Sherman

FACULTY

Kelly Jean Sherman

Assistant Professor – Research

Pharmacology

EDUCATION

PhD from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The Role of Voltage-gate Sodium Channels (VGSCs) on gene expression, cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

STEM Education for High School and Undergraduate Students

PROGRAMS

HIGH SCHOOL STEM INTERNSHIP Brown Fdn logo

Dr. Sherman is the Principal Investigator for Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation grant to support STEM internship opportunities for high school students. Summer students work full time in the research lab learning lab techniques, conducting research and experiments, then presenting their research project. Since Summer 2021, Dr. Sherman has mentored 13 students for a total of 30 semesters for students initially entering the Summer program, then opting to continue lab efforts during the school year.  For the capstone exhibit of posters, each high school student presents their research along with undergraduates and medical students.   Students are exposed to STEM opportunities to encourage their pursuit in a STEM career.

Recent Program Photos

2025 summer students

Students working in lab

2025 Summer Interns

Collaboration of ideas

2025 Summer Interns

Shermans office 2025

Elise Celestin

Elise Celestin's experiment

2025 Summer Intern

2024 Summer Research Program Symposium

Summer Pres 1
O. Bognar

Oren Bognar

2024 Summer Poster

Alexis Gray with Dr. Sherman

2024 Summer Poster

KJ and AMG
KJ and S. Harris

Dr. Sherman with Samari Harris

2024 Summer Poster

Alexis Gray in Lab

2024 Summer Intern

2 AMG lab
Pres Summer 2024 1 edit

2024 Summer Research Program Symposium

High School STudent Interns

Andrew Frey
2025 Intern 
Jesuit High School . New Orleans, LA

Mentor: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexis Gray
2024 Intern, 2025 Intern

Mount Carmel Academy . New Orleans, LA
In Vitro Comparison of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, HPV-positive and HPV- negative
AbstractPoster
Mentor: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

 

Oren Bognar
2024 Intern, 2025 Intern

New Orleans Charter Science & Math High School . New Orleans, LA
TNF-α Concentration Curve Effect on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Vitro
AbstractPoster
Mentor: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

 

Samari Harris
2023 Intern, 2024 Intern

Warren Easton Charter High School . New Orleans, LA
Characterization of Voltage-gated Sodium Channels of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma HPV-positive and HPV-negative Cell Lines
AbstractPoster
Mentor: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

Naima Bocage
2024 Intern

Warren Easton Charter High School . New Orleans, LA
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) Attenuates the Rate-Decreasing Effects of Oxycodone Withdrawal in Rats
AbstractPoster
Mentor: Dr. Peter Winsauer, Professor
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

Abdallah Jwayyed
2024 Intern

Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies . Metairie, LA
The effects of EM1 on LPS activated Microglia
AbstractPoster
Mentor: Dr. Ifechukwyde J. Biose, Assistant Professor - Research
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology, Cardiovascular Center

 

 

Kaleah J. Smith
2022 Intern, 2023 REU Undergraduate

Abramson Science Academy . New Orleans, LA
Temperature-dependent regulation of cytochrome c oxidase subunit expression in Leishmania
AbstractPoster
Mentor: Dr. Ben Kelly, Associate Professor
LSUHSC Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology

 

 

 

 

Jessye Garriet
2022 Intern

Warren Easton Charter High School . New Orleans, LA
Na+/K+ATPase Regulation of Breast Cancer Motility
AbstractPoster
Mentors: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research and Dr. Steve Scahill
LSUSHC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

 

Eric P. Fisher
2022 Intern

St. Augustine High School . New Orleans, LA
Exogenous treatment with an inflammatory cytokine, Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha, increases invasiveness in highly and weakly metastatic breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7
AbstractPoster
Mentors: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research, Dr. Dennis Paul, Professor and Dr. Steve Scahill
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology

 

Theresa T. Nguyen
2022 Intern, 2024 REU Undergraduate

Thomas Jefferson High School for Advanced Studies . Gretna, LA
In Vitro Characterization of Proteins Associated with Cell Migration and Invasiveness in a Murine Model of Cancerous Progression
AbstractPoster
Mentors: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research and Dr. Dennis Paul, Professor
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology

 

Jamal Bonner
2021 Intern

St. Augustine High School . New Orleans, LA
Targeting Cell Motility in Pancreatic Cell Lines with Nerve Growth Factor b (NGFb)
AbstractPoster
Mentor: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research
LSUSHC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

 

Lester J. Arnaud IV
2021 Intern

St. Augustine High School . New Orleans, LA
Analysis on the tumor size and weight effects of targeted osmotic lysis in a murine model of pancreatic cancer
AbstractPoster
Mentor: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman, Assistant Professor - Research
LSUSHC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

 

Kayla Prevost
2021 Intern, 2023 REU Undergraduate

St. Mary's Dominican High School . New Orleans, LA
An Evaluation of the Antinociceptive and Behaviorally-Disruptive Effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Sprague Dawley Rats
AbstractPosterPresentation
Mentor: Dr. Peter Winsauer, Professor
LSUHSC Department of Pharmacology

 

 

BIORETS - LSUHSC N.O. Collaboration with High School Teachers in Sciences
PI:  Dr. Fern Tsien     Co-PI: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman      Co-Investigators:  Dr. Martha Cuccia, Dr. Michael Norman, Dr. Arnold Zea
NSF logo

Dr. Sherman is the Co-Director and Co-Principal of the GeneBORETS: Genetics, Genomics, and Biology Research Experiences for Teachers in the Sciences.  LSUHSC New Orleans is funded through a grant with the National Science Foundation to support highlