2026 LSUHSC GeneBIORETS
Poster Session
The Genetics, Genomics, and Biology Research Experiences for Teachers in the Sciences (GeneBIORETS) program at LSUHSC provides high school science teachers with the exciting opportunity to engage in research under the supervision of a faculty mentor, learn ways to enhance their science curriculum, and receive professional development training. Teachers work full time for six weeks during the summer and part time for two weeks during the academic year. The goals of the GeneBIORETS program are for teachers to develop collaborative relationships with colleagues and researchers to provide training experiences that will have long-term impacts on how they impart science education in their classrooms, ultimately inspiring their students to pursue and excel in STEM professions. The program directors and principal investigators are Dr. Fern Tsien and Dr. Kelly Sherman. Program co-directors are Ms. Martha Cuccia, Dr. Arnold Zea, and Dr. Michael Norman. The program is made possible by a highly competitive grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), with only two awarded nationally per year.
We extend our special appreciation to mentors as well as laboratory and administrative personnel who helped make this program success!
Teachers are listed alphabetically by last name. To view their Abstracts and Posters, please click on the corresponding links under their individual project title.
Damionne Bell
New Orleans Charter Science & Math High School
Mentor: Deidre Devier, PhD
LSU Health, School of Medicine, Cell Biology, Anatomy & Neurology
High Levels of Cortisol in Hair and Demyelination in African American Women with Multiple Sclerosis
Temitope Fadipe
Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts
Mentor: Omeed Moaven, MD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Surgical Oncology
Daraxonrasib and Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus as Combination Treatment for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Madison Hannan
Mount Carmel Academy
Mentor: Stefany Primeaux, PhD
LSU Health School of Medicine, Physiology
Bitter Taste Sensitivity as a Potential Predictor of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Breast Reconstruction Patients (Following Breast Cancer)
Kimberly McCarter
Huntington High School
Mentor: Giulia Monticone, PhD
LSU School of Medicine, Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology
Trim21 is a critical modulator of Notch1-dependent T-cell antitumor immunity in triple-negative breast cancer
Sheneice Moore
Huntington High School
Mentor: Tewodros Godebo, PhD
LSU School of Public Health, Environmental Health, Climate, and Sustainability
Lead and Arsenic in United States Spices
Anthony Taffaro
De La Salle High School
Mentor: Ben Kelly, PhD
LSU School of Medicine, Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology
Examining Charge-dependent Targeting Sequences in Leishmania Mitochondrial Protein Import”