Your Neck of the Woods
LSU Interim President Matt Lee presented a State of the University address where he shared the momentum across all eight campuses and the bold priorities shaping the university’s future. The President’s 2025 Impact Report outlines key achievements, strategic initiatives, and the transformative work happening across LSU. From student success to groundbreaking research, LSU continues to lead with purpose, impact, and excellence.
Medicine
Dr. Allison Augustus-Wallace led the discussion, “Let’s talk about ACTION: Voting Education, Public Policies,
and Academic Medicine” at the Focused Discussions with Lunch at Learn Serve Lead 2025:
The AAMC Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX. Participants discussed recent public policy
changes that have impacted academic medicine and its intersectional issues and came
away with an increased awareness of how voting initiatives can influence policy decisions
and thereby impact research and healthcare systems.
Dr. Augustus-Wallace also presented as part of a panel at the 2025 International Forum on Research Excellence (IFoRE). The session was titled “Science & Policy: The Importance of Researchers/Scientists to serve as Advocates for Policies that Support Scientific Research Sustainability for Our Society’s Progress and Prosperity-A Conversation Between Sigma Xi, Executive Director and CEO, Dr. Jamie L. Vernon and Sigma Xi-President, Dr. Daniel Rubenstein.”
Dr. Catherine Hudson (Gastroenterology) was selected to serve as course director and creator of a new subspecialty course called the Metabolic School for the American College of Gastroenterology.
Dr. Hudson, along with GI Fellow Dr. Katherine Westbrook Cates, were identified as “Rising Stars” and listed as gastroenterologists to watch in the future for their anticipated contributions to the field by the editors of Frontiers in Gastroenterology. They were published in the international journal and featured as "Rising Stars" based on the quality of their work and the early stage of their respective careers.
Dr. Hudson was also featured as a guest on the national podcast, Gastro Girl, for the episode, “Ozempic and Your Gut.”
Dr. Hudson spoke at the American College of Gastroenterologist (ACG)'s Esophageal School in Williamsburg, Virginia on GLP1s. She has been selected as the chair of the new Obesity and Metabolic Task Force for the American College of Gastroenterology and will lead efforts to educate thousands of gastroenterologists across the country on issues related to obesity and weight loss treatments including GLP1s.
Dr. Hudson also presented her data on use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) prior to endoscopy for patients on GLP-1s to assess aspiration risk at the American Foregut Society's annual conference in Dallas. The editor for Gastro & Endo News wrote a short article highlighting her work.
Dr. Paul LeLorier (Cardiology) and team recently completed the first retrosternal implantable cardioverter defibrillator
(ICD) in the city of New Orleans (image, left).
Dr. LeLorier also has been trained to perform Remede Device implants for the treatment of Central Sleep Apnea. University Medical Center successfully completed their first Remede Device implant procedure - a first-of-its-kind achievement in South Louisiana, representing a significant advancement in care for patients with complex sleep-disordered breathing. UMC is now positioned as a regional leader across South Louisiana and the Gulf Coast in providing this innovative therapy.
Dr. Stephen Lindsey (Rheumatology) was recently part of the faculty for the North American Young Investigator Forum and had a podium presentation of one of the LSU abstracts. He was also on the faculty for the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology and presented a poster with one of the Tulane residents.
Dr. Lindsey was interviewed by Everyday Health about Rheumatoid Arthritis including help one may need as well as tips for asking for help for those diagnosed with the disease.
Dr. Fred A. Lopez (Infectious Diseases) was the faculty discussant for the Infectious Diseases section of the ACP MKSAP Audio Companion.
Dr. Lopez (Stanford AB'86; CRT'95; MF'98; LSU MD'91) was also recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Stanford University Alumni Association (SAA).
Dr. Farhan Mohiuddin (IM Resident), Dr. Cates (Gastroenterology Fellow), Dr. Jason Stibbe (Gastroenterology), and Dr. Hudson (Gastroenterology)'s poster entitled "A Rare Case of Hematemesis: Lobular Capillary Hemangioma in the Gastric Body" was selected by the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) for the Presidential Poster Award. This research was presented at the ACG Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dr. Nisha Loganantharaj is now fully certified by the International Bowel Ultrasound Group (IBUS) for intestinal ultrasound. She is the only gastroenterologist certified and able to do intestinal ultrasound in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Dr. Daniel Raines (Gastroenterology) published the second edition of Capsule Endoscopy by Case Study. Since its release in 2012, the first edition has served as a core training resource
for gastroenterology fellowship programs and practicing gastroenterologists across
the nation. The updated edition features contributions from leading experts in small
bowel endoscopy, including physicians representing Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Columbia,
Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, University of Chicago, Duke University, University
of Miami, Mass General, NYU, and UCLA. Multiple chapters were authored by LSU internal
medicine residents under the mentorship of LSU GI section faculty, including Nikki
Arceneaux, Stephany Nguyen, Catherine Loehr, Erika Haviland, and Autumn Collins. The
updated edition was released during the ACG's Annual Meeting in October 2025. As part
of the book launch, the ACG will distribute textbooks to all gastroenterology fellowship
programs in the U.S. and Canada as a primary resource to meet requirements for training
in video capsule endoscopy.
Kira Wortmann and Ashley Wennerstrom (Center for Healthcare Value and Effectiveness, and Section of Community and Population Medicine) successfully released their multi-year evaluation of Envision, the National CDC Community Health Worker program involving 67 health departments across the country.
Gastroenterology faculty and trainees had three abstracts accepted to the national IBD conference (Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases):
- Elective but Risky: Adverse Outcomes of Ventral Hernia Repair in Crohn’s Disease - Dr. Erika Haviland (IM resident), Dr. John Bobo (GI Fellow) and Dr. Nisha Loganantharaj
- Intestinal Ultrasound in Obesity - Dr. Katherine Westbrook Cates (GI Fellow), Ann Porter Uhlhorn and Dr. Loganantharaj
- The Overlooked Malignancy: Anal Cancer in Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Dr. Cates (GI Fellow), Uhlhorn and Dr. Loganantharaj
Dr. Farhan Mohiuddin (IM Resident), Dr. Munraj Singh (GI Fellow), Dr. Logantharaj and Dr. Hudson (Gastroenterology) presented at the 2025 Louisiana Obesity Conference and were awarded the best poster award in the obesity section for “Impact of GLP 1 Receptor Agonist-Induced Weight Loss on Adalimumab Trough Levels and Disease Remission in Perianal Crohn’s Disease.”
The LSU Infectious Diseases staff including Dr. Lauren Richey, Dr. Paula Seal, and Dr. Tat Yau and recently graduated fellow Dr. John Phillips presented nine oral abstracts at the US Fast-Track Cities 2025 Summit. Participants come from more than 50 cities and counties in the Fast-Track Cities network and other priority Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative jurisdictions.
- Dr. Phillips: Patient Portal Engagement and HIV Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis of MyChart Use in a Southern Urban Clinic
- Dr. Richey:
- Creation of a Low-Barrier Open Access HIV Care Clinic to Address the HIV Care Continuum in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Prevention through Preparation can Mitigate Challenges to continued HIV Care during and after a Natural Disaster
- Dr. Seal:
- Healthy Balance Weight Management Initiative in HIV Care
- Rapid Reentry into HIV Care to Improve Retention in Care at a HIV Clinic in New Orleans, LA
- Dr. Yau
:
- Accessing Doxycycline Postexposure Prophylaxis Utilization at a Ryan White Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Enhancing Syphilis Screening: A Clinical Quality Improvement Initiative at a Ryan White Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Statin Therapy in People with HIV: Implications of Recent Guideline Changes at a Ryan White Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Evaluating Equity in Accessing Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy at a Ryan White Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana
Ophthalmology
Joshua Butrick, C-TAGME, was promoted on March 1, 2025, to Program Administrator IV, becoming the
first program administrator to hold this position. In this role, Butrick will continue
to serve the department while also supporting the Office of Graduate Medical Education,
a recognition of his leadership, expertise, and dedication to advancing Graduate Medical
Education across the institution.
Butrick, together with Robbie Morgan, MFA, Program Administrator II with Internal Medicine, have been selected to present at the 2026 ACGME Annual Coordinator Forum on February 19, 2026, in San Diego. Their presentation, “Efficiency Unleashed 2.0: Empowering Residency Coordinators with Artificial Intelligence,” highlights innovative strategies for leveraging AI to streamline and enhance coordinator workflows.
Maria Reinoso, MD has been elected President of the Faculty Assembly, recognition of her outstanding leadership, dedication to academic excellence, and commitment to advancing the mission of the SOM.
Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
Lacey Adkins, MD was appointed Medical Director for the Voice and Speech Trainers Association.
Dr. Moises Arriaga led the Fully funded Temporal Bone Course supported by Carl Zeiss Meditec, Stryker Corporation, MED-EL, and Cochlear Americas
with guest lecturer Adam Master, MD. (Image, left: LSU Temporal Bone Course with Course Director Dr. Moises Arriaga, ENT
Residents, and Fellow Dr. Christian Lindemann.)
Dr. Jill D’Souza presented “Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Thyroid Mass” at the Louisiana AAP Pediatrics from the Parishes Conference.
