitoring the trends in the drug screening tests among the LSUHSC emergency department visitors.

Current Grants and Trainee Fellowships

Intramural. Covid-19: The SARS-Cov2 nsp2 interaction with eIF4E2 reprograms viral and cellular protein synthesis in hypoxic conditions.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Effect of HIV-1 TAT peptide fusion on 5’ mRNA Cap Analogs Cell Membrane Permeability and Translation Inhibition. Piecyk K, Pietrow P, Arnold T, Worch R, Korneeva NL, Jankowska-Anyszka M. (2020) Bioconjugate Chemistry, 31, 1156-1166. PMID:32227927

Carbonyl-protein content increases in brain and blood of female rats after chronic oxycodone treatment. Fan R, Schrott LM, Snelling S, Felty J, Graham D, McGauly PL, Arnold T, Korneeva NL.* (2020) BMC Neurosci. Jan 22;21(1):4.

Joined LSUHS - 2022

Education/Training

BE – Rajiv Gandhi Technical University, India

MS – Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

PhD – Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

Postdoctoral Fellow – Virginia Common wealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

H ONORS/AWARDS TRAINEES

Medical student, Adel Azghadi, BS received first place for the VCU Medical Student Research Day, 2019 .

Jamie Toms (Neurosurgery resident) re ceived resident research award, VCU Neuro surgery Annual Resident Research Day, 2019 White Sulfur Springs, WV

PATENTS

System and method for multi-coil steerable and selectively focused transcranial mag netic stimulation US Patent App 17/577,887 Publication date: 2022/8/4

A novel neuromodulation stimulator to improve the focus and depth of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment Pat ent pending VCU Tech# TOR-22-02

Deepak Kumbhare, PhD Instructor-Research Department of Neurosurgery Deepak.Kumbhare@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research work focuses on movement and cognitive disorders. This work primarily involves understanding the electrophysiology of motor and memory circuits under various pathological and neuromodulatory (e.g., electrical, optogenetics, pharmacological, and electromagnetic stimulation) conditions. We are currently evaluating effects of different deep brain stimulation (DBS) parameters in rat models of dementia. We are also working on developing focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment strategies for Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, we are evaluating neuromonitoring data recorded during various brain and spine surgeries to develop multimodal measures for neurological deficits and clinical outcomes.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Carmona, I, Kumbhare, D, Baron, MS, Hadimani, RL. Quintuple AISI 1010 carbon steel core coil for highly focused transcranial magnetic stimulation in small animals. AIP Advances 11, 025210. 2022

Kumbhare, D., Palys, V, Toms, J, Wickramasinghe C, Hughs E, Amarasinghe K, Manic M, Holloway, K.L., Nucleus Basalis of Meynert stimulation for dementia: Theoretical and Technical considerations. Frontiers in Neurosci. Volume 12:614. 2018

Kumbhare, D., Holloway, K.L., Baron M.S., Parkinsonism and dystonia are differentially induced by modulation of different territories in the basal ganglia, Neurosci 353: 42-57. 2017.

Kumbhare, D., Baron M.S., A novel tri-component scheme for classifying neuronal discharge patterns, J Neurosci Methods 239:148-161, 2015.

Kumbhare, D., Chaniary K., Baron M.S., Preserved dichotomy but highly irregular and burst discharge in the basal ganglia in alert dystonic rats at rest, Brain Res. 1624:297-313, 2015.

ABSTRACTS

Carmona, D. Kumbhare, M. Baron, and R. L. Hadimani, “Quintuple Carbon Steel Core Coil for Highly Focused Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Small Animals,” presented at the APS March Meeting 2021, 15-19 March 2021.

Kumbhare, D, Weistroffer, G, Baron, M. A novel phasic and restricted basal ganglia thalamocortical subcircuitry model. Movement Disorders, 2020.

Stuart, M., Wickramasinghe, C.S., Marino, D.L., Kumbhare, D., Holloway, K.L., Manic, M., Machine Learning for Deep Brain Stimulation Efficacy using Dense Array EEG. 12th International Conference on Human System Interaction (HSI), Richmond, VA, USA, pp. 143-150, 2019.

Joined LSUHS - 2005

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Centenary College Shreveport, LA

Medical Physics Training Program

University of Texas Health Sciences Center Houston, TX

PhD – LSU Health Shreveport

Christina Ledbetter, PhD Fellow, Department of Neurosurgery Christina.Ledbetter@lsuhs.edu

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Director, Clinical Neuroimaging Lab. LSU Health, Shreveport, LA. 2017present.

Chief Science Officer. Gibson Institute of Cognitive Research, Colorado Springs, CO. 2016 – present.

LearningRx Scientific Advisory Board. Colorado Springs, CO. 2016 –present.

Adjunct Faculty. Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA. 2016-present.

CLINICAL TRIALS

LearningRx Cognitive Training for TBI, NCT # 02918994

LearningRx Cognitive Training for ADHD, NCT # 02917109

Multidisciplinary Intervention for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), NCT # 02943187

Surgical Evaluation in Epilepsy, sub-investigator (PI: Sun)

Biomarkers for Alcohol Use Disorder, sub-investigator (PI: Nam)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

James, R., Moore, A.L., Carpenter, D., Miller, T., & Ledbetter, C. (2019). Feasibility of a Functional Medicine Approach to Slowing Clinical Cognitive Decline in Patients Over Age 55: A Multiple Case Study Report. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 4(3).  Moore, A.L., & Ledbetter, C. (2019). The Promise of Clinician-Delivered Cognitive Training for Children Diagnosed with ADHD. Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology, 3(3), 3-8.

Moore, A.L., Carpenter, D.M., Miller, T.M., & Ledbetter, C. (2019). ThinkRx Cognitive Training for Adults over Age 50: Clinician-Caregiver Partners in Delivery as Effective as Clinician-Only Delivery. Psychology and Neuroscience, 12(2), 291-306.

Hui-Chao (Reggie) Lee, Ph .D . Assistant Professor of Neurology huichao.Lee@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2016

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Ph D – Tzu Chi University College of Medi cine, Hualien, Taiwan

Post-Doctoral Fellowships – University of Miami and LSUHSC-Shreveport

HONORS/AWARDS

R01 award, NIH

Career Development Award, AHA

Grant-in-Aid, Louisiana State University Research Council

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, AHA

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, The Malcolm Feist Cardiovascular Research Endowment

CURRENT RESEARCH

The overall research goal in my laboratory is to study potential therapeutics against cerebral ischemia. The major research focus in my laboratory is to investigate the pathophysiological role of serum/glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) in the context of cardiac arrest. We found that upregulation of SGK1 following cardiac arrest is responsible for cerebral blood flow derangements, neuronal cell death, and neurological deficits. We are currently investigating 1) the therapeutic potential of SGK1 inhibitor against cardiac arrest and 2) mechanisms underlying SGK1-mediated brain injury and neurological deficits after cardiac arrest.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Lee RH, Wu CY, Citadin CT, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Clemons GA, Acosta CH, de la Llama VA, Neumann JT, Lin HW. Activation of Neuropeptide Y2 Receptor Can Inhibit Global Cerebral Ischemia-Induced Brain Injury. Neuromolecular Med. 2021 May 21; PMID: 34019239.

Lee RH (Corresponding author), Grames MS, Wu CY, Lien CF, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Clemons GA, Citadin CT, Neumann JT, Pastore D, Lauro D, Della-Morte D, Lin HW. (2020) Upregulation of serum and glucocorticoid- regulated kinase 1 exacerbates brain injury and neurological deficits after cardiac arrest. A m J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2020 Nov 1;319(5):H1044-H1050.  PMID: 32946263.

Wu CY, Couto E Silva A, Citadin CT, Clemons GA, Acosta CH, Knox BA, Grames MS, Rodgers KM, Lee RH, Lin HW. Palmitic acid methyl ester inhibits cardiac arrest-induced neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2021 Feb;165:102227. PMID: 33445063.

Wu CY, Clemons GA, Lopz-Toledano MA, Citadin CT, Lee RH, Lin HW. (2020) SC411 enhances cerebral blood flow after ischemia in the Townes mouse model of sickle cell disease. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and e ssential fatty acids. 2020 Jul;158:102110. PMID: 32447175.

Couto E Silva A, Wu CY, Citadin CT, Clemons GA, Possoit HE, Grames MS, Lien CF, Minagar A, Lee RH, Frankel A, Lin HW. (2019) Protein Arginine Methyltransferases in Cardiovascular and Neuronal Function. Molecular Neurobiology. Dec 10. doi: 10.1007/ s12035-019-01850-z. PMID: 31823198.

Wu CY, Lerner FM, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Hsieh TH, Neumann JT, Minagar A, Lin HW, and Lee RH. (2018) Utilizing the modified T-maze to assess functional memory outcomes after cardiac arrest. J. Vis. Exp. (131), e56694, doi:10.3791/56694. PMID: 29364254.

Lee RH, Lee MH, Wu CY, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Hsieh TH, Minagar A, Lin HW. (2018) Cerebral ischemia and neuroregeneration. Neural Regen Res. Mar; 13(3): 373–385. PMID: 29623912.

Lee RH, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Lerner FM, Azizbayeva R, Citadin CT, Wu CY, Neumann JT, Lin HW. (2018) Palmitic acid methyl ester is a novel neuroprotective agent against cardiac arrest. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids (PLEFA). Nov 23. pii: S0952-3278(18)30212-6. PMID: 30514597.

Joined LSUHS - 2022

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Northwestern University

MS – University of Wisconsin-Madison

PhD – University of Wisconsin, Madison

Postdoctoral Fellow – University of Michigan Medical School

Sharee N . Light, PhD Associate Professor Department of Neurology Sharee.Light@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research is centered on looking at the neural, behavioral, and psychophysiological correlates of positive emotions (e.g., joy, contentment, well-being, positive-valence empathy, etc.) and lack thereof (i.e., anhedonia). An additional aim is to investigate these “warm” constructs in relation to “cold” cognitive constructs such as executive function given partially overlapping neurobiological substrates (i.e., fronto-striatal circuitry). I apply this work to a range of patient populations, including various dementias, Parkinson’s, and psychiatric disorders including Major Depressive Disorder. My long-term goals are to improve the assessment of emotional functioning in routine neuropsychological evaluations, develop targeted cognitive rehabilitation therapies for social-cognitive deficits, and learn more about how to alleviate anhedonia in all of its transdiagnostic forms.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Light, S.N., Bieliauskas, L.A., & Taylor, S. (2019). Measuring change in anhedonia using the “Happy Faces Task” pre- to post- rTMS treatment in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Translational Psychiatry, DOI: https:// doi.org/10.1038/s41398-019-0549-8

Light, S.N. (2019). The heterogeneity of empathy: Possible treatment for anhedonia? Frontiers Psychiatry, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/ fpsyt.2019.00185

Light, S.N., Moran*, Z.D., Zahn-Waxler, C. & Davidson, R.J. (2019). The measurement of positive forms of empathy and their relation to hedonic capacity & other depressive symptomatology. Frontiers Psychology, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00815

Taiwo, Z.*, Bezdek, M.*, Mirabito, G.* & Light, S.N. (2020). Empathy for joy recruits a broader prefrontal network than empathy for sadness and is predicted by executive functioning. Neuropsychology, 35, 90-102.

