2025 LSUHSC Summer Research Internship Program
Poster Session
The Summer Research Internship Program, directed by Dr. Fern Tsien since 2003, has
provided research training opportunities for medical students, undergraduates, and
high school students. Program co-directors are Ms. Martha Cuccia, Dr. Kelly Sherman, Dr.
Jovanny Zabaleta, Dr. Hamilton Farris, and Dr. Charles Wood. The Summer Research Internship
Program has allowed students to cultivate their interest in pursuing careers in clinical
sciences, public health, or basic sciences.
Funding support for the high school and undergraduate summer program was provided
by:
- Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation
- Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC)
- LSUHSC School of Medicine, Office of the Dean
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program
- National Institute of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute (NCI)
We extend our special appreciation to mentors, laboratory and administrative personnel, and poster session judges who helped make the Summer Research Internship Program a success! Their assistance with this project affords each student a chance to be part of a bigger, ongoing research project and an opportunity to pursue their career goals.
High school and undergraduate summer interns are listed alphabetically by last name. To view their Abstracts and Posters, please click on the corresponding links under their individual project title.
1. James Bailey
Undergraduate Student
Xavier University of Louisiana
Mentor: Hector Biliran, PhD
Xavier University of Louisiana
The effect of TLE1 in drug resistance in Lung Adenocarcinoma
2. Epiphany Baker 
Undergraduate Student
Dillard University
Mentor: Kim Pederson, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Pharmacology
Aging Enhances Ethanol-Mediated Bone Toxicity in Male and Female Mice
3. Parijat Basak
Undergraduate Student
Tulane University
Mentor: Rinku Majumder, PhD
Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology
Protein S Facilitates Clot Retraction Through Tyro3 Signaling on Platelets
4. Luther Bishop IV
Undergraduate Student
Louisiana State University
Mentor: Qinglin Yang, PhD
LSUHSC, Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
ATP synthase assembly factor 2 is essential for maintaining heart function
5. Thomas Blair III
Undergraduate Student
Loyola University
Mentor: Chindo Hicks, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Genetics
An Integrative Bioinformatics Approach to Biomarker Discovery in Pancreatic Cancer
6. Naima Bocage
Undergraduate Student
Howard University
Mentor: Peter Winsauer, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Pharmacology
Development of Opioid Withdrawal as a Discriminative Stimulus in Rats
7. Oren Bognar
High School Student
New Orleans Charter Science & Math High School
Mentor: Barry Keim, PhD
LSU Health School of Public Health, Environmental Health, Climate and Sustainability
Eastern United States, West to East Transect Temporal Trends in Dew Point Temperature (1973-2024)
8. Molli Burke
High School Student
Christ Episcopal School
Mentors: Amy Dickson, Psy.D. and Sebastian Del Corral Winder, Psy.D.
LSU Health School of Medicine, Psychiatry
What effect does drug exposure in utero have on children
9. Layla Cage
Undergraduate Student
New York University
Mentor: Jennifer Lentz, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Neuroscience Center of Excellence
Development of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) in Usher Syndrome Type 1C Murine Retina
10. Elise Celestin
High School Student
The Willow School
Mentor: Kelly Sherman, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Pharmacology
Effects of Low Glucose on Cell Motility and Invasiveness in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) In Vitro
11. Unmesh Chakravarty
Undergraduate Student
Carnegie Mellon University
Mentor: Chris Taylor, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology
Developing a Foundation Model of the Vaginal Microbiome: Early Prediction of Bacterial Vaginosis
12. Yasmine Ferrell
High School Student
Thomas Jefferson Academy for Advanced Studies
Mentor: Jorgelina Calandria, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Neuroscience Center of Excellence
Maresin-1 protects Dopaminergic neurons in the Sustantia Nigra in a rat model using misfolded alpha-synuclein seeding
13. Grace Fleshman
Undergraduate Student
Millsap College
Mentor: Tiffany Wills, PhD
LSU Health, School of Medicine, Cell Biology & Anatomy
Adolescent Intermittent Alcohol Exposure Alters Pain Related Behaviors and Anxietylike Responses in Mice
14. Andrew Frey
High School Student
Jesuit High School
Mentor: Kelly Sherman, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Pharmacology
title
Abstract
Poster
15. Anne George
High School Student
Metairie Park Country Day School
