LSU Health Shreveport School of Graduate Studies

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LSU Health Shreveport School of Graduate Studies

School of Graduate Studies at LSU Health Shreveport The official page for LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, School of Graduate Studies information.

04/14/2026

🎉Congratulations to our April Graduate Student of the Month, Joseph Eniafe!
Joseph is a PhD student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, conducting his research in Dr. Andrew Yurochko’s Lab. After graduating from his BS in Microbiology at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, Joseph joined our institution for the PhD program in 2019.
Joseph’s dissertation is titled “Cellular mechanisms regulating Human Cytomegalovirus Latency in Monocytes”. His research focuses on defining host-cell mechanisms that suppress human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) gene expression in monocytes to establish viral latency. He has discovered that serum availability/withdrawal functionally reprograms monocytes to support/fail to maintain latency of HCMV.
So far through his PhD, he already had the chance to share his research in meetings of the International Herpes Workshop and the American Society for Virology. Joseph has also been awarded with to predoctoral fellowships from the American Society for Cell Biology and American Heart Association.
Outside of the lab, Joseph enjoys puzzles and hiking.
Joseph has shared with us that LSU Health Shreveport provided him with the opportunity to pursue his goal of becoming an independent researcher, and that he enjoys the close-knit environment of our institution.
👏🏽Please join us in celebrating Joseph

02/17/2026

🎉Congratulations to our January Graduate Student of the Month, Morgan Bradford!
Morgan is a MS student in the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, conducting her research in Dr. Krista Rodger’s Lab. From Benton, Louisiana, Mogan studied at Centenary College here at Shreveport, where she earned her BS in Biology and Neuroscience. During this time Morgan was President of the Black Student Union and a member of the Centenary Dance team.
Morgan’s dissertation is titled “Age and Cell Type Specific Regulation of BDNF-TrkB-PI3K/Akt Signaling Following Ischemic Stroke.”
Her research focuses on the age dependent differences that underlie the superior functional outcomes observed in juveniles after stroke, focusing on BDNF-TrkB-PI3K/Akt signaling and glial cell pathological responses.
So far through her PhD, she already had the opportunity to share her research at remarkable conferences such as the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) in 2025.
Morgan shared that her previous experience here at LSUHS during one of our wonderful undergraduate research programs was what motivated her to apply to our graduate studies program.
👏🏽Please join us in celebrating Morgan

10/28/2025

From the Graduate Student Council, we would like to invite you to our first Tailgate Fall Festival! 🎉🍂🏈
The event will be this Saturday, November 1st from 2:00 to 6:00 PM. Join us for a nice afternoon with food and classical games such as corn hole and spike ball. This is a great opportunity to spend quality time and connect with each other. 😊
Looking forward to seeing you there!

10/22/2025

✨ Student of the Month Spotlight ✨
Titilade, our October Student of the Month, enjoys her time in the lab, specially performing neurobehavioral assays 🥼. However, when she’s not with the lab coat on she also enjoys hiking and having many adventures with her family and friends. ⛰️🌿

10/07/2025

From the Graduate Student Council we are pleased to announce that we have a new Graduate Student Space located at the ground floor of the medical school building B (look for posted signs)!🎉
We will inaugurate our new Graduate Student Space with an Ice Cream Social and Paint Party! 🍦🎨 🎉
The event will start next Tuesday October 14th at 3:00PM. Join us for free ice cream (lactose-free options available) and painting led by our colleague Koral Richard. This is a great opportunity to spend some quality time and connect with each other. 😊
Looking forward to seeing you there!

10/03/2025

🎉Congratulations to our October Graduate Student of the Month, Titilade Ajayi!
Titilade is a PhD student in the Department of Pharmacology, conducting her research in Dr. Christopher Schmoutz’s Lab. From Arlington, Texas, Titilade studied at University of Texas a bachelors degree on psychology, during this time, she served as Secretary of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS).
Titilade's dissertation is titled “The Role of Neuropeptide Kisspeptin1 in Fear and Anxiety in Zebrafish.”
Her research focuses on the role of Kisspeptin1 on modulating fear- and anxiety-related behaviors in zebrafish. She employs genetically modified zebrafish and a variety of drugs to manipulate the responses of Kisspeptin1 signaling and study how this affects behavior patterns.
So far through her PhD, she already had the opportunity to share her research at remarkable conferences such as the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) on April this year.
Titilade shared that LSUHS is the right place to grow as a scientist and learn along the way, and she highlighted the efforts of our faculty to guide our students to success.
👏🏽Please join us in celebrating Titilade