Michael Dunham, MD was appointed to the ALHNS Medical Device Committee.
Dr. Dunham also presented his NSF-funded Eyes-On project at BIO on the Bayou on October 28th. Full story here. (Image, left)
Dr. Dunham also contributed to the proposal for creating the LSUHSC Center for Computational Biology and Data Science.
Dr. Thomas Flowers was spotlighted in Gambit Summer Dining Issue 2025.
Laura Hetzler, MD was elected Southern Regional Director for the AAFPRS Board.
Dr. Hetzler was also appointed Chair of the Facial Plastic Surgery Education Committee for AAO-HNS.
Dr. Hetzler was also a panelist for “Nasal Reconstruction & Surrounding Soft Tissue Defects” and the “Dorsal Preservation & Traditional Techniques Addressing the Dorsal Hump” at the Division of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery at Indiana University's Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery AAO-HNS Pre-Course Meeting.
Dr. Hetzler was also an invited speaker to the BTX-A Session at IFNS 2025 in Madrid.
Dr. Hetzler was a co-moderator, speaker and moderator at the AAFPRS Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
Dr. Sagar Kansara was spotlighted in the OLOL story Precision and Peace of Mind: How Robotic Surgery Helped One Man Beat Throat Cancer – Patient Stories.
Dr. Kansara attended the NRG Oncology meeting in Washington, DC, as a member of the NRG Early Career Investigator Subcommittee and participated in cancer screening outreach.
Dr. Kansara is also leading efforts to make OLOL the main site for NRG clinical trials, including NRG-HN014 and upcoming NRG-HN015.
Kevin McLaughlin, MD is commencing implantation of the newly approved battery-free hypoglossal neurostimulator Genio by Nyxoah.
Dr. McLaughlin has also been recognized as a National Faculty for Inspire Sleep.
Lisa Morris, MD was appointed to the American Cleft Palate & Craniofacial Standards Task Force.
Dr. Morris also started the new Velopharyngeal Insufficiency (VPI) Program at OLOL Children’s Hospital in August 2025 as a service to cleft patients.
Dr. Daniel Nuss chaired the North American Skull Base Surgery Summer Workshop at LSUHSC - New Orleans, with presentations from Dr. Katie Melder and Dr. Rahul Mehta. [Image, left: NASBS Summer Workshop with Dr. Nuss (Chair) and Drs. Melder and Mehta
(course presenters)]
Alyssa Ovaitt, MD joined the AAO-HNS Ethics Committee.
Dr. Ovaitt also achieved double board certification from ABFPRS.
Dr. Vilija Vaitaitis led Head & Neck Screening at Black Men's Wellness Day at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans.
Dr. Rohan Walvekar was featured in two OLOL stories: Saving Salivary Glands with Precision – Children’s Health and From Indiana to Louisiana for the Right Doctor at the Right Time – Patient Stories.
Dr. Andrew McWhorter was the keynote speaker at Henry Ford’s Otolaryngology Residency Graduation.
Dr. McWhorter also served as faculty at the 20th Annual Laryngeal Conservation Surgery Course (Loma Linda).
Drs. Hetzler, Morris and Ovaitt will facilitate the first match for the newly created Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship in 2026.
Drs. Adkins and McWhorter served as panelists for “Ask the ENT” at the Voice and Speech Trainers Association.
Drs. Adkins, Melda Kunduk, and McWhorter were panelists on Care of the Professional Voice at the VASTA Convention in New Orleans.
Resident Dr. Carley Boyce and Dr. Celeste Gary presented the poster “Serial Excisions for Pediatric Benign Facial Lesions: Two Case Reports Highlighting an Underutilized Technique” at the AAFPRS Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
Faculty and residents had an active presence at the AAO-HNSF 2025 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Indianapolis, IN. A list of all posters, panels, and presentations can be found here.
Pathology
Dr. Gordon Love, Dr. Ritu Bhalla, PGY3 Dr. Ayesha Younus, and PGY3 Dr. Yu Liu attended the 2025 Tri-State Pathology Conference on October 4th and 5th in New Orleans.
The conference was organized by the Louisiana Pathology Society in conjunction with
the Alabama Association of Pathologists and the Mississippi Association of Pathologists.
Faculty shared the most up-to-date pathology information with participants. (Image,
left: left to right, Dr. Younus, Dr. Bhalla, Dr. Love, Dr. Liu)
- Dr. Bhalla gave a presentation on invasive cribriform carcinoma and intraductal carcinoma (IDC) of the prostate that are the aggressive histologic subtypes of prostate carcinoma, affecting clinical management. She discussed the differential diagnosis of cribriform prostate lesions, along with a highlight of her study, to demonstrate the utilization of ancillary studies to distinguish these almost similar entities.