Mentor: Diptasri Mandal, M.Sc., MS, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Genetics
Familial Lung Cancer: A Comparative Study on Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics
16. Efrain Granados
Undergraduate Student
Louisiana State University
Mentor: Barry Keim, PhD
LSU Health School of Public Health, Environmental Health, Climate and Sustainability
Analyzing Seasonal, Annual, and Diurnal Dew Point Variability Along a North–South Transect in the Eastern United States
17. Alexis Gray
High School Student
Mount Carmel Academy
Mentor: Kelly Sherman, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Pharmacology
In Vitro Comparison of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma HPV-positive and HPV-negative Invasiveness and Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Isoforms Expression
18. Anderson Happel
Undergraduate Student
Louisiana State University
Mentor: Rajani Maiya, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Physiology
Using machine learning to analyze individual differences in stress coping in C57BL/6J Mice
19. Eman Harrison
Undergraduate Student
Xavier University of Louisiana
Mentors: Elizabeth Avegno, PhD and Carmen Canavier, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Physiology
Characterizing Dopaminergic Innervation to the Central Amygdala across Brain Development
20. Marie Howe
Undergraduate Student
Louisiana State University
Mentor: Sean Lee, PhD
Tulane University
Inhibiting HDAC1-4 in DSRCT cells via CRISPR-Cas9 Genomic Editing
21. Abdallah Jwayyed
Undergraduate Student
Xavier University of Louisiana
Mentor: Ifechukwude Biose, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
Navitoclax does not alter genes related to blood-brain barrier proteins, Aβ and tau production in the hippocampus of a porcine model of familial hypercholesterolemia
22. Sihyoung Kim
Undergraduate Student
Xavier University of Louisiana
Mentor: Jayalakshmi Sridhar, PhD
Xavier University of Louisiana
The efficacy of RJ-22, RJ-23, and AT-13 against the MCF7-Y537S mutation of ERapositive breast cancer cells
23. Ari Li
Undergraduate Student
Yale University
Mentor: Xiao-Cheng Wu, MD, MPH
Louisiana Cancer Research Center
Survival Outcomes by Histologic Subtype in Ovarian Cancer: A Population-Based Study Using Louisiana Tumor Registry Data
24. Tai'Jah Louding
High School Student
Warren Easton Charter High School
Mentors: Amy Dickson, Psy.D. and Sebastian Del Corral Winder, Psy.D.
LSU Health School of Medicine, Psychiatry
Does employment status, mental health diagnosis, or SUDs lead to neglect of a child?
25. Jasmine Matsuda
Undergraduate Student
Mount San Antonio College
Mentor: Qinglin Yang, PhD
LSUHSC, Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
Left atrial dysfunction is an early and transitional driver in the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
26. Lockley McElroy
Undergraduate Student
Tulane University
Mentor: Suresh Alahari, PhD, FAAS, FASCB
LSU Health School of Medicine, Biochemistry
Utilizing Androgen Receptor Degraders for Breast Cancer Therapy
27. Ellie Menszer
Undergraduate Student
University of Mississippi
Mentor: Eric Lazartigues, PhD, FAPS, FAHA
LSU Health Sciences Center, Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
Impact of Conditional Deletion of Microglial ADAM17 on Kidney Fibrosis in Salt-Sensitive Hypertension
28. Sara Mirza
Undergraduate Student
Tulane University
Mentor: Rajani Maiya, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Physiology
Cartography of Dynorphin Expressing Neurons in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus: Projections to the BNST and Activation by Social Stress
Abstract
Poster
29. Margeaux Morial
Undergraduate Student
Howard University
Mentors: Bilikisu Elewonibi, PhD, MPH and Tekeda Ferguson, MPH, MSPH, CHES, PhD
LSU Health School of Public Health, Epidemiology & Population Health
The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Those Diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer
30. Kaylie Nguyen
Undergraduate Student
Xavier University of Louisiana
Mentor: Michael Celestin, PhD, CHES, NCTTS
LSU Health School of Public Health, Behavioral and Community Health
Analyzing Tobacco Use and Opioid Misuse Regarding Urban vs. Rural Areas
31. Aiden Pearl
High School Student
Benjamin Franklin High School
Mentor: Guoshun Wang, DMV, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology
Construction of a Lentiviral Vector Expressing EGFP-tagged human CFTR for Testing Gene Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis Animal Models
32. Tessa Peterson
Undergraduate Student
Tulane University
Mentor: Michael Celestin, PhD, CHES, NCTTS
LSU Health School of Public Health, Behavioral and Community Health
Intersecting Risks: Food Insecurity, Cigarette Smoking, Rurality and Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis in the U.S.