Light, S.N. (2022). The combined use of neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological assessment tools to make a differential dementia diagnosis in the presence of “Long-Haul” COVID-19. Case Reports in Neurology, 14(1), 130–148. https://doi.org/10.1159/000522020

*Denotes Trainee

Joined LSUHS - 2016

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Biochemistry, University of WisconsinMadison, Madison, WI

PhD – Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL Post-Doc – Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL

GRANT PEER REVIEW

AHA Peer Review Committee:

Basic Cell Genetics and Epigenetics 2 Brain 1 Allen Initiative in Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment

Career Development Award Organ Basic Sciences 1 and 2 (Chairman 2)

Vascular Endothelial Biology Basic Sciences Transformational Project Award (Brain, Lung, Cardiorenal or Cardiac Arrest Sciences

Global Brain Disorders II . Alzheimer’s Association Peer Review Committee

HONORS/AWARDS

Joanna G Magale Endowed Professorship 4th annual AHA – Philips Resuscitation Fellowship Award

Kevin Lin, PhD Associate Professor of Neurology Hung_Wen.Lin @lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

As the Director of the Stroke Center for Research at LSU, my expertise is in the field of sympathetic modulation in cerebral circulation as it relates to stroke and global ischemia. The goals of my research focus are to further investigate sympathetic function as it relates to ischemia in hopes to develop novel therapies. I have dedicated over 15 years to investigate the cerebral vasculature with the focus on stroke, brain ischemia, and fatty acid metabolism.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Lee RHC, Couto e Silva A, Possoit HE, Lerner FM, Chen PY, Azizbayeva R, Citadin CT, Wu CYC, Neumann JT, Lin HW. (2019) Palmitic Acid Methyl Ester is a Novel Neuroprotective Agent Against Cardiac Arrest. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 147:6-14.

Lee RHC, Couto e Silva A, Lerner FM, Wilkins CS, Valido SE, Klein DD, Wu CY, Neumann JT, Della-Morte D, Koslow SH, Minagar A, Lin HW. (2017) Interruption of Perivascular Sympathetic Nerves of Cerebral Arteries Offers Neuroprotection Against Ischemia. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 312(1): H182-H188.

Lin HW, Gresia VL, Stradecki HM, Alekseyenko A, Dezfulian C, Neumann JT, Dave KR, Perez-Pinzon MA. (2014) Protein kinase c delta modulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase after cardiac arrest. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 34(4): 613620. (Corresponding author)

Lin HW, Saul I, Gresia VL, Neumann JT, Dave KR, Perez-Pinzon MA. (2014) Fatty acid methyl esters and solutol HS 15 confers neuroprotection after focal and global cerebral ischemia. Transl Stroke Res. 5(1):109-117. (Corresponding author)

Lin HW and Perez-Pinzon, MA. (2013) The role of fatty acids in the regulation of cerebral vascular function and neuroprotection in ischemia. CNS and Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets. 12(3):316-324. (Corresponding author)

Lin HW, DeFazio RA, Della Morte D, Thompson JW, Narayanan SV, Raval AP, Saul I, Dave KR, Perez-Pinzon MA. (2010) Derangements of post-ischemic cerebral blood flow by protein kinase C delta. Neuroscience. 171(2):566-576.

Lin HW, Liu CZ, Cao D, Chen PY, Chen MF, Lin SZ, Mozayan M, Chen AF, Premkumar LS, Torry DS, Lee TJ. (2008) Endogenous methyl palmitate modulates nicotinic receptor-mediated transmission in the superior cervical ganglion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 105(49):19525-19530.

Xiao-Hong Lu, PhD Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience Xiaohong.Lu@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2015

EDUCATION/TRAINING

M D – Central South University, Xiangya School of Medicine

Ph D – LSU Health, Shreveport

Post-Doctoral – University of California, Los Angeles

Assistant Researcher-University of California, Los Angeles

HONORS/AWARDS

2019 News report by SPECTUM

2019 Symposium Co-Chair for Molecular Psy chiatry Association meeting, San Francisco

2019 Selected Hot Topic and press release at Neuroscience 2019, Chicago

2015 Highlighted research by Nature Review Drug Discovery

2015 Most influential paper of the year by HD insight

NARSAD Young investigator award

Editorial Board: Journal of International Psychiatry

Guest Editor: International Review of Neu robiology

CURRENT RESEARCH

Lu Lab’s research focuses on molecular genetics and development of innovative genetic engineering technologies. The overarching goal of Lu Lab’s research is to combine genetics and pharmacology to develop genetically targeted drug/gene therapy for neuropsychiatric disorders, cerebrovascular disorders, and cardiovascular disorders related to Methamphetamine use. Dr. Lu developed the first BAC transgenic mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD). His translational study of Huntington’s disease (HD) identified a novel therapeutic strategy (Sci. Transl. Med., 2015; Highlighted in Nat Rev Drug Discov. and was selected as the most influential paper of 2015 by HD insight). Dr. Lu co-invented a singlecell transgenic technology (MORF, Mosaicism with Repeat Frameshift) that received support from the first round of the Brain Initiative award. Funded by a NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Lu Lab generated the next-generation mouse model for schizophrenia (Mol Psychiatry, 2019). Lu Lab has an ongoing collaboration with the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) to develop the small molecule VPAC2 antagonists. Lu Lab recently invented a robust method for efficient and precise CRISPR/Cas9 mediated therapeutic genome editing in the adult mammalian brain via intravascular administration of a neurotropic AAV. Lu Lab is working with Keeling center of MD Anderson to generate somatic genome-edited Marmoset.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Tian X, Richard A, El-Saadi MW, Bhandari A, Latimer B, Van Savage I, Holmes K, Klein RL, Dwyer D, Goeders NE, Yang XW, Lu XH. (2019) Dosage sensitivity intolerance of VIPR2 microduplication is disease causative to manifest schizophrenia-like phenotypes in a novel BAC transgenic mouse model. Molecular Psychiatry-Nature. PMID: 31444475. (Impact factor 13.2)

Richard AD, Tian XL, El-Saadi MW, Lu XH. (2018) Erasure of striatal chondroitin sulfate proteoglycanassociated extracellular matrix rescues aging-dependent decline of motor learning. Neurobiology of Aging. PMID: 30099347.

Lu XH, Yang XW. (2017) Genetically-directed Sparse Neuronal Labeling in BAC Transgenic Mice through Mononucleotide Repeat Frameshift. Scientific Report-Nature. PMID: 28272512 (Supported by the first round of Brain Initiative award).

Lu XH, Mattis VB, Wang N, Al-Ramahi I, van den Berg N, et al. (2015) Targeting ATM ameliorates mutant Huntingtin toxicity in cell and animal models of Huntington’s disease. Science Translational Medicine. 24;6(268):268ra178. PMID: 25540325. (Impact factor; 17.1).

Wang N, Gray M, Lu XH, Cantle JP, Holley SM, Greiner E, Gu X, Shirasaki D, Cepeda C, Li Y, Dong H, Levine MS, Yang XW. (2014) Neuronal targets for reducing mutant huntingtin expression to ameliorate disease in a mouse model of Huntington’s disease. Nature Medicine, (Impact factor: 34.8)

Lu XH, Yang XW. (2013) “Huntingtin holiday”: Progress toward an antisense therapy for Huntington’s disease. Neuron. 1;74(6):964-6. PMCID: PMC3513277 (Impact factor: 14.4)

Joined LSUHS - 2020

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Residency (Neurologic Physical Therapy)LSUHS

Matthew Martin, PT, DPT Instructor, School of Allied Health Professions

Matthew.Martin@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

As a neurologic physical therapist, Dr. Martin provides rehabilitative intervention for a variety of brain disorders to improve mobility and overall quality of life. These disorders include brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and dementia.

As a practicing clinician, he has been a part of providing comprehensive care for a variety of brain disorders. Additionally, as a mentor in the LSUHS SAHP Neurologic Physical Therapy Program, I have been involved in providing neuroscience-based education for aspiring specialists in the field of neurologic physical therapy.

PUBLICATION

Abstract: The Effect of Dual-Task Training on Cognitive Fatigue After Meningoencephalitis – A Case Report. RAID Conference. 11/6/20

Kevin McCarthy, PhD Chair, Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy Kevin.Mccarthy@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 1997

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Duquesne University

PhD – Albany Medical College

Post-Doctoral – University of Alabama

HONORS/AWARDS

Chairman and Grant Reviewer, NIDDK

Special Emphasis Panel for the George O’Brien Renal Research Centers

Chairman, Grant Reviewer Department of Defense

Grant Reviewer ADA

Grant Reviewer, NIH

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Jackson, KL, Lin, W, M Panchatcharam, , S Miriyala, KJ McCarthy, R Klein. (2017) Pathology model in the rat substantia nigra with filamentous inclusions and progressive neurodegeneration.  In Press, PLOS one.

Chandra, M., D Escalante-Alcalde, MS Bhuiyan, AW Orr, C Kevil, AJ Morris, H Nam, P Dominic, KJ McCarthy, S Miriyala, M. Panchatcharam. (2018) Cardiac-specific inactivation of LPP3 in mice leads to myocardial dysfunction and heart failure.  Redox Biology 14: 261-271.

Chen, S, Wassenhove-McCarthy, A Woods, L Holzman, Y Yamaguchi, T van Kuppevelt, and KJ McCarthy. (2010)  Cell surface heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans are important in mediating cell-matrix adhesion in podocytes. Kidney International 78: 1088-1099.

S.M. Pyott, U. Schwarze, HE Christiansen, M Pepin, D Leistritz, R Dineen, K Ward, B Burton, B Engle, K Kim, M Sussman, R Steiner,  KJ McCarthy, MA Weis, D Eyre, and PH Byers. (2011) Mutations in PPIB (cyclophilin B) delay type I procollagen chain association and result in perinatal lethal to moderate osteogenesis imperfecta phenotypes. Human Molecular Genetics doi 10.1093 /hmgddr037.

KJ McCarthy and DJ Wassenhove-McCarthy. (2012) The glomerular basement membrane as a model system to study the bioactivity of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans. Microscopy and Microanalysis 18:3-21.

Sugar T, DJ Wassenhove-McCarthy, JD Esko, T van Kuppevelt, L Holzman, and  KJ McCarthy.  (2014) Podocyte-specific deletion of NDST1, a key enzyme in the sulfation of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans, leads to abnormalities in podocyte organization in vivo.  Kidney International 85: 307-318

Sugar T, DJ Wassenhove-McCarthy, J. Green, AW Orr, T van Kuppevelt, and  KJ McCarthy. (2016) N-sulfation of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans is a key, critical component in podocyte cell-matrix interactions. American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology, 310: F1123-F1135.

Joined LSUHS - 1980

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BA – Coe College – Cedar Rapids, IA

PhD – University of Iowa – Iowa City, IA

Post-doctoral Fellowship – Karolinska Institute,- Stockholm, Sweden

HONORS/AWARDS

NIH study section (member) - ZRG1 DKUS-J (82), Toxicology and Digestive, Kidney and Urological Systems AREA Review

Distinguished Service Award American Academy of Clinical Toxicology

HONORS/AWARDS – TRAINEES

Courtney Jamison, Graduate Student, 2nd place platform presentation, South Central Chapter of the Society of Toxicology

Kenneth McMartin, PhD Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience Kenneth.Mcmartin@lsuhsc.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

We have been investigating the neurological toxicity from diethylene glycol. This compound produces a peripheral neuropathy characterized as a sensorimotor axonopathy. We have recently shown that we can recapitulate most of the human features of this neuropathy in a subacute rat model. We are now investigating the mechanism for this effect.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Jamison CN, Dayton RD, Latimer B, McKinney MP, Mitchell HG, McMartin KE. Neurotoxic effects of nephrotoxic compound diethylene glycol, Clin Toxicol. 59: 810-21, 2021.

Jamison CN, Dayton RD, Latimer B, McKinney MP, Mitchell HG, McMartin KE. Diethylene glycol produces nephrotoxic and neurotoxic effects in female rats, Clin Toxicol. 60: 324-31, 2022.

Lao YE, Vartdal T, Froyshov S, Latimer B, Kvaerner C, Mataric M, Holm P, Foreid S, Jacobsen D, McMartin K, Hovda KE. Fomepizole dosing during continuous renal replacement therapy, an observational study, Clin Toxicol. 60: 451-7, 2022.