- Dr. Love gave a presentation on taxonomic classification and nomenclature of fungi, both of which have been extensively revised as genetic information becomes available. The presentation aimed to familiarize pathologists with newer fungal classifications as well as gain experience in distinguishing varying appearances of fungi in tissue.
- Fred Rodriguez held a session using dynamic and interactive educational techniques, with faculty and participants drawing from their own experiences to analyze and discuss various types of disasters (e.g. natural, infrastructure failures, terrorist, etc.), and explored how to develop and execute disaster plans to appropriately respond to and survive different types of events.
Pediatrics
Several department faculty presented at the recent Louisiana American Academy of Pediatrics
Meeting. (Image, left: Kyle Fulton, Jeffrey Surcouf, Regina Zambrano, Ricardo Gomez, Julie Gallois,
Shubho Sarkar, Marcella Houser, and William Morgan)
Dr. Carrie Henderson co-authored the Ethics chapter of the American Heart Association’s newly released 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines, which include updates for Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP), Pediatric Basic Life Support (BLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
Dr. Rashmi Rao (Pediatric Neurology) recently participated in the American Academy of Neurology's
Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum. She was one of 30 international participants.
Dr. Rao also presented a lecture about migraines and school this week through the American Migraine Foundation.
The department was well represented at the Pediatric and Congenital Interventional Cardiovascular Society (PICS) Symposium. Dr. Ernesto Mejia presented a case titled "Beating the Odds: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Neonatal d-TGA with CoA on ECMO." There were also several poster presentations:
- Third-year fellow Cyndee Jocson MD, recent graduate Jesus Jaile IV and Ernesto Mejia, MD: Coarctation Stenting in a 3-Week-Old Preterm Infant with Unrepaired Transposition of the Great Arteries Using the Venous Cannula of the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Circuit
- Second-year fellow Saloni Trivedi, Jaile, and Dr. Mejia: Total Transcatheter Stage I Palliation with In-Vivo Modification of Microvascular Plugs as Pulmonary Flow Restrictors in Preterm Neonate with Complete, Unbalanced, Right-Dominant Atrioventricular Septal Defect and Trisomy 21
- Second-year pediatric resident Ariel Hall, third-year fellow Dr. Jocson, Thomas Kimball, MD, Dr. Mejia: Innovative Guidewire Technique for Transseptal Puncture During Pulmonary Vein Angioplasty in an Infant with Repaired Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
- Jaile, Dr. Mejia: Novel Percutaneous Technique for Intracardiac Thrombus Evacuation in Pediatric Patient
- Jaile, Kimball, Marla Johnston, Mejia, Zhide Fang: New Predictive Equation for Oxygen Consumption During Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Derived from Real Time Measured Data.
Dr. Chelsey Sandlin presented at the 2025 Fall APPD Meeting in St. Louis, where she served as Group Lead and presenter for the “Program Organization 101” session.
Physiology
Dr. Lauri Byerley presented Impact of Plant vs. Animal Proteins on the Gut Microbiome at the American Chemical Society's Annual Fall meeting in Washington, DC.
Dr. Lisa M. Harrison-Bernard was invited by Dr. Bryan Mackenzie, Editor of the American Physiological Society Advances in Physiology Education journal, to serve an additional three-year term as Associate Editor.
Surgery
The Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery hosted its first Tuggle Hand Surgery
Lectureship visiting professor, Dr. Jim Higgins, Chief of Hand Surgery at the Curtis
National Hand Center in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Higgins is an internationally renowned
expert and pioneer in the use of the medial femoral condyle (MFC) and medial femoral
trochlear (MFT) vascularized bone grafts for complex reconstruction in the upper extremity
at the Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore, MD. The Tuggle Lectureship was established
by Vera Hendrix Tuggle to honor Ty’s memory and also to bring a nationally renowned
plastic hand surgeon to teach and develop hand surgery annually in New Orleans.
Charles Dupin, MD (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) retired after serving more than 38 years,
with 25 as program director. During his tenure, the section transitioned from an independent
program with two residents a year to an integrated program with 12 residents. Dr.
Dupin was honored with a breakfast reception and celebration.
Dr. Dupin also received the Robert C. Batson Outstanding Faculty Award from the Department of Surgery.
Drs. Kelly Babineaux, Omer Kaymakcalan and Prasanth Patcha (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) all spoke on panels at Plastic Surgery The Meeting (PSTM) held in New Orleans earlier this year.
The LSU Microsurgery Fellowship has returned after a brief hiatus. Dr. M. Whitten Wise and his partners at the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery are partnering with the department for the fellowship.