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.

09/10/2026

Congratulations to Charles Levy for being our September Graduate Student of the month!!!🎉🎉🎉

We asked Charles what his favorite laboratory technique was. He stated, “we utilize a technique called brain slice photometry where we inject viral vectors encoding fluorescent biosensors to record changes in neurotransmitter release dynamics. Specifically, we look at changes in dopamine and acetylcholine release dynamics in live brain tissue slices.”

08/21/2026

Congratulations Nirvana Shaaban for being selected as our August Graduate Student of the Month!😄

When asked what inspired her to pursue graduate school she replied, “I have always been curious and wanted to understand how things worked, and why they happened the way they did. As I studied biology and science, that curiosity gradually shifted toward the human body and the mechanisms that drive disease. Later, pharmacy school gave that curiosity a clearer purpose. I became interested not only by how diseases develop, but also by how we can target or “hijack” specific biological mechanisms to prevent disease or develop better treatments. Graduate school felt like the natural next step for me because it gave me the opportunity to keep asking those questions, investigate them deeply, and contribute to discoveries that may ultimately improve human health.”

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! 🎉

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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