McMartin KE, Brent J. Analysis of fomepizole elimination in methanoland ethylene glycol-poisoned patients. J Med Toxicol. 18: 19-29, 2022.

Roberts DM, Lavergne V, Brent J, Hoffman RS, Hovda KE, Porter WH, McMartin KE, Ghannoum M. The serum glycolate concentration: its prognostic value and its correlation to surrogate markers in ethylene glycol exposures. Clin Toxicol. 60: 798-807, 2022.

Jamison CN, Cuevas-Ocampo AK, Flowers AB, Nam HW, Dayton RD, McKinney MP, Mitchell HG, Fitzgerald JS, Steib ME, Toups CR, McMartin KE. Histopathological evidence that diethylene glycol produces kidney and nervous system damage in rats. Neurotoxicol. In press, 2022.

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Undergrad: Georgia Academy of Math Engineering and Science

Georgia Institute of Technology Med School: St James School of Medicine Residency: LSU Health Shreveport (Psychiatry) Fellowship: LSU Health Shreveport (Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)

HONORS/AWARDS

President – Louisiana Psychiatrist Medical Association (LPMA)

Kentucky Colonel – Commissioned by KY Gov Andy Beshear

Faculty – Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC)

OTHER: Editorial Board – Journal of Addiction Medicine

Host – “Addiction Medicine: Beyond the Abstract” Podcast (available on iTunes)

Shawn McNeil, MD, FAPA

Director of Neuroinformatics Research Associate Director, Psychiatry Residency Program Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine Associate CMO, Louisiana Behavioral Health Deputy Coroner, Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office Shawn.McNeil@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL WORK

My clinical work focuses on the treatment of adults, adolescents, and children with mental health disorders and substance abuse. I staff the adult and dual-diagnosis units at Louisiana Behavioral Health (a joint venture of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport and Oceans Healthcare). I also provide care to patients enrolled in the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at LBH. I supervise residents and see patients in the psychiatry clinic at the Ochsner LSU Ambulatory Care Center (ACC).

CURRENT RESEARCH

My primary research is clinical in nature and is conducted through the LSU Psychiatry Research Clinic. I am the principal investigator on a clinical trial studying a therapeutic (AB-2004) for the treatment of irritability in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This trial is part of the Tapestry Study sponsored by Axial Therapeutics. I am also involved with several studies at LSU Health involving neuroimaging, psilocybin, and methamphetamine use.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

McNeil, S.E. (2017). Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment With an Emphasis on Neurodevelopmental Disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry Residents Journal.

McNeil, S.E., Murnane, K., Goeders, N.E., Patterson, J.C. (2021, August 3). Overdose Awareness. 318 Forum.

Edinoff AN, Sathivadivel N, McNeil SE, Ly AI, Kweon J, Kelkar N, Cornett EM, Kaye AM, Kaye AD. Antipsychotic Use in Pregnancy: Patient Mental Health Challenges, Teratogenicity, Pregnancy Complications, and Postnatal Risks. Neurology International.

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Centenary College LSU Health Shreveport Residency – University of South Carolina Fellowship – University of New Mexico Fellowship – Case Western Reserve University

HONORS/AWARDS

Ralph Waldo Emerson Award 2020

APA Assembly Profile of Courage Award 2019

Pam McPherson, MD

Associate Professor and Vice-Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program Director

Pam.Mcpherson@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Dr. McPherson is a board certified in child & adolescent, adult, and forensic psychiatrist. After attending Centenary College and LSU Health Shreveport, she completed her residency at the University of South Carolina, and fellowships at University of New Mexico, and Case Western Reserve University. She has extensive background consulting with juvenile justice systems. She serves as a mental health subject matter expert for the Department of Homeland Security Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Division. She has been recognized by the APA, Physicians for Human Rights and the Ridenhour Foundation for her mental health advocacy work.

Joined LSUHS - 2020

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – University of Toronto

MD – LSU Health Shreveport

Residency – LSU Health Shreveport

Fellowship – LSU Health Shreveport

Aja Menard, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine

Aja_W._Menard@lsuhs.edu

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Dr. Aja Welch Menard has worked as medical director for LA Methodist Children’s Home in Ruston and for the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, providing psychiatric care for veterans on the inpatient unit. She has also provided clinical services for the Willis Knighton Health Care system and Brentwood Hospital. She is currently a deputy coroner for Caddo Parish and continues to work on an outpatient basis at Overton Brooks VA Medical Center.

Joined LSUHS - 2013

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MS – University of Madras

PGDCA – Loyola Institute of Business Administration

MPhil – University of Madras

PhD – University of Madras

Post-Doctoral – Emory University Post-Doctoral – University of Kentucky MBA – LSU Shreveport

HONORS/AWARDS

Allen A Copping Excellence in Teaching Award, 2020 – LSUHS

Member, American Diabetes Association (ADA)

Member, Council and Grant Review, American Heart Association (AHA)

Member, North American Vascular Biology Association (NAVBO)

Member, Council and Grant Review, American Association of Anatomists

Member of The National Society of Leadership and Success (MBA Honors Selection)

Member of The Sigma Iota Epsilon (MBA Honors Selection)

Member, International Society of Heart Research

Sumitra Miriyala, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy Sumitra.Miriyala@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Miriyala’s research involves evaluating prenatal genetic abnormalities of antioxidant enzymes, the mechanisms regulating gene expression. Her focus is to delineate the role of mitochondrial retrograde signaling with special reference to oxidative modification of proteins in cerebral microcirculation. She is a PI and Co-Investigator on NIH R15, AAA, R01, R21, R25 and COBRE grants at LSUHSC.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Chandra M, Escalante-Alcalde D, Bhuiyan MS, Orr AW, Kevil CG, Morris AJ, Nam H, Dominic P, McCarthy KJ, Miriyala S*, Panchatcharam M. (2018) Cardiac-specific inactivation of LPP3 in mice leads to myocardial dysfunction and heart failure. Redox Biology. 14, 261271; (PMID: 28982073). *corresponding author

Alam S, Abdullah CS, Aishwarya R, Miriyala S, Panchatcharam M, Peretik JM, Orr AW, James J, Robbins J, Bhuiyan MS. (2018) Aberrant Mitochondrial Fission Is Maladaptive in Desmin Mutation-Induced Cardiac Proteotoxicity. Journal of the American Heart Association. 7(14). (PMID: 29987122)

Abdullah CS, Alam S, Aishwarya R, Miriyala S, Panchatcharam M, Bhuiyan MAN, Peretik JM, Orr AW, James J, Osinska H, Robbins J, Lorenz JN, Bhuiyan MS. (2018) Cardiac Dysfunction in the Sigma 1 Receptor Knockout Mouse Associated With Impaired Mitochondrial Dynamics and Bioenergetics. Journal of the American Heart Association. 7(20):e009775; (PMID: 30371279)

Ren X, Keeney JTR, Miriyala S, Noel T, Powell DK, Chaiswing L, Bondada S, St Clair DK, Butterfield DA. (2018) The triangle of death of neurons: Oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and loss of choline-containing biomolecules in brains of mice treated with doxorubicin. Advanced insights into mechanisms of chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (“chemobrain”) involving TNF-α. Free radical biology & medicine.134:1-8; (PMID: 30593843)

Abdullah CS, Alam S, Aishwarya R, Miriyala S, Bhuiyan MAN, Panchatcharam M, Pattillo CB, Orr AW, Sadoshima J, Hill JA, Bhuiyan MS. (2019) Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy associated with inhibition of autophagic degradation process and defects in mitochondrial respiration. Scientific reports. 9(1): (PMID: 30765730)

Xiao AY, Maynard MR, Piett CG, Nagel ZD, Alexander JS, Kevil CG, Berridge MV, Pattillo CB, Rosen LR, Miriyala S, Harrison L. (2019) Sodium sulfide selectively induces oxidative stress, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction and radiosensitizes glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Redox Biol. 16;26:101220: (PMID: 31176262)

Ren X, Keeney JTR, Miriyala S, Noel T, Powell DK, Chaiswing L, Bondada S, St Clair DK, Butterfield DA. (2019) The triangle of death of neurons: Oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and loss of choline-containing biomolecules in brains of mice treated with doxorubicin. Advanced insights into mechanisms of chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (“chemobrain”) involving TNF-α. Free Radic Biol Med. 134:1-8; (PMID: 30593843)

Joined LSUHS - 2020

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – University of Georgia PhD – Emory University Post-Doctoral – Yerkes National Primate Research Center

SERVICE AND HONORS

2022-Invited Chair, NIH Study Section ZDA1 GXM-A (02) R, Advancing Validated Drug Targets for Substance Use Disorders

2022-Invited Reviewer, NIH Study Section ZDA1 IXR-Q, NIDA HEAL Initiative: Novel Targets for Opioid Use Disorders and Opioid Overdose

2021-Invited Reviewer, NIH Standing Study Section – Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior (NMB)

Treasurer and Executive Committee, International Society for Research on Psychedelics

Executive Committee and Internal Advisory Committee, Program of Multidisciplinary Training in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology (T32), LSU Health Sciences Center

HONORS/AWARDS TRAINEES

Nicole Hall

Travel Award to present at Curious 2022 Future Insight Conference in Darmstadt, Germany

Kevin Murnane, PhD

Associate Professor, Departments of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience and Psychiatry Director, Basic Sciences Research, Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC)

Kevin.Murnane@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Murnane’s research is focused on the etiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, neurobiology, and treatment of substance use disorders. Areas of special emphasis include novel pharmacotherapeutics for substance use disorders, mood changes and cognitive impairments comorbid to addiction, neurodegenerative decline following exposure to abused substances, and the cardiovascular insults induced by substance abuse and addiction. Recent studies have focused on how new drug targets modulate inflammation, oxidative stress, and monoamine systems to affect mood, motivation, and cognition. Our longterm ambition is that the knowledge gained in these studies will allow for the development of new therapeutics with first-in-class disease modifying effects for substance use disorders.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Batra V, Murnane KS, Knox B, Edinoff A, Ghaffar Y, Nussdorf L, Petersen M, Kaufman S, Jiwani S, Casey C, Terhoeve S, Dominic P, and Patterson JC (Accepted) Early onset cardiovascular disease related to methamphetamine use is the most striking in individuals who are under 30 or African American: A retrospective chart review. Addictive Behaviors Reports PMID: 35620216

McClary-Gutierrez JS, Aanderud ZT, Al-faliti M, Duvallet C, Gonzalez R, Guzman J, Holm RH, Jahne MA, Kantor RS, Katsivelis P, Kuhn KG, Langan LM, Mansfeldt C, McLellan SL, Mendoza Grijalva LM, Murnane KS, Naughton CC, Packman AI, Paraskevopoulos S, Radniecki TS, Roman FA, Shrestha A, Stadler LB, Steele JA, Swalla BM, Vikesland P, Wartell B, Wilusz CJ, Ching Wong JC, Boehm AB, Halden RU, Bibby K, and Vela JD (In Press) Standardizing data reporting in the research community to enhance the utility of open data for SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology PMID: 34567579

Joshi DJ, Chitre NM, Bansal A, Murnane KS, D’Souza MJ. (In Press) Formulation and Characterization of Microcapsules Encapsulating PC12 Cells as a Prospective Treatment Approach for Parkinson’s Disease. AAPS PharmSciTech May 7;22(4):149 PMID: 33961149.