33. Maaz Rathor
High School Student
Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy
Mentors: Tung Sung Tseng, DrPH, MS, CHES/MCHES and Hui-yi Lin PhD, MS
LSU Health, School of Public Health, Community Health Policy/Biostatisitics and Data
Sciences
Sleep Duration and Physical Activity Associated with Cognition in U.S. Adults Aged 60+
34. Cheyenne Roberts
Undergraduate Student
University of California Los Angeles
Mentor: Arnold Zea, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology
Ivermectin synergizes with interferon-gamma to overcome resistance in renal cancer
35. Elinor Romaguera
Undergraduate Student
Louisiana State University
Mentor: Wu-Ming Deng, PhD
Tulane University
RNAi Knockdown Screen Reveals Genes Required for Non-Professional Phagocytosis in Drosophila melanogaster
Abstract
Poster
36. Luke Schlegel
Undergraduate Student
Auburn University
Mentor: David Welsh, MD
LSUHSC, Department of Pulmonary Critical Care
The Influence of Alcohol Consumption on Tobacco-Associated Cancer: An All of Us Research Program Analysis
37. Aditi Shridhar
High School Student
Isidore Newman School
Mentor: Liz Simon, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Physiology
Interferon-gamma expression increases in senescent immune cells following stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells
38. Ailyn Smith
High School Student
Destrehan High School
Mentor: Peter Winsauer, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Pharmacology
Oral Presentation of Food and Ethanol or Quinine Under a Multiple Schedule
39. Rayion Smith
Undergraduate Student
Illinois Wesleyan University
Mentor: Ping Wang, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Microbiology, Immunology & Parasitology
Optimizing CRISPR-Cas9 for Rhizopus delemar: sgRNA Screening via Bacterial On- Targeting Assays
40. Ellen Sumich
High School Student
Louise S. Mcgehee School
Mentor: Jennifer Lentz, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Neuroscience Center of Excellence
Effect of Antisense Oligonucleotide (ASO29) Treatment on Usher 1C Type Mice Hearing and Vestibular Function
41. Shawn Sutherland
Undergraduate Student
Syracuse University
Mentor: Jennifer Fang, PhD
Tulane University
Requirement of Endothelial Ovol1-Slug for Tumor Angiogenesis in Colorectal Cancer
Abstract
Poster
42. Trinity Tanner
Undergraduate Student
University of Alabama
Mentor: Jonathan Brown, PhD
Tulane University
Design and Development of an Advanced Tissue Imaging Device for Surgical Oncology
43. Balseba Tewelde
Undergraduate Student
Louisiana State University
Mentor: Liz Simon, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Physiology
Impact of Chronic Binge Alcohol on Hepatic Immune Infiltration in SIV-Infected Rhesus Macaques
44. Zoe Toups
Undergraduate Student
Auburn University
Mentor: Elizabeth Avegno, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Physiology
Modeling Early Life Risk Factors for Alcohol Use Disorder Later in Life
45. Christine Tseng
High School Student
Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies
Mentor: Xinping Yue, MD,PhD
LSU Health Sciences Center, Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
Metabolic Effects of High-Fat Diet in Female Mice
46. Walt Wilber
Undergraduate Student
University of Alabama
Mentors: Charle Wood, PhD and Dicle Yalcin, PhD
Louisiana Cancer Research Center
Detection of Tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease brain tissues using deep learning
Abstract
Poster
47. Dontrel Wilright
Undergraduate Student
Dillard University
Mentor: Tewodros Godebo, PhD
Louisiana State University's School of Public Health
Lead and Fluoride Monitoring in Water and Soil Samples from Claiborne Corridor
48. Lucyna Wojcik
High School Student
Isidore Newman School
Mentor: Xinping Yue, MD,PhD
LSU Health Sciences Center, Cardiovascular Center of Excellence
Female Mouse Model to Investigate Effects of High Fat Diet on Blood Pressure Prior to Pregnancy
49. Nathan Xiang
Undergraduate Student
Tulane University
Mentor: Qingzhao Yu, PhD
Louisiana State University's School of Public Health
Differentially Expressed miRNAs Linking Transportation Infrastructure to TNBC Stages at DiagnosisDifferentially Expressed miRNAs Linking Transportation Infrastructure to TNBC Stages at Diagnosis
Abstract
Poster