NEWS and ACHIEVEMENTS
Molecular & Cellular Physiology
Dr. Dragoi receives NIAID Grant Award
Congratulations to Dr. Ana-Maria Dragoi, Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology. Dr. Dragoi has been awarded a 5-year grant for $1,788,500.00 from The National Institute of Allergy and Inflectious Diseases. The project title is, “Mechanism of macrophages colonization in gonorrhea”. Great job Dr. Dragoi!!
Physiology Faculty receive Research Excellence Awards
Three Molecular and Cellular Physiology faculty members awarded with LSUHS Research Excellence Awards. During its 7th Annual Research Celebration, the institution recognized notable research achievements from the past year and honored faculty members for their exceptional achievements with Research Excellence Awards.
Ana-Maria Dragoi, MD, PhD honored with the "Research Rising Star" award.
Changwon Park, PhD honored with "Excellence in Scholarly Activity" award for exceptional contributions to high-impact, peer-reviewed publications.
Arif Yurdagul, Jr., PhD honored with "Excellence in Scholarly Activity" award for exceptional contributions to high-impact, peer-reviewed publications.
Vascular Discovery 2024 Conference
Rajan Pandit (grad student), Dhananjay Kumar (postdoctoral fellow), and Dr. Yurdagul recently attended the Vascular Biology 2024 conference that took place in Chicago. Pictured above: Members and friends of the Yurdagul, Rom, and Orr labs dining at the Flat Top Grill in Chicago.
![Two female graduate students: Lin Li has fair complexion, long black hair and Brenna Pearson has fair complexion with long brown hair pulled back, wearing glasses]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1746800012/lsuhscshreveportedu/pdbhxkl8b8catnmk4ouu/2026SOGSawardwinnersnews.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1746800012/lsuhscshreveportedu/pdbhxkl8b8catnmk4ouu/2026SOGSawardwinnersnews.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1746800012/lsuhscshreveportedu/pdbhxkl8b8catnmk4ouu/2026SOGSawardwinnersnews.png","width":520}])
Each year the School of Graduate Studies recognizes two outstanding graduating students for excellence and achievement in their studies and research.
![Nilu Dhungel has light complexion, long dark brown hair, smiling, wearing a lab coat]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1744323465/lsuhscshreveportedu/et0iaoqh1ufnfdb5tkms/NiluDhangelnews.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1744323465/lsuhscshreveportedu/et0iaoqh1ufnfdb5tkms/NiluDhangelnews.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1744323465/lsuhscshreveportedu/et0iaoqh1ufnfdb5tkms/NiluDhangelnews.png","width":520}])
The April 2025 School of Graduate Studies Student of the Month is Nilu Dhungel in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
![Arif Yurdagul, PhD standing in a laboratory]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1727204153/lsuhscshreveportedu/vk3ynstpmcrabekbgxj2/YurdagulLabnews.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1727204153/lsuhscshreveportedu/vk3ynstpmcrabekbgxj2/YurdagulLabnews.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1727204153/lsuhscshreveportedu/vk3ynstpmcrabekbgxj2/YurdagulLabnews.png","width":520}])
Congratulations to Molecular and Cellular Physiology faculty, Dr. Arif Yurdagul for making Stanford University's "World's Top 2% Scientists List".
![Ana-Maria Dragoi, PhD and Md. Shenarin Bhuiyan, PhD photos]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1719326564/lsuhscshreveportedu/jqfttxbddrhyxjjla1vk/DragoiandBhuiyannews.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1719326564/lsuhscshreveportedu/jqfttxbddrhyxjjla1vk/DragoiandBhuiyannews.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1719326564/lsuhscshreveportedu/jqfttxbddrhyxjjla1vk/DragoiandBhuiyannews.png","width":520}])
More than $5 million in highly competitive grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was recently awarded to two researchers at LSU Health Shreveport studying infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
![Three individuals pose with a certificate on the left, and a fourth person holds another certificate on the right.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1719323591/lsuhscshreveportedu/gkz0m02r0gzfepwtool4/NISBRE2024Awards.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1719323591/lsuhscshreveportedu/gkz0m02r0gzfepwtool4/NISBRE2024Awards.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1719323591/lsuhscshreveportedu/gkz0m02r0gzfepwtool4/NISBRE2024Awards.png","width":520}])
Two members of the Center for Applied Immunology and Pathological Processes COBRE at LSU Health Shreveport won meritorious awards for their presentations at the conference.
![young man in scientist coat]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1714772908/lsuhscshreveportedu/xzpgwzjsopy7zbtbx7dw/Pearson-GallionBrennanews.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1714772908/lsuhscshreveportedu/xzpgwzjsopy7zbtbx7dw/Pearson-GallionBrennanews.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1714772908/lsuhscshreveportedu/xzpgwzjsopy7zbtbx7dw/Pearson-GallionBrennanews.png","width":520}])
The May 2024 School of Graduate Studies Student of the Month is Brenna Pearson-Gallion in the Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology.
![woman in a white coat]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1702063578/lsuhscshreveportedu/qu0qigsyqn8wgbime7tc/TashawnaEsmondnews.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1702063578/lsuhscshreveportedu/qu0qigsyqn8wgbime7tc/TashawnaEsmondnews.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1702063578/lsuhscshreveportedu/qu0qigsyqn8wgbime7tc/TashawnaEsmondnews.png","width":520}])
The December 2023 School of Graduate Studies Student of the Month is Tashawna Esmond in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
![four people wearing lab coats]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1701711269/lsuhscshreveportedu/wwvymo7s3rvfsariwnne/2023FallSOGSgraduatesnews.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1701711269/lsuhscshreveportedu/wwvymo7s3rvfsariwnne/2023FallSOGSgraduatesnews.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1701711269/lsuhscshreveportedu/wwvymo7s3rvfsariwnne/2023FallSOGSgraduatesnews.png","width":520}])
We are excited to announce that we have four new graduates from the School of Graduate Studies: Fawaz Alotaibi, Shripa Amatya, Vickky Pandit, and Utsab Subedi.
![woman in a white coat]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1689351736/lsuhscshreveportedu/dgn0rygm5qo4r5qjmxsg/MeganButlernews.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1689351736/lsuhscshreveportedu/dgn0rygm5qo4r5qjmxsg/MeganButlernews.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1689351736/lsuhscshreveportedu/dgn0rygm5qo4r5qjmxsg/MeganButlernews.jpg","width":520}])
The July 2023 School of Graduate Studies Student of the Month is Megan Butler in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology.
![Physiology Teaching Awards Presented]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1676065469/lsuhscshreveportedu/gbutz1uicfsnj7aiwhtt/2022TeachingAwardsnews.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1676065469/lsuhscshreveportedu/gbutz1uicfsnj7aiwhtt/2022TeachingAwardsnews.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1676065469/lsuhscshreveportedu/gbutz1uicfsnj7aiwhtt/2022TeachingAwardsnews.jpg","width":520}])
Brenna Pearson-Gallion and Dr. Hemangini Dhaibar are the recipients of the 2022 Teaching Awards for overall best student and post-doc instructor.