Wong JC, Shapiro L, Thelin JT, Heaton E, Zaman RU, D’Souza MJ, Murnane KS, and Escayg A (In Press) Nanoparticle encapsulated oxytocin increases resistance to induced seizures and restores social behavior in Scn1a-derived epilepsy. Neurobiology of Disease PMID: 33189882

Kumar A, Krishnamachary B, Mahajan A, Chen L, Goeders NE, Walter RE, Murnane KS, and Dhillon NK (Accepted) Chapter 64: Chronic Exposure to Methamphetamine Induces Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Male Rats. Lung Vascular Biology and Mechanisms of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. American Thoracic Society

Sagrera CE, Alderman L, Goeders NE, and Murnane KS (In Press) Elucidating the Role of Trauma and Significant Life Stress in the Disease of Addiction may Provide New Targets for Medication Development. CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets PMID: 35546748

Edinoff AN, Nix CA, McNeil SE, Wagner SE, Johnson CA, Williams BC, Cornett EM, Murnane KS, Kaye AM, Kaye AD (In Press) Prescription stimulants in individuals with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: misuse, cognitive impact, and adverse effects. Psychiatry International

Dominic P, Ahmad J, Awwab H, Bhuiyan S, Kevil CG, Goeders NE, Murnane KS, Patterson JC, Sandau KE, Gopinathannair R, and Olshansky B (Accepted) Stimulant Drugs of Abuse and Cardiac Arrhythmias. Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology PMID: 34961335

Oppong-Damoah A, Gannon BM, and Murnane KS (2022) The endocannabinoid system and alcohol dependence: Will cannabinoid receptor 2 agonism be more fruitful than cannabinoid receptor 1 antagonism? CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets 21(1):3-13 PMID: 33573565

Edinoff AN, Fort JM, Singh C, Wagner SE, Rodriguez JR, Johnson CA, Cornett EM, Murnane KS, Kaye AM, Kaye AD (2022) Alternative Options for Complex, Recurrent Pain States Using Cannabinoids, Psilocybin, and Ketamine: A Narrative Review of Clinical Evidence. Neurology International PMID: 35645354

Edinoff AN, Thompson E, Merriman CE, Alvarez MR, Alpaugh ES, Cornett EM, Murnane KS, Kozinn RL, ShahBruce M, Kaye AM, Kaye AD (2022) Oxytocin, a Novel Treatment for Methamphetamine Use Disorder. Neurology International PMID: 35225885

Hugh Nam, PhD Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience Hyung.Nam@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2014

EDUCATION/TRAINING

PhD – Yonsei University, Korea

Post-Doctoral – Mayo Clinic,

HONORS/AWARDS

NARSAD Young Investigator Award

CURRENT RESEARCH

We are studying that endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (NOS) mechanism using calcium dependent neurogranin signaling. Our study has been focusing on how Ng-eNOS pathway regulates endothelial activation and cardiovascular disease. The outcome of our study will contribute to our goal of establishing clinical interventions related neurogranin signaling and to positively impact pharmacological treatment strategies for cardiovascular disease.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Germany CE, Reker AN, Hinton DJ, Oliveros A, Smith K, Cvek U, Choi DS, Nam HW. (2018) Pharmacoproteomics identifies the drug efficacy mechanism in acamprosate treatment and alcoholism., Proteomics. 18(7), e1700417

Reker AN, Oliveros A, Hinton DJ, Kim T, Bruner RC, Sullivan JM, Choi DS, Goeders NE, Nam HW. (2018) Neurogranin in the nucleus accumbens regulates NMDA receptor tolerance and motivation for ethanol seeking. Neurophamacology. 131: 58-67.

Sulivan JM, Grant C, Reker AN, Nahar L, Goeders NE, Nam HW. (2019) Neurogranin regulates sensory motor gating through cortico-striatal circuitry, Neuropharmacology. 150:91-99

Nam HW, Grant CA, Jorgensen AN, Holtz-Heppelmann CJ, Trutschl M, Cvek U, (2020) Neurogranin regulates alcohol sensitivity through AKT pathway in the nucleus accumbens. Proteomics. 20(1): e1900266.

Chandra M, Escalante-Alcaldeb D, Bhuiyan MS, Orr AW, Kevil C, Morrisd AJ, Nam HW, Dominic P, McCarthy KJ, Miriyala S, Panchatcharama M. Cardiac-specific inactivation of LPP3 in mice leads to myocardial dysfunction and heart failure. Redox Biology 14:261-271, 2018

Sreedhar A, Cassell T, Smith P, Lu D, Nam HW, Lane AN, Zhao Y. UCP2 Overexpression Redirects Glucose into Anabolic Metabolic Pathways. Proteomics. 19(4): e1800353, 2019

Nahar L, Grant CG, Hewett CN, Cortes D, Reker AN, Choi DS, Nam HW. (2019) Regulation of Pv-Specific Interneurons in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Alcohol-Seeking Behaviors. Neuropharmacology, Under Revision

Claudia Orellana, MD Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry Claudia.Orellana@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2006

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MS – LSU Health Shreveport

MD – LSU Health Shreveport

ABOUT

Dr. Orellana was born and raised in Ecuador. She developed her passion for teaching and medicine at an early age when she participated in literacy and planned pregnancy campaigns in her home country. She came to the United States to obtain her college degree at Florida Southern College, learning English as she studied and successfully graduating within 2 years. She then moved to Shreveport, LA, where she was offered a scholarship to obtain a master’s degree in Biochemistry from LSU Health Shreveport. It was during this time that she met her former husband and had her two adored children, Sami and Hanna. Dr. Orellana started medical school at LSU Health Shreveport while raising her two young children and managing the family business. It was a challenging yet fulfilling balance between family, educational, and occupational responsibilities. Dr. Orellana’s most difficult challenge was the loss of her twin brother when she was in her second year of medical school. This loss propelled her desire to help others during their most vulnerable states. She completed her residency in child and adolescent psychiatry while battling cancer and its complications. Her strong faith helped her to stay focused and resilient, allowing her to draw on her personal experiences to help others. She has been part of Willis Knighton as a psychiatrist and has served as medical director for several Medicaid Rehabilitation agencies. In addition, she has provided services to a therapeutic group home for female teens in DCFS custody, contracted with the VA to serve our nations’ veterans, and has also been sworn as a deputy coroner for Caddo Parish, all while maintaining her private practice in Shreveport. Dr. Orellana is excited to walk the same hallways she once walked as a student and psychiatric resident, now as a clinical associate professor at LSU Health Shreveport. Her goal is to pass on to future medical professionals the knowledge she has gained thanks to her alma mater. In her spare time, Dr. Orellana enjoys relaxing to the soothing sounds of the water and watching the sunset while indulging in the fresh aroma of coffee, as it brings her closer to memories of her beloved home, Ecuador. She recharges her energy by spending time with her children and family, traveling, doing decor and renovation projects for others, and writing short stories.

Joined LSUHS - 2014

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Korea University, Republic of Korea

MS – Seoul National University, Republic of Korea

PhD – Washington University, St . Louis, MO Post-Doctoral – Washington University

SERVICE & HONORS

Grant Review, American Heart Association (AHA), NIH

Changwon

Park, PhD Associate Professor

Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology

Changwon.Park@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

We previously demonstrated that unlike other ETS factors exhibiting varying degree of redundancy, Etv2 deficient mice die early in gestation due to complete block in blood and blood vessel formation. Further, our studies have revealed that ETV2 acts as a direct upstream inducer of genes critical for generation and function of endothelial cells (ECs). In a subsequent report, we have successfully shown that the dormant ETV2 in adult ECs is reactivated to trigger the angiogenic program in response to ischemic injury. We have also reported that ETV2 alone can directly reprogram terminally differentiated somatic cells into functional ECs, inarguably supporting the idea that ETV2 is a highly specific and potent vasculo-angiogenic factor. We are currently deciphering molecular mechanisms behind ETV2/other transcription factor-mediated vascularization by employing basic molecular biology, epigenetics and genetically modified mice coupled with mouse models of angiogenesis.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Kabir, A., Subramanian, M. Lee, D.H., Wang, X., , Krchma, K., Wu, J., Naismith, T., Halabi, C.M., Kim, J.Y., Pulous, F., Petrich, B., Kim, S., Park, H-C., Hanson, P.I., Pan, H., Wickline, S.A., Fremont, D.H., *Park, C., and *Choi, K. (2021) Dual role of endothelial Myct1 in tumor angiogenesis and tumor immunity. Sci. Transl. Med. 13, eabb6731. *Corresponding authors. Published with cover image

Ju, S., Lim, L., Wi, K., Park, C., Ki Y-J., Choi, D-H., Song, H. (2021) LRP5 Regulates HIF1α Stability via Interaction with PHD2 in Ischemic Myocardium. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22(12):6581.

Lee, T.J., Kang, H.K., Berry, J.C., Joo, H.G., Park, C., Miller, M.J., and Choi, K. (2021) ER71/ ETV2 Promotes Hair Regeneration from Chemotherapeutic Drug-Induced Hair Loss by Enhancing Angiogenesis. Biomol. Ther. 2021 Apr 5. doi: 10.4062/biomolther.2021.022.

Jang, A., Chang, S., Park, C., Lee, C-M., Benza, R., Passineau, M., Ma, J., Archer, D., Sutliff, R., Hart, C.M., and Kang, B-Y. (2021) PPARγ Activation Increases HUWE1 to Attenuate NFκB/p65 and Sickle Cell Disease with Pulmonary Hypertension. Blood Advances 5(2):399413.

Wongtrakool, C., Ko, J., Jang, A.J., Grooms, K., Chang, S., Kosmider, B., Bahmed, K., Blackburn, M.R., Sutliff, R., Hart, C.M., Park, C., Nyunoya, T., Lu, Q., and Kang, B-Y. (2020) MicroRNA-98 reduces nerve growth factor expression in nicotine-induced airway remodeling. J. Biol. Chem. 295(52):18051-18064.

Kim, J.Y., Lee, D., Kim, J.K., Choi, H., Dwivedi, B., Rupji, M., Kowalski, J., Green, J.S., Park, W., Chang, C., Song, H., Kim, T-M., and Park, C. (2019) ETV2/ER71 regulates the generation of FLK1+ cells from mouse embryonic stem cells through miR-126-MAPK signaling. Stem Cell Res. Ther. 10(1):328.

Lee, D.H., Kim, T.M., Kim, J.K., and Park, C. (2019) ETV2/ER71 transcription factor as a therapeutic vehicle for cardiovascular disease. Theranostics 9:5694- 5705.

James Patterson, II, MD, PhD Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine

James.Patterson@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2013

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MS – Lamar University Beaumont, TX

MD/PhD – University of Texas Galveston, TX

Fellowship – National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD

HONORS/AWARDS

Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

CHRISTUS Schumpert Endowed Chair of Neurobiology, Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience

EDUCATIONAL/CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

James C. Patterson II, MD, PhD, is the Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport. He is also a joint faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience.

Dr. Patterson has also worked as Chief of Mental Health at the local VA Medical Center. Dr. Patterson has been in Shreveport since 2000, has risen to the position of Professor and Chair, and also serves in the role as the Christus Schumpert Chair of Neurobiology. He is also the Clinical Director of the Louisiana Addiction Research Center, as well as the Medical Director of Louisiana Behavioral Health.

Dr. Patterson’s past roles include serving as the Director of PET Neuroimaging Research, as well as the Program Director for Residency Training of the Psychiatry Residency Program.

Joined LSUHS - 1988

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS (French)

College of Charleston Charleston, SC

MA (Slavic Languages) Columbia University New York, NY

PhD (Physical Anthropology)

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC

Leonard

Prouty, PhD

Assistant Professor and Director, Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory Department of Pediatrics

Leonard.Prouty@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Prouty is interested in the genetics of adult hydrocephalus (normal pressure hydrocephalus).

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

He submitted an abstract for the yearly meeting of the International Society for Neurovascular Disorders.

Evelyn Pryor, MD Assistant Professor of Clinical of Internal Medicine Division Chief of Telemedicine Evelyn.Pryor@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Xavier University of New Orleans

MD – The Medical College of Georgia in Atlanta

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Evelyn Baranco Pryor is the Medical Director for the Ochsner LSU Health Ambulatory Care Center Internal Medicine Clinic, and serves as Associate Professor – Clinical and Division Chief of Telemedicine for Louisiana State University Health Shreveport. Dr. Pryor was born in Louisiana, but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her BS from Xavier University of New Orleans, summa cum laude. After medical school at The Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia, she completed residency training in Internal Medicine at The Morehouse School of Medicine residency program in Atlanta, Georgia, where she served as chief resident. Dr. Pryor then accepted a joint position as faculty for both The Morehouse School of Medicine and Emory School of Medicine Internal Medicine Residency Programs at Grady Memorial Hospital. While there, she was an investigator or co-investigator on three NIH-funded grants and was an author on four peer-reviewed publications in the area of pharmacogenomics of antihypertensive medications in African Americans.

For most of her 20+ year medical career, Dr. Pryor has been in private practice with a focus on practice management and digital medicine, including telemedicine. She has consistently received NCQA/HEDIS awards and awards for patient care, such as being a Kaiser Georgia Communication All-Star for patient satisfaction rates of 98% or greater. Dr. Pryor is excited to be back in an academic environment where she brings patient care expertise to patients, students and trainees.

Joined LSUHS - 2018

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

DPT – Washington University in St Louis Neurologic Residency – Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation, Dallas PhD(c) – Texas Woman’s University, Dallas

HONORS/AWARDS

Allen A Copping Award for Excellence in Teaching

Dorn Long Excellence in Clinical Education

Lauren

Rachal

Sant, PT, DPT, NCS

Doctor of Physical Therapy Director, Neurologic Residency in Physical Therapy lauren.rachal@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research focuses on cognitive-motor interference in individuals with neurologic conditions. In this work I investigate the effect of dual-tasking on both cognitive and motor performance. This work is important for improving neurorehabilitation and safety for individuals with conditions such as stroke, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. I also have an interest in neuroplasticity in neurologic trauma and degenerative conditions. Neuroplastic and neuroprotective factors help to improve brain function in individuals with neurologic conditions and can result in improved functional mobility and cognitive performance.

I am a board-certified specialist in neurologic physical therapy through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and teach in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the School of Allied Health Professions where I also practice in the faculty practice clinic for neurorehabilitation. As program director of the neurologic residency, I provide advanced training and mentoring for licensed physical therapists who are specializing in neurology.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Brown AJ, Rachal Sant L. Blood flow restriction training for an individual with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a case report. Physiother Theory Pract. 2022 Jul 19:1-9.

Rachal, L., Swank, C., Trudelle-Jackson, E., & Driver, S. (2019). Reliability and clinical feasibility of measuring dual-task gait in the inpatient rehabilitation setting following traumatic brain injury. Physiotherapy theory and practice, 35(12), 1336-1342.

Driver, S., Rachal, L., Swank, C., & Dubiel, R. (2016). Objective assessment of activity in inpatients with traumatic brain injury: initial findings. Brain Impairment, 17(1), 55-63.

ABSTRACTS

Driver S, Rachal L, Swank C, Dubiel R (2015). Piloting the Use of Accelerometers to Assess the Amount and Intensity of Activity Completed by Inpatients Following TBI. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 30(3):E89-E89.

Guru Ramaiah, MBBS Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology gmalay@lsuhsc.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2020

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MBBS, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at Dr MGR Medical University (Thanjavur Medical College), India

Clinical Internship at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital, India

Residency in Neurology at the University of Toledo

Fellowship in Vascular Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh

MEMBERSHIPS

American Academy of Neurology

American Heart Association

Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology

Society of Neuro Interventional Surgery

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Dr. Ramaiah is an integral member of the vascular neurology team within the OLHS Stroke Center.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Mechanical Thrombectomy of M1 and M2 Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusions

Hisham Salahuddin, Guru Ramaiah, Diana Slawski, Syed Zaidi, Mouhammad Jumaa

Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery July 2017; PMID: 28705890

Rescue of Neglect and Language Impairment After Stroke Thrombectomy

Shashvat Desai, Konark Malhotra, Guru Ramaiah, Daniel Tonetti, Waqas Haq,Tudor Jovin, Ashutosh Jadhav

Stroke July 2021; PMID: 34266307

Joined LSUHS - 2010

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MD – University of the Philippines – Manila, Philippines

Medical Internship – University of the Philippines/Philippine General Hospital Residency (General Pediatrics) – University of the Philippines/Philippine General Hospital Residency (General Pediatrics) Wake Forest University/North Carolina Baptist Hospital

Fellowship (Pediatric Neurology) –Duke University Medical Center

Fellowship (Clinical Neurophysiology) –Duke University Medical Center

HONORS/AWARDS

Diplomat, American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology, 2020

Rosario Maria S . Riel-Romero, MD

Professor, Department of Neurology Professor, Department of Pediatrics Director, Epilepsy Monitoring Unit Director, Epilepsy Program Director, Child Neurology

Rosario.Riel-Romero@lsuhs.edu

ABOUT

Dr. Rosario Maria S. Riel-Romero is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology both in Neurology with Special Qualification in Child Neurology and in Epilepsy and the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Neurology and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. She is the author of numerous peerreviewed articles and is an active member of the Child Neurology Society, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society and the American Epilepsy Society where she served in various committees.  She is also the Director of Child Neurology at LSU Health Shreveport and also of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at OLHS. In addition to patient care, she is active in teaching residents, fellows, and medical students. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Pediatric Neurology Society where she was also elected as Secretary.  She has been actively involved in clinical trials for drugs being studied for treatment of epilepsy.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Focal Epilepsy caused by Single Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM) is Associated with Regional and Global Resting State Functional Connectivity (FC) Disruption by Jason D’Cruz  , Matthew Hefner  , Christina Ledbetter  , Clifton Frilot , Brady Howard , Peimin Zhu , Rosario RielRomero , Christina Notarianni  , Eduardo Gonzalez Toledo , Anil Nanda , Hai Sun. NeuroImage: Clinical 24 (2019) 102072

Joined LSUHS - 2020

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – University of Central Oklahoma

MA – University of Central Oklahoma

PhD – University of Colorado Boulder

Post-Doctoral – University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus

HONORS/AWARDS

Scientist Development Grant, American Heart Association (AHA)

Krista Rodgers, PhD Assistant Professor of Cellular Biology and Anatomy Krista.Rodgers@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research aims to improve our understanding of the processes underlying brain repair and regeneration following cerebral ischemia, which is critical given the lack of reparative treatments and high rates of stroke-related disabilities among survivors. Neurogenesis is a process involving the generation of new neurons from neural progenitor cells, and may hold promise as a therapeutic target for neuronal regeneration. Our laboratory has found marked newborn neuron survival in the ischemic core at long-term time points following stroke, along with improved functional outcomes. Investigation of the inherent capacity for neuronal replacement and the mechanisms that underlie functional recovery is essential to the development of novel therapies for the treatment of stroke.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Orfila JE, Grewal H, Dietz RM, Strnad F, Shimizu T, Moreno M, Schroeder C, Yonchek J, Rodgers KM, Dingman A, Bernard TJ, Quillinan N, Macklin WB, Traystman RJ, Herson PS. (2019)  Delayed inhibition of tonic inhibition enhances functional recovery following experimental ischemic stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab.  39(6):1005-1014.

Dingman AL, Rodgers KM, Dietz RM, Hickey SP, Frazier AP, Clevenger AC, Yonchek JC, Traystman RJ, Macklin WB, Herson PS. (2019)  Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cell Proliferation and Fate after White Matter Stroke in Juvenile and Adult Mice. Dev Neurosci. 12:1-16.

Dietz RM, Orfila JE, Rodgers KM, Patsos OP, Deng G, Chalmers N, Quillinan N, Traystman RJ, Herson PS. (2018)  Juvenile cerebral ischemia reveals age-dependent BDNF-TrkB signaling changes: Novel mechanism of recovery and therapeutic intervention. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 38(12):2223-2235.

Rodgers KM, Ahrendsen JT, Patsos OP, Strnad FA, Yonchek JC, Traystman RJ, Macklin WB, Herson PS. (2018)  Endogenous Neuronal Replacement in the Juvenile Brain Following Cerebral Ischemia. Neuroscience. 380:1-13.

Joined LSUHS - 1991

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS (Horticulture) – Kansas State University

MS (Pharmacology) – Medical College of Wisconsin

PhD (Pharmacology) – Medical College of Wisconsin

HONORS/AWARDS

Reviewer for:

Brain Research, Journal of Neurochemistry Life Sciences

Brain Research Bulletin, Peptides

Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine Journal for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Journal for Neuroscience Pain

Free Radical Biology and Medicine Neurochemistry International

Sandra

Roerig, PhD

Dean Emerita, School of Graduate Studies Professor Emerita, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience

Sandra.Roerig@lsuhs.edu

ABOUT

The School of Graduate Studies was established as part of the LSU Medical Center (known as LSU Health Shreveport today) in 1965, with degrees offered in five basic science departments. The first class was accepted in 1974 and the first PhD degree awarded in 1978. On March 25, 2004, the Louisiana Board of Regents approved administrative separation of the School of Graduate Studies in Shreveport from the School of Graduate Studies in New Orleans. The School of Graduate Studies in Shreveport was placed under the leadership of the LSUHS Chancellor in 2004. Dr. Sandra Roerig was appointed the first Dean of the school on April 1, 2004 and served in this role until her retirement in 2017.

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – University of Texas at Austin

BA – University of Texas at Austin

PhD – University of Texas at Austin Postdoctoral Fellow – National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

HONORS/AWARDS

NIH/NIAAA K99R00 Pathway to Independence Grant

American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award

Armando Salinas, PhD Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience Armando.Salinas@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research investigates normal and abnormal brain function in neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson’s disease, and in motivated behaviors, including alcohol and substance use disorders. More specifically, we are interested in the interaction of neurotransmitter systems (e.g. dopamine and acetylcholine) to modulate synaptic plasticity and the neural circuits that shape behavior under normal and pathological conditions. More simply, how do different brain chemicals interact to produce “learning” at the molecular level and how do these molecular level changes result in behavioral changes? The lab is currently funded by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to study the role of striatal cholinergic interneurons in chronic alcoholinduced cognitive deficits. The overarching hypothesis is that chronic alcohol exposure results in hypofunctional striatal cholinergic circuits and that this deficit contributes to cognitive flexibility deficits observed in alcohol use disorder. Other studies in the lab explore the role of striosome and matrix compartments of the striatum in reinforcement and motivated behaviors. We will also follow up on prior studies examining the beneficial effects of a ketone ester-enriched diet on motor and nonmotor Parkinson’s symptoms.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Sun F,  Salinas AG, Filser S, Blumenstock S, Herms J, Sgobio C. (2021) Impact of α-synuclein spreading on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway depends on the onset of the pathology. Brain Pathology.

Salinas AG, Mateo Y, Cuzon Carlson VC, Stinnett GS, Luo G, Seasholtz AF, Grant KA, Lovinger DM. (2021) Long-term alcohol consumption alters dorsal striatal dopamine release and regulation by D2 dopamine receptors in rhesus macaques. Neuropsychopharmacology.

Salinas AG and Mateo Y.  (2020)  Regionally distinct dopamine release dynamics between striosome and matrix compartments of the striatum:  Role in basal ganglia disorders. “Compendium of In Vivo Monitoring in Real-time Molecular Neuroscience, Vol. III”

Blackwell KT,  Salinas AG, Tewatia P, English B, Hellgren-Kotaleski J, Lovinger DM.  (2019)  Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Striatal Synaptic Plasticity: Relevance to Chronic Alcohol Consumption and Seeking.  European Journal of Neuroscience.

Christopher Schmoutz, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience

Christopher.Schmoutz@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2005

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS (Neuroscience)

Allegheny College Meadville, PA

PhD (Neuropharmacology) LSUHS

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Schmoutz’s research interests include neuropsychopharmacology, neuroendocrinology, and zebrafish models of neuropsychiatric disorders. As an educator, Dr. Schmoutz teaches topics of neuroscience and neuropharmacology to graduate and medical students.

The Schmoutz Laboratory evaluates neuropharmacological therapeutics through advanced behavioral and neurochemical techniques. We are actively developing novel zebrafish models of neuropsychiatric disorders, including addiction, epilepsy, anxiety, and PTSD. These zebrafish models are high-throughput and inexpensive, allowing us to quickly answer important neuropsychopharmacological questions in a cost-effective manner.

Joined LSUHS - 2002

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS (Biochemistry)

Pennsylvania State University State College, PA

PhD (Biochemistry)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC

Fellowship (Neuroimmunology)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC

Fellowship (Virology) – LSUHS

Rona Scott, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Director, Genomics Core, Center of Molecular and Tumor Virology

Rona.Scott@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

With interests in genomics, I am Director of the Genomics Core for the Center of Molecular and Tumor Virology. I provide oversight for the Affymetrix microarray and next-generation sequencing (NGS) core facilities and provide guidance to interested investigators that plan to use NGS in their experiments.

To support genomics, I have been active in providing bioinformatics tools for the analysis of NGS data supporting research at LSUHSC-S. I implemented an RNA-seq analysis pipeline and used programs for principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering. I have published and been a collaborator on a number of genomics projects, requiring my bioinformatics input and analysis. In addition, I have been the principal investigator on several grants, including a NIH COBRE subproject grant, a Department of Defense Breast research program grant, and an NIH RO1 grant. Thus, I have the necessary experience to execute and lead federally funded projects.

As a member of the Center for Molecular and Tumor Virology (CMTV), I will be able to interact with both immunologists/virologists at LSUHSC-S. I am also a member of the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center (FWCC), Center of Excellence in Arthritis and Rheumatology (CEAR), and Center for Brain Health.

Pankaj Sharma, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

Pankaj.Sharma@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2019

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Medical Degree Gandhi Medical College India

Residency University of Louisville Louisville, KY

Fellowship (Vascular Neurology) University of Miami

Fellowship (Surgical Endovascular Neuroradiology)

Langone Medical Center and University of Maryland Medical Centers

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Dr. Sharma specializes in the treatment of strokes, endovascular and medical management of vascular disorders of the brain and spinal cord. He provides comprehensive care to patients with cerebrovascular disorders in collaboration with neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists and neuro-rehabilitation experts. His approach is patient-centered care, with the goal of providing holistic and comprehensive care to his patients and keeping them and their families informed and involved in every aspect of their care.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr. Sharma’s research interests include acute stroke interventions, intracranial atherosclerotic diseases, and the role of artificial intelligence in stroke care.

Joined LSUHS - 1998

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BAMod – Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

PhD – Trinity College Dublin, Ireland Post-Doctoral – LSUHSC, Shreveport

HONORS/AWARDS

Co-chair, Kaley Award Committee

Member Awards Committee, Microcirculatory Society, Inc

Associate Editor, Microcirculation

Member, Career Development Award Vasc 2 Panel, AHA Peer Review

Karen Stokes, PhD

Assistant Director of the CCDS, Scientific Excellence Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology Director of the CURIOUS, Cardiovascular Undergraduate Research Initiative fOr Underrepresented Students

Karen.Stokes@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research focuses on microvascular responses to cardiovascular risk factors, primarily in the brain. My lab is currently NIH-funded. Much of my current research revolves around understanding the crosstalk between platelets, leukocytes and the vascular endothelium of the brain in diabetes. Now we are expanding this to interactions with red blood cells in sickle cell disease, specifically how red blood cells mediate the resulting inflammation, and thrombosis. We are collaborating with Drs. Tinsley and Disbrow to test the benefit of exercise and cognitive training on post-stroke outcome and platelet activation (as a marker of risk for future stroke) in diabetic patients. Our newer research is revealing how redox imbalances mediate vascular contributions to Alzheimer’s Disease. I also direct the Cardiovascular Undergraduate Research Initiative for Underrepresented Students (CURIOUS), funded by an NIH R25 grant, and co-direct the MultiDisciplinary Training in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology (MTCP), funded by an NIH T32 grant.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Barzegar M, Stokes KY, Chernyshev O, Kelley R, Alexander JS. (2021) The Role of the ACE2/masR Axis in Ischemic Stroke: New Insights for Therapy. Biomedicines. 9(11):1667.

Disbrow E, Stokes KY, Ledbetter C, Patterson J, Kelley R, Pardue S, Reekes T, Larmeu L, Batra V, Yuan S, Cvek U, Trutschl M, Kilgore P, Alexander JS, Kevil CG. (2021) Plasma hydrogen sulfide: A biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Alzheimers Dement. 17(8):1391-1402. Epub 2021 Mar 12.

Barzegar M, Vital S, Stokes KY, Wang Y, Yun JW, White LA, Chernyshev O, Kelley RE, Alexander JS. (2021) Human placenta mesenchymal stem cell protection in ischemic stroke is angiotensin converting enzyme-2 and masR receptor-dependent. Stem Cells. 39(10):1335-1348. Epub 2021 Jun 22.

Abdullah CS, Aishwarya R, Alam S, Morshed M, Remex NS, Nitu S, Kolluru GK, Traylor J, Miriyala S, Panchatcharam M, Hartman B, King J, Bhuiyan MAN, Chandran S, Woolard MD, Yu X, Goeders NE, Dominic P, Arnold CL, Stokes K, Kevil CG, Orr AW, Bhuiyan MS. (2020) Methamphetamine induces cardiomyopathy by Sigmar1 inhibition-dependent impairment of mitochondrial dynamics and function. Commun Biol. 3(1):682.

Cruz-Topete D., Dominic P., Stokes K.Y. (2020) Uncovering sex-specific mechanisms of action of testosterone and redox balance. Redox Biol. 31:101490.

Wang B., Aw T.Y., Stokes K.Y. (2018) N-acetylcysteine attenuates systemic platelet activation and cerebral vessel thrombosis in diabetes. Redox Biol. 4:218- 228.

Wang B., Aw T.Y., Stokes K.Y. (2016) The protection conferred against ischemia-reperfusion injury in the diabetic brain by N acetylcysteine is associated with decreased dicarbonyl stress. Free Radic Biol Med. 96:89-98.

Hong Sun, PhD, MD Associate Professor of Cellular Biology and Anatomy Hong.Sun@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2011

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MD – Xuzhou Medical University

PhD – Mie University Post-Doctoral – University of Nebraska Medical Center

HONORS/AWARDS

Member, Council and Grant Review:

American Heart Association Editorial Board: Scientific Report, Med One Postdoctoral Fellowship: American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship: Japanese Government (Monbusho)

HONORS/AWARDS TRAINEES

Jiyu Li

2022 CCDS Feist Symposium

Best Poster Predoc Category: 2nd place South Central Society of Toxicology

2019 – Best Poster Predoc Category: 1st place

Kimberly McCarter

North Louisiana Neuroscience Conference

2017 – Best Poster Predoc Category: 1st place

Chun Li

LSU Graduate Research Day 2017 – Best Poster Postdoc Category: 2nd place

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Sun has specific expertise in vascular biology and neuroscience. His research focuses largely on developing novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke.

Sun Lab currently is investigating the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of light alcohol consumption and the detrimental effect of heavy alcohol consumption on ischemic stroke. Obesity is another serious public health problem.

Another major direction of Sun Lab is to investigate the influence of obesity on BBB disruption and cerebral vasoreactivity following ischemic stroke. Dr. Sun’s Lab is currently supported by the National Institute of Health.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Chun Li, Jiyu Li, Ethyn G. Loreno, Sumitra Miriyala, Manikandan Panchatcharam, and Hong Sun. Protective effect of low-dose alcohol consumption against post-ischemic neuronal apoptosis: role of L-PGDS. Int J Mol Sci. 23(1): 133, 2021

Jiyu Li, Chun Li, Ethyn G. Loreno, Sumitra Miriyala, Manikandan Panchatcharam, Xiaohong Lu, and Hong Sun. Low-dose alcohol consumption promotes cerebral angiogenesis in mice. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 8: 681627, 2021

Chun Li, Jiyu Li, Ethyn G. Loreno, Sumitra Miriyala, Manikandan Panchatcharam, Xiaohong Lu, and *Hong Sun. Chronic low-dose alcohol consumption attenuates post-ischemic inflammation via PPARγ in mice. Int J Mol Sci. 22: 10, 2021

Chun Li, Jiyu Li, Guodong Xu, *Hong Sun. (2020) Influence of chronic ethanol consumption on apoptosis and autophagy following transient focal cerebral ischemia in male mice. Scientific Reports. 10(1): 6164, 2020

Guodong Xu, Chun Li, Anne Parsiola, Jiyu Li, Kimberly D. McCarter, Runhua Shi, William G. Mayhan, Hong Sun. (2019) Dose-dependent influences of ethanol on ischemic stroke: role of inflammation. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 13:6

Kimberly D. McCarter, Chun Li, Jiyu Li, Guodong Xu, Hong Sun.(2019) Influence of low-dose alcohol consumption on post-ischemic inflammation: Role of cystathionine γ-lyase. Alcohol. 76(5):8189

Chun Li, Hong Sun, Guodong Xu, Kimberly D. McCarter, Jiyu Li, William G. Mayhan. (2018) MitoTempo prevents nicotine-induced exacerbation of ischemic brain damage. J . Appl. Physiol. 125(1): 49-57

Kimberly D. McCarter, Chun Li, Zheng Jiang, Wei Lu, Hillary C. Smith, Guodong Xu, William G. Mayhan, Hong Sun. (2017) Effect of low-dose alcohol consumption on inflammation following transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Scientific Reports. 7(1): 12547

Chun Li, Zheng Jiang, Wei Lu, Denise M. Arrick, Kimberly D. McCarter, Hong Sun. (2016) Effect of obesity on early blood-brain barrier disruption following transient focal cerebral ischemia. O besity Science & Practice. 2(1): 58-68

Zheng Jiang, Chun Li, Morganne L. Manuel, Shuai Yuan, Christopher G. Kevil, Kimberly D. McCarter, Wei Lu, Hong Sun. (2015) Role of hydrogen sulfide in early-stage blood-brain barrier disruption following transient focal cerebral ischemia. P LoS One. 10(2): e0117982.

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – University of Belgrade, Serbia

PhD – University of Belgrade, Serbia

Postdoctoral Fellow – University of Colora do, Denver

HONORS/AWARDS

2018 – Best scientific poster, 3th Annual Anesthesiology Research Conference, University of Colorado

2016 – COST action MouseAge fellowship for short term research stay at the VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, Leuven, Belgium (Dr Bart De Strooper), February 16 - March 15, 2016 .

2014 – DAAD project “Academic synapsing in the Balkans” fellowship for short term research stay at the Translational Centre for Regenerative Medicine (TRM), Leipzig, Germany (Dr Mike Francke), November 9-December 6, 2014 .

Vesna Tesic, PhD Assistant Professor of Neurology Vesna.Tesic@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

As a scientist I have a strong personal and public health interest to understand detrimental effects of the pathological changes in the brain and search for novel drugs/regimens to mitigate these effects.

My early research interest was focused on understanding key pathways involved in cognitive deterioration with aging. As an undergraduate, I conducted research on the changes in synaptic plasticity genes with aging in cortex and hippocampus in rodents. As a predoctoral student, I continued to investigate the involvement of stress-related pathways in aging-induced pathology in the brain. During my postdoctoral fellowship, my research was focused on understanding and identifying the molecular events that are underlying neurotoxic effects of anesthetics. I worked on characterization of a novel non-neurotoxic neurosteroid compounds that can replace traditionally used anesthetics. My research efforts are pointed towards using the modulation of the mechanisms underlying detrimental processes leading to the cognitive impairment with the goal to test novel therapeutic approaches and prevent and/or ameliorate progression of neurodegeneration.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Tesic V, Ciric J, Jovanovic Macura I, Zogovic N, Milanovic D, Kanazir S, Perovic M. (2021) Corticosterone and Glucocorticoid Receptor in the Cortex of Rats during Aging—The Effects of Long-Term Food Restriction. Nutrients, 13 (12), 4526. PMID: 34960078; PMCID: PMC8703853.

Tesic V, Joksimovic SM, Quillinan N, Krishnan K, Covey DF, Todorovic SM, Jevtovic-Todorovic V. (2020) Neuroactive steroids alphaxalone and CDNC24 are effective hypnotics and potentiators of GABAA currents, but are not neurotoxic to the developing rat brain. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 124(5):603-613. PMID: 32151384; PMCID: PMC7222221.

Lazic D1, Tesic V1, Jovanovic M, Brkic M, Milanovic D, Zlokovic BV, Kanazir S, Perovic M. (2020) Every-other day feeding exacerbates inflammation and neuronal deficits in 5XFAD mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiol Dis. 136:104745. PMID: 31931140. 1 equal contribution

Chastain-Potts SE, Tesic V, Tat QL, Cabrera OH, Quillinan N, Jevtovic-Todorovic V. (2020) Sevoflurane Exposure Results in Sex-Specific Transgenerational Upregulation of Target IEGs in the Subiculum. Mol Neurobiol. 57(1):11-22. PMID: 31512116; PMCID: PMC6980510

Joined LSUHS - 1989

EDUCATION/TRAINING

PT – Texas Women’s University – Denton, TX

PhD (Neuropharmacology) – LSUHS

HONORS/AWARDS

Visiting Scholar, Texas Woman’s University, Houston, TX April 2022

SB Magazine Top 100 Practitioners November 2021

Noel Foundation Grants - $175,000principle investigator

LWCC Foundation Louisiana Well Again Grant- $36,525 - co-investigator

Suzanne Tinsley

Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement, Assistant Dean, School of Allied Health Professions, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy

Suzanne.Tinsley@lsuhs.edu

ABOUT

Dr. Tinsley teaches medical pharmacology and neuroscience in the School of Allied Health Professions.  She is a Board Certified Neurologic Physical Therapist and is part of the Clinical Faculty for the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program at LSU Health Shreveport Rehabilitation Faculty Clinic.

Dr. Tinsley is the Associate Director Neurologic Rehabilitation in the Center for Brain Health. During fiscal year 2021-22, she raised $162,000 in philanthropic support for the CBH.

She has presented both internationally and nationally, as well as numerous continuing education seminars on the topics of pharmacology and neurologic rehabilitation. In addition, she has served on the ABPTS Academy of Content Experts.  Dr. Tinsley has published in the area of pharmacology and rehabilitation.  She has an active clinical practice in the area of neurological rehabilitation as well as an active clinical research agenda.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS /PRESENTATIONS

Tinsley, S, Vazquez-Morgan, M. “The Science Behind Increasing Happiness and Brain Health for Mature Adults.” 318 Forum Magazine. Shreveport, LA. May 5, 2022.

Tinsley S, Hatch J. Marijuana Education for the Rehabilitation Specialists.” Hackensack Meridian JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, Edison, New Jersey. June 2022.

Tinsley S. “What is the Buzz All About: Marijuana Education for the Rehabilitation Specialists” Orthopedic Section, APTA, Combined Sections Meeting, San Antonio, TX, February 2022.

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Louisiana Tech University

MD – LSUHS

Residency – Virginia Commonwealth University

Fellowship – Virginia Commonwealth University

Jamie Toms, MD Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery Jamie.Toms@lsuhs.edu

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Jamie Toms, MD received a Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology from Louisiana Tech University.. He received his Doctor of Medicine from LSU Health Shreveport and completed his neurosurgery residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. He completed a fellowship in stereotactic, functional, and epilepsy neurosurgery at Virginia Commonwealth University under Dr. Kathryn Holloway. Along with his clinical practice, he is actively involved in both clinical and basic science research, and he holds a joint appointment with the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience. He has conducted extensive research in the use of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of dementia and movement disorders. He has also conducted research in stereotactic neurosurgery and intraoperative imaging.

Dr. Toms is an active member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, College of Neurological Surgeons, the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, the Southern Neurological Society and the American College of Surgeons. He has presented nationally at various conferences, including annual meetings of the Southern Neurosurgical Society, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and the American Medical Association. Dr. Toms has also published many peer-reviewed journal articles and serves as a reviewer for many publications, including Neurosurgery and Brain Injury.

When not working, he enjoys gardening, eating good food, and spending time with his wife and family.

Joined LSUHS - 2007

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Tulane University

MD – Emory University – Atlanta, GA

PhD – Emory University – Atlanta, GA Residency (General Pediatrics) – Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX Fellowship (Infectious Diseases) Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

HONORS/AWARDS

President, American Academy of Pediatrics, Louisiana Chapter

William Haynie, MD Award from the Northwest Louisiana Pediatric Society

John Vanchiere, MD, PhD

Professor and Chief of Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Pediatrics Associate Director, Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats

John.Vanchiere@lsuhs.edu

ABOUT

As a physician-scientist with 75% protected time for research, I am engaged in numerous clinical and translational research projects at LSUHSC-S. The study of human polyomaviruses has been my research passion for the last 18 years, and this project builds on my long-term relationship with the Department of Comparative Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The goal of my laboratory research is to understand the normal host control of polyomaviruses in order to apply that understanding to the prevention of polyomavirus disease among immune compromised patients.

My collaboration with the NIH-funded Squirrel Monkey Breeding and Research Resource (SMBRR) focuses on the development of a long-sought and much-needed nonhuman primate model of polyomavirus disease. As Director of the Children’s Clinical Research Center in the Department of Pediatrics, I am charged with the oversite of this key resource and the development of Pediatric clinician-investigators through mentorship and training of junior faculty.

I have worked to develop a primate model of opportunistic polyomavirus in the CNS. I provide advisory support to the Director of the Center for Brain Health.

Joined LSUHS - 1997

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS – Louisiana State University – Shreveport

BS – LSUHS

MS - LSUHS

PhD – Texas Women’s University – Denton, TX

HONORS/AWARDS

SB Magazine Top 100 Practitioners

Dec 2021

Featured Healer – Evening of Healers LSUHS 9/2021

Inaugural Cole Endowed Professor in Community Initiatives – 2020

LSUS Alumni of the Month December 2018

Featured Therapist: APTA Perspectives Magazine Cultural Diversity Oct 2018

Featured Healer – Evening for Healers

LSUHS May 2018

Allen A Copping Excellence in Teaching

Award – 2014

Marie Vazquez-Morgan, PhD, PT

Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Wellness Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Professions

Marie.Vazquez@lsuhs.edu

RECENT RESEARCH

Dr. Vazquez Morgan has presented research both nationally, internationally, and regionally at continuing educations seminars on community health, cultural competence and inclusion, nutrition, health and wellness, differential diagnosis, and neuro-rehabilitation.

Microgreens for Health Study – LSUHS Fall 2022

Eat Right and Move-Phase 2 LSUHS Center for Brain Health/ LSU Ag Center Jan 2022

Eat Right and Move-Community Health Hubs – A Pilot Study LSUHS Center for Brain Health/ LSU Ag Center June 2021

Impact of exercise on cardiovascular risk factors, platelet function and systemic dicarbonyl stress in patients with diabetes post stroke. School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Program in Physical Therapy/ Medical School September 2019

Development of plain language biobanking pamphet in English and Spanish” LSUHSC

School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Program in Physical Therapy/ Medical School October 2018

ASD and Oxidative Stress 2018 LSUHSC School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Program in Physical Therapy/ Children’s Center June 2018

Stephan Witt, PhD Professor and Chair, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Stephan.Witt@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2009

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BFA (Fine Arts) – Tufts University Medford, MA

BS (Chemistry) – Union College Schenectady, NY

PhD (Biophysical Chemistry) – California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA

Post-Doctoral Fellowship (Immunochemistry) – Stanford University Stanford, CA

HONORS/AWARDS

Selected for a second 5-year term on the editorial board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry .

Selected as a review editor, Frontiers in Aging

Member, NIH fellowship study section F03B-R (2) Biophysical, Physiological, Pharmacological and Bioengineering Neuroscience

CURRENT RESEARCH

We study the mechanism(s) that trigger the Parkinson’s disease protein alpha-synuclein to convert from a non-toxic protein into a toxic protein that causes neurodegeneration. We also investigate ways to rid cells of toxic forms of alpha-synuclein.

Joined LSUHS - 2022

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Ph D – Tzu Chi University College of Medicine, Hualien, Taiwan Post-Doctoral – LSUHSC-Shreveport

HONORS/AWARDS TRAINEES

Career Development Award, AHA Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, AHA New Investigator Award, The 13th Congress of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL), Las Vegas, USA

Yin-Chieh (Celeste) Wu, Ph .D . Assistant Professor Department of Neurology Yinchieh.Wu@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

My current research focus is to explore the physiological role of fatty acid synthase in the aged brain. We are investigating if fatty acid synthase is an important aged-related regulatory element to delay neuronal senescence in vascular dementia. This study can lead to novel therapies/targets against Alzheimer’s disease brain progression.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Yang L, Wu C, Li Y, Dong Y, Wu CY, Lee RH, Brann DW, Lin H, Zhang QG. Lon-term exercise pretraining attenuates Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology in a transgenic rat model of Alzheimer’s disease. Geroscience. 2022; PMID: 35229257

Lee RH, Wu CY (Co-first author), Citadin CT, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Clemons GA, Acosta CH, de la Llama VA, Neumann JT, Lin HW. Activation of Neuropeptide Y2 Receptor Can Inhibit Global Cerebral Ischemia-Induced Brain Injury. Neuromolecular Med. 2021 May 21; PMID: 34019239.

Couto e Silva A, Wu CY, Clemons GA, Acosta CH, Chen CT, Possoit E, Citadin CT, Lee RH, Frankel A, Lin H. Protein arginine methyltransferase 8 can modulate mitochondrial bioenergetics and neuroinflammation after hypoxic stress. Journal of Neurochemistry. 2021; PMID: 34216036

Wu CY (Corresponding author), Couto e Silva A, Citadin CT, Clemons GA, Acosta CH, Knox BA, Grames MS, Rodgers KM, Lee RH, Lin HW. Palmitic acid methyl ester inhibits cardiac arrestinduced neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2021. PMID: 33445063.

Lee RH, Grames MS, Wu CY, Lien CF, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Clemons GA, Citadin CT, Neumann JT, Pastore D, Lauro D, Della-Morte D, Lin HW. (2020) Upregulation of serum and glucocorticoidregulated kinase 1 exacerbates brain injury and neurological deficits after cardiac arrest. A m J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2020 Nov 1;319(5):H1044-H1050.  PMID: 32946263.

Wu CY, Clemons GA, Lopz-Toledano MA, Citadin CT, Lee RH, Lin HW. (2020) SC411 enhances cerebral blood flow after ischemia in the Townes mouse model of sickle cell disease. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and e ssential fatty acids. 2020 Jul;158:102110. PMID: 32447175.

Couto E Silva A, Wu CY, Citadin CT, Clemons GA, Possoit HE, Grames MS, Lien CF, Minagar A, Lee RH, Frankel A, Lin HW. (2019) Protein Arginine Methyltransferases in Cardiovascular and Neuronal Function. Molecular Neurobiology. Dec 10. doi: 10.1007/s12035-019-01850-z. PMID: 31823198.

Wu CY, Lerner FM, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Hsieh TH, Neumann JT, Minagar A, Lin HW, and Lee RH. (2018) Utilizing the modified T-maze to assess functional memory outcomes after cardiac arrest. J. Vis. Exp. (131), e56694, doi:10.3791/56694. PMID: 29364254.

