2023 Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award Recipients

The Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award is given each year to selected individuals who are “uniquely gifted in imparting knowledge, possess a lifelong quest for discovery, lead by example, foster a sense of caring and compassion and inspire the young men and women in whose capable hands will rest the health and well-being of the people of Louisiana.” Recipients are nominated by students and peers and are chosen by a committee of their leaders, colleagues and students based strictly on their academic teaching. The Allen A. Copping Excellence in Teaching Award is given at both LSU system health science center campuses in Shreveport and New Orleans and is the highest teaching award. The award is named in honor of the late Dr. Allen A. Copping, former Chancellor of LSU Medical Center and President of the LSU system.

School of Medicine Students Selected as NIH All of Us Research Scholars

Three LSU Health Shreveport second year medical students were chosen to participate in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Scholar Program: Raegan Abadie, Nicholas Jones and Tyler Tran. The NIH All of Us Research Scholars program aims to address the critical need to reduce disparities in healthcare and the biomedical workforce by supporting young researchers.

Abadie, Jones and Tran each designed a research project of their choosing utilizing the diverse dataset from the All of Us Research Hub, a dataset with over 556,000 participants, 338,000 electronic health records and 410,000 biosamples available to researchers. Tyler Tran placed third in the medical student category of the program and was invited to present his work at the NIH All of Us Researchers Convention on March 29 where he won a People’s Choice Award for his presentation.

Raegan Abadie — Correlation between Female Infertility and Obesity in Different United States Regions

“My research project is currently focused on the prevalence of female infertility due to obesity in the United States region. Through this program, I will gain experience with research methods and techniques that will help me grow as a researcher, with the guidance of a mentor.”

Nicholas Jones — A Cohort Study on the Effects of Genetic Polymorphisms and Environmental Factors on the Development of Asthma

“My research project is on the correlation of an individual’s sexual orientation and the risk of cardiovascular disease. We met with our mentors the first week of the program and have been working closely with them to design suitable research to present. I’m thankful the program has given me the opportunity to network and focus on designing my own research question.”

Tyler Tran — Race and Gender Differences in High Density Lipoprotein in Myocardial Infarction

“My research topic is on the association of increased plasma HDL cholesterol and risk of myocardial infarction in minority populations. The number one factor that distinguishes this program from other research programs is the ability to work at our own pace. Thanks to this I’ve been able to develop a research topic emphasizing my interests in medicine all while maintaining strong academics.”

Benjamin Maxey Competes as 2022 AMA Research Challenge Finalist

LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine student, Benjamin Maxey, was named a finalist in the 2022 American Medical Association Research Challenge. This highly competitive research challenge is the largest national research event for medical students, residents, fellows, and international medical graduates that routinely has over 1,000 entrants. Maxey was selected as one of only five finalists who competed for a $10,000 prize in December 2022.

Maxey’s poster entitled, “Audio Feedback from a Handheld Monitoring Device Improves Manual Ventilation,” was supported by a LIFT2 grant to Dr. Steven Alexander and was co-authored by another School of Medicine student and School of Graduate Studies graduate, Dr. Luke White, as well as Dr. Giovanni Solitro and Dr. Steven Alexander, whose lab the research was conducted in.

LSU Health Shreveport Residents Excel in State and National Jeopardy Competitions

Internal Medicine residents Atlee Baker, MD, Dayna Ahmed, MD, and Anuj Thakre, MD, competed against over 400 teams in the Doctor’s Dilemma Jeopardy competition for the National American College of Physicians’ Internal Medicine Annual Meeting in April. The three impressive residents won first place and brought home the gold.

Anesthesiology residents Austin Howe, MD, Hirni Patel, MD, Denisa Pavlickova, MD, and Naina Singh, MD, (pictured) placed first in the annual Anesthesia Jeopardy Bowl at the Louisiana Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting in April. This was the first year in ten years that LSU Health Shreveport has received first place.

2023 Gold Humanism Honor Society Honorees

Thirty-one new honorees were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) at the 2023 LSU Health Shreveport White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, March 4. This international honor society was established in 2002 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation with the purpose of recognizing medical students, residents and faculty who practice patient-centered care by displaying qualities of excellence, compassion, altruism, respect and empathy. Congratulations!

FACULTY

Richard “Shane” Barton

Kavitha Beedupalli

Jason Jordan

Gary Menefee

Students

John Campbell

Ross Dies

Jessica Elliot

Isabella Fabian

Farrah Flattman

Taylor Gatson

Deniz Gungor

David Heap

Madison Hoffman

Rebecca “Holly” Lacour

Amanda Langston

Alpha Omega Alpha –Gamma Chapter Louisiana Inductees

Congratulations to the following faculty, residents and students who were inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Society Gamma Chapter of Louisiana, a chapter of the national medical honor society founded in 1902.