09/10/2025

🎉Congratulations to our September Graduate Student of the Month, Koral Richard!
Koral is a PhD student in the Department of Pathology and Translational Pathobiology, conducting her research in Dr. Oren Rom’s Lab. She was one of the two first graduate students in this department's program. From Carencro, here in Louisiana, Koral earned two bachelor's degrees at Northwestern State University in Liberal Arts and in Biology.
Koral's dissertation is titled “Hepatocyte SHMT2 Drives Atherosclerosis Through One-Carbon Metabolic Regulation of VLDL and Ceramide Biosynthesis.”
Her research focuses on the role of the enzyme SHMT2 as a key regulator of one-carbon metabolism in hepatocytes, and how this drives atherosclerosis.
So far through her PhD, Koral has achieved numerous awards here at LSUHS, including the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences T32 and multiple oral and poster presentations prizes.
Koral shared that her favorite thing about our institution is the environment, highlighting the collaboration and friendliness that characterizes all labs in this campus.
👏🏽Please join us in celebrating Koral

08/15/2025

Today we celebrate Dr. Jason E. Comer, from the LSU Health Shreveport - Department of Microbiology and Immunology, who was invested yesterday as Dr. Richard J. Courtney Endowed Professor of Virology. Dr. Comer serves as BSL3 Director at our institution, and his research is focused in High Containment Pathogens. This honor acknowledges a lifetime of achievements in the field of virology and his key role educating the new generations of scientists.
Congratulations Dr. Comer! 🎉

08/07/2025

🎉Congratulations to our August Graduate Student of the Month, Timothy Amusan!
Timothy is a PhD student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, conducting his research in Dr. Hongyan Guo’s Lab. Timothy comes from Gbongan, Nigeria; and earned his bachelor’s degree in microbiology at the Obafemi Awolowo University in 2016.
Timothy’s dissertation is titled “Elucidating the mechanism and function of ZBP1 signaling during HSV-1 infection.”
His research focuses on understanding the function and fate of ZBP1, an important player in necroptosis, during HSV-1 (Herpes Simplex Virus 1) infection and how this can improve the clinical outcomes of the disease.
Timothy shared that he chose our graduate school because he wanted to work in a collaborative institution, with excellent research, and that felt like a family; and he found that here, at LSU Health Shreveport.
👏🏽Please join us in celebrating Timothy

06/06/2025

Graduate Research Day – May 30, 2025
On May 30th, graduate students from different departments came together to present their research during Graduate Research Day, featuring a poster session and a series of engaging talks. The event provided a valuable platform for students to showcase their work, share ideas, and connect with peers and faculty across disciplines. It was a wonderful celebration of the depth and diversity of research within our community.
One of the highlights of the day was the keynote address by Dr. Aimee Vozenilek, who shared insights from her own multifaceted career journey—spanning academia, industry, and work with the FDA. Dr. Vozenilek emphasized that finding the right career path isn’t always a straight line. She encouraged students to embrace the diverse experiences that come with different roles, highlighting how each position contributes to skill-building and professional growth in unique ways.
A heartfelt thank you to the Graduate Student Council, faculty, and staff whose hard work and support made this event possible.
Here are some photos and highlights from the day!

06/05/2025

🎉 Big congratulations to Analilia Cardenas Garza, graduate student in Molecular & Cellular Physiology, for receiving the Florence P. Haseltine Award for Outstanding Poster Presentation at the OSSD Conference (Organization for the Study of S*x Differences) in Albuquerque, NM! 🏆

Her award-winning research — “Breaking Her Heart: How Stress and Glucocorticoid Receptors Exacerbate Cardiac Injury in Women” — explores the impact of mental stress on heart health in premenopausal women, with a focus on myocardial infarction. 💔🧬

👏 We’re also excited to give a sneak peek at our amazing alum, Ashton Jorgensen (Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neurosciences), who also received an award at the same conference! 🎓🏅

👏👏 Huge congratulations to both Analilia and Ashton — your work is making a difference! Keep pushing boundaries and breaking ground in s*x differences research! 💪🔬❤️

Address

1501 Kings Highway
Shreveport, LA
71103

Telephone

(318) 675-7674

Website

https://www.lsuhs.edu/our-schools/school-of-graduate-studies

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