Lee RH, Lee MH, Wu CY, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Hsieh TH, Minagar A, Lin HW. (2018) Cerebral ischemia and neuroregeneration. Neural Regen Res. Mar; 13(3): 373–385. PMID: 29623912.

Lee RH, Couto E Silva A, Possoit HE, Lerner FM, Azizbayeva R, Citadin CT, Wu CY, Neumann JT, Lin HW. (2018) Palmitic acid methyl ester is a novel neuroprotective agent against cardiac arrest. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids. Nov 23. pii: S0952-3278(18)30212-6. PMID: 30514597.

Lee RH, Couto E Silva A, Lerner FM, Wilkins CS, Valido SE, Klein DD, Wu CY, Neumann JT, DellaMorte D, Koslow SH, Minagar A, and Lin HW. (2017) Interruption of Perivascular Sympathetic Nerves of Cerebral Arteries Offers Neuroprotection Against Ischemia. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 312(1): H182-188. PMID: 27864234.

Joined LSUHS - 2004

EDUCATION/TRAINING

PhD – Galloudet University

Externship in Pediatric Psychology – Hospital for Sick Children/Children’s National Medical Center – Washington, DC

APA-approved Clinical Intership – Univeristy of Maryland Medical Center – Baltimore, MD

Specialized Training in Diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorders – Center for the Atypical Child/Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital

Michelle Yetman-Katz, PhD Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Assistant Professor Michelle.Yetmankatz@lsuhs.edu

ABOUT

Dr. Yetman is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who is a member of both the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA).Dr. Yetman’s teaching interests include the early identification and diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders. Dr. Yetman is also interested in the promotion of early intervention programs.

Dr. Yetman has research interests in the early identification of autistic spectrum disorder and early intervention. She is especially interested in empowering parents in the diagnosis and evaluation process. She regularly participates in collaboration with other departments regarding autistic spectrum disorder research.

Additionally Dr. Yetman is interested in the impact of chronic sleep deprivation on children with behavioral disorders, such as ADHD as well as the promotion of health and wellness programs within the workplace. Dr. Yetman contributes regularly in print, radio and television, including a regular spot on KLSA’s “Parenting First” segment in order to promote community awareness on mental health issues and parenting topics.

Joined LSUHS - 2011

EDUCATION/TRAINING

BS –Louisiana Tech University PhD – LSUHSC-Shreveport

Post-Doc – Columbia University

SERVICE AND HONORS

K99/R00-Pathway to Independence Award, NIH-NHLBI

Reviewer for Immunology BSc2 Fellowships, American Heart Association (AHA)

Early Career Editorial Board, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB)

Member, North American Vascular Biology Association (NAVBO) Online Programming Committee

Associate Editor, Frontiers of Cardiovascular Medicine-Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Medicine

Member, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB) Communications Committee

ECR Reviewer for Basic Biology of Blood, Heart and Vasculature Study Section (NIH) Research Rising Star, LSU Health Shreveport

Arif Yurdagul, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology

Arif.Yurdagul@lsuhs.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Despite advances in surgical intervention and cholesterol-lowering drugs over the last few decades, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis forms when modified low-density lipoproteins (LDL) accumulate in the subendothelial matrix of medium-sized arteries in areas of branch points, curvatures, and bifurcations, which generate a sustained inflammatory response in endothelial cells and drive leukocyte recruitment. Many of these infiltrating leukocytes become apoptotic, and while these dead cells are efficiently cleared by macrophages (termed “efferocytosis”) early in lesion formation, efferocytosis begins to fail as atherosclerosis progresses, resulting in an overabundance of post-apoptotic dead cells in an area of the atheroma called the necrotic core. In humans, plaques with large necrotic cores and thin fibrous caps are vulnerable to rupture, leading to myocardial infarction and stroke. Therefore, revealing the mechanisms by which efferocytosis fails as atherosclerosis progresses and how efferocytosis is restored during atherosclerosis regression are important objectives in the Yurdagul lab. With these goals in mind, we hope to identify new therapeutic approaches to curb atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Yurdagul A Jr*, Kong N, Gerlach BD, Wang X, Ampomah P, Kuriakose G, Tao W, Shi J, Tabas I (2021). ODC-Dependent Putrescine Synthesis Maintains MerTK Expression to Drive Resolution. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. Doi: 10.1161/ATVBAHA.120.315622. *Co-Corresponding Author. **Selected as the cover of the journal issue.

Tao Wei*, Yurdagul A Jr*, Kong N, Li W, Wang X, Doran AC, Feng C, Wang J, Islam MA, Farokhzad OC, Tabas I, Shi J (2020). siRNA Nanoparticles Targeting CaMKIIγ in Lesional Macrophages Improve Atherosclerotic Plaque Stability in Mice. Science Translational Medicine. Doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed. aay1063.

Yurdagul A Jr*, Subramanian M, Wang X, Crown SB, Ilkayeva O, Darville L, Kolluru G, Rymond CC, Gerlach BD, Zheng Z, Kuriakose G, Kevil CG, Koomen JM, Cleveland JL, Muoio DM, Tabas I. (2020) Macrophage Metabolism of Apoptotic Cell-Derived Arginine Promotes Continual Efferocytosis and Resolution of Injury. Cell Metabolism. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2020.01.001. *Selected by Faculty Opinions.

Doran AC, Yurdagul A Jr, Tabas I. (2019) Efferocytosis in Health and Disease. Nature Reviews Immunology. doi: 10.1038/s41577-019-0240-6

Back M, Yurdagul A Jr, Tabas I, Oorni K, Kovanen PT. (2019) Inflammation and its Resolution in Atherosclerosis: Mediators and Therapeutic Opportunities. Nature Reviews Cardiology. doi: 10.138/ s41569-019-0169-2. *Selected by Faculty of 1000

Yurdagul A Jr*, Doran AC, Cai B, Fredman G, Tabas IA. (2018) Mechanisms and Consequences of Defective Efferocytosis in Atherosclerosis. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. doi: 10.3389/ fcvm.2017.00086. *Corresponding Author

Wang Y.*, Subramanian M.*, Yurdagul A Jr*, Maxfield FR., Nomura M., Tabas IA. (2017) Mitochondrial Fission Promotes the Continued Clearance of Apoptotic Cells by Macrophages. Cell. 171(2): 331-345. *Co-first author. *Selected by Faculty of 1000

Quanguang Zhang, PhD Professor of Neurology, Department of Neurology Quanguang.Zhang@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2021

EDUCATION/TRAINING

PhD – University of Science & Technology of China

Postdoc – Medical College of Georgia

BIOGRAPHY

Quanguang Zhang, PhD, is a Professor of Neurology. He received his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Science & Technology of China and completed his postdoctoral training with an emphasis in brain injury and protection at the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Zhang taught science courses to high school students, and undergraduate and graduate students, and has mentored graduate students, rotational students, exchange students, high school seniors, and postdoctoral fellows, as well as served on a number of graduate student PhD Advisory committees. Dr. Zhang serves on the grant review committee for the Neurosciences and Mental Health Board (NMHB), Medical Research Council (UK), National Institute of Health (NIH), and American Heart Association (AHA). His research interests include photobiomodulation therapy, exercise therapy, and pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy.

Ischemic brain injury or neurological disorders such as Vascular dementia (VaD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes neurodegeneration and leading to life-long neurological impairments. There are no effective clinically available drugs to protect the brain from cerebral ischemiainduced neuronal impairment or from the progressive cognitive decline associated with VaD/AD. Supported by the NIH and AHA funding, the overall goal of Dr. Zhang’s research team is to develop novel non-invasive therapies to protect the brain against neurodegeneration from AD/VaD dementia and other forms of brain injury, including ischemic stroke, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cardiac arrest, closed head injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography: https://www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1hIWpPFU5Sckv/bibliography/public/

Peimin Zhu, MD, PhD

Clinical

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

Peimin.Zhu@lsuhs.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2013

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Medical Degree – Hunan Medical Univeresity

PhD (Neuroscience) – LSUHNO Residency (Neurology) – LSUHS

Fellowship (Immunology Research) –University of Pennsylvania

Fellowship (Clinical Neurophysiology/ Epilepsy) – University of Alabama at Birmingham

HONORS/AWARDS

Board Certification through the American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology in Neurology

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Dr. Zhu’s areas of clinical specialty are epilepsy, stroke, and dementia. He researches the clinical aspects of neurological diseases by using neurophysiological tools. Clinical data and neurophysiology data analytics are applied to reveal potential biomarkers and their correlation to disease progression. He contributes to the Center for Brain Health by training residents and graduate students.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS/PUBLICAITONS

A Case of Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome EEG Comparison Before and After Cannabinoid Utilization. presented at the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society Meeting, Feb. 5- 9, 2020. New Orleans.

Focal epilepsy caused by single cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is associated with regional and global resting state functional connectivity (FC) disruption. D’Cruz J, Hefner M, Ledbetter C, Frilot C, Howard B,  Zhu P, Riel-Romero R, Notarianni C, Toledo EG, Nanda A, Sun H.Neuroimage Clin. 2019;24:102072. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102072. Epub 2019 Nov 5.PMID: 31734529

Urska Cvek, ScD, MBA

Professor, Department of Computer Science, LSUS Co-Director, Laboratory for Advanced Biomedical Informatics, LSUS Urska.Cvek@lsus.edu

Joined LSUHS - 2004

EDUCATION/TRAINING

MBA – University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA

ScD – University of Massachusetts Lowell, MA

HONORS/AWARDS

2019 LSUS Outstanding Faculty Award –Research

2016 – present Lisa Burke Endowed Bioinformatics Professorship

TECHNOLOGY DISCLOSURES

2 disclosures in 2019-20 through LSUS, 1 through LSUHS

CURRENT RESEARCH

My research work is in data analytics and knowledge discovery of life science data sets. I contribute to the field of brain injury and disease by guiding researchers on the design of experiments, statistical analysis and elucidation of information found in their data.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

P. Kilgore, M. Trutschl, H.W. Nam, A.P. Cornelius, U. Cvek. “Augmented classical self- organizing map for visualization of discrete data.” Chapter in Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Visualization for Visual Knowledge Discovery, Studies in Computational Intelligence, 1014. ISBN: 9783030931186. 6/2022.

E. Disbrow, K.Y. Stokes, C. Ledbetter, J. Patterson, R.A. Kelley, S. Pardue, T. Reekes, L. Larmeu, V. Batra, S. Yuan, U. Cvek, M. Trutschl, P.C.S.R. Kilgore, J.S. Alexander, C.G. Kevil. Plasma hydrogen sulfide: A biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Alzheimer’s Dement. 2021; 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12305.

H.W. Nam, C. Grant, A. Jorgensen, M. Trutschl, U. Cvek. Neurogranin Regulates Alcohol Sensitivity Through AKT Pathway in the Nucleus Accumbens. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.201900266 Proteomics 2019, 20, 1900266.

J.W. Yun, U. Cvek, P.C.S.R. Kilgore, I. Tsunoda, S. Omura, F. Sato, R. Zivadinov, M. Ramanathan, A. Minagar, J.S. Alexander, Neurolymphatic Biomarkers of Brain Endothelial Inflammatory Activation: Implications for Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis. Life Sciences Elsevier Journal. 229, doi. org/10.1016/j.lfs.2019.05.021 (July 2019).

P. Kilgore, M. Trutschl, U. Cvek, J.S. Alexander. Improving Comprehension of Large Taxonomic Graphs. Proc. of MediVis2019 - 16th International Conference on BioMedical Visualisation, Paris, France, July 2019, IEEE Computer Society Press.

Stephanie Villalba, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences Louisiana State University in Shreveport Gratis Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology LSU Health Shreveport

Stephanie.Villalba@lsus.edu

CURRENT RESEARCH

Dr. Villalba currently collaborates with Dr. Kathryn A. Hamilton studying RNA expression in adult mouse olfactory epithelium. This research will contribute to the availability of biomarkers for olfactory sensory neuron maturation.

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