Students

Madison Catalanotto

Brennan Gioe

Courtney Gregoire

Deniz Gungor

Amir Kaskas

Grace Kennedy

Sarah Lauve

Lauren Linquest

Ethyn Loreno

Benjamin Maxey

Laura Nussdorf

Collyn O’Quin

Shelby Patti

Sachin Prem

Brooke Williams

Residents

Lovekirat Dhaliwal, MD, PGY-3

Fatima Hassan, MD, PGY-2

Anuj Thakre, MD, PGY-2

Sahith Thotamgari, MD, PGY-3

Kavya Vadlamudi, MD, PGY-2

Aditya Vyas, MD, PGY-2

Fereshteh Yadzi, MD, PGY-2

HOUSE OFFICERS

Eunice Adu Dapaah

Lance “Tyler” Albin

William Ishee

Payam Entezami

Tyiesha Brown

Pooja Shah

Brianna LeBlanc

Benjamin Maxey

William Mullen

Brennen Murphy

Laura Nussdorf

Collyn O’Quin

Shelby Patti

Sarah Peytavin

Stephen “Tanner” Ward

Kathryn White

FELLOW

Iman Qaiser, MD, PGY-5

FACULTY

Hugo Cuellar, MD, PhD, MBA, DABR, FAHA

Poornima Ramadas, MD

Prathik Krishnan, MD

Sudha Pandit, MD

Rajini Yatavelli, MD

Jonathan Eaton, MD

Evelyn Pryor, MD

Alexander Gomelsky, MD

Wanda Thomas, MD, FAAP

Terry Davis, PhD

Ryan Jones, MD

David Lewis, MD, MBA

Mohammad A. N. Bhuiyan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, has been selected as one of two Statistical Editors for the Journal of the American Heart Association. Dr. Bhuiyan has developed expertise in statistical analysis and is a member of the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences, the Center for Brain Health and the Louisiana Addiction Research Center. Dr. Bhuiyan’s laboratory research focuses on understanding the heterogeneous effects of social determinants on cardiovascular, psychiatric and neurobehavioral health outcomes.

Qiang Cai, MD, PhD, Division Chief and Professor of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, was given the prestigious designation of a Master of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). This award is presented to individuals with recognized stature and achievement in clinical gastroenterology and teaching and because of their contribution to the College in service, leadership and education and is the ACG’s highest honor. Dr. Cai was recognized at an ACG Leadership Dinner in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Cory Coehoorn, PhD, joined the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Professions Faculty in May as Program Director for Rehabilitation Sciences and Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Family Medicine. Dr. Coehoorn joins the institution from LSU Shreveport where he was the director of the Human Performance Lab. His research interests include physiologic responses to rapid heat stress, cortisol levels, cognitive function and other biomarkers in firefighters and other occupational athletes.

Julia Esparza, MLIS, AHIP, Associate Director of the LSU Health Shreveport Library, was named a Fellow of the Medical Library Association for 2023. This highly competitive fellowship is only given to two to four fellows per year after a rigorous nomination and approval process. Julia is the only living Fellow from Louisiana. There have been three others in total, including the founder of the LSU Health Shreveport Library, Mayo Drake.

Samina Hayat, MD, Division Chief and Professor of Rheumatology and Director of the Center of Excellence for Arthritis and Rheumatology, was given the prestigious designation of a Master of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Recognition as an ACR Master is one of the highest honors that the College bestows and is given to members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology through scholarly achievement and/or medical service.

Alan Kaye, MD, PhD, DABA, DABPM, DABIPP, FASA, Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Toxicology, & Neuroscience, was named a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP). He was recognized at the ASIPP 25th Anniversary Meeting in March in National Harbor, Maryland.

Landon Tujague, a fourth year School of Medicine student received a scholarship from the Shreveport Rotary Club. Scholarships are given to students who have a commitment to the Rotary International motto “Service Above Self” and are in the top 15% of their class. Landon received this award due to his continuous community service and his commitment to his family through a tragedy where he put his needs on the backburner to support his mother and grandmother.

Kelly Pagidas, MD, MA, FACOG, FRCSC, was named Associate Dean of Medical Education and Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology for the School of Medicine. Dr. Pagidas comes from the Burnette School of Medicine, Texas Christian University (TCU), where she served as the Chair of Medical Education and Interim Associate Dean of Education Affairs. She possesses extensive knowledge and experience in medical education, especially in the areas of active learning and contemporary medical education curricula.

Viola M. Sprague, MBA, joined LSU Health Shreveport on June 5 as Chief Information Officer, bringing over 25 years of experience in the field of information technology and a background in both university and healthcare settings, with extensive experience in enterprise computing. Sprague comes to LSU Health Shreveport from Kettering University, where she served as the Vice President of Instructional, Administrative and Information Technology.

Michael Yim, MD, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery and Neurosurgery, was awarded the CherieAnn Nathan, MD Endowed Professorship in Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery. The Nathan Professorship’s purpose is to enhance the academic, research and clinical mission of the OHNS Department at LSU Health Shreveport. The professorship was initiated by grateful patients in recognition of Dr. Nathan’s passion for curing devastating diseases that cause both cosmetic and functional impairment.

HONORS & APPOINTMENTS

SAHP Celebrates Alpha Eta Society Honorees

Congratulations to the 20 LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions students, faculty and alumnus who were inducted into the Alpha Eta Society in March. The Alpha Eta Society is a national scholastic honor society that serves to promote and recognize significant scholarship, leadership and contributions to the allied health professions.

Students

Anthony Ray Blankenship, Jr.

Austin Clay Bradley

Bailey LeGrande

Peter Nguyen

Amalia Skalos

Hannah McNemar Perot, SLPA

Alicia June, MOTS

Brooklyn Mayon

Emily Savoy

Madeline Stine

Paige Mckenna White

Austin Dufrene

Emma Grace Goldman

Sarah Johnson Aucoin

Laken Kathleen Marionneaux

Brooke Petkovich

Maddie Pierce

Bailey Bree Weston

ALUMNUS

Evan H. Wall, MLS, MAT FACULTY LaWenica Evans, LOTR, C/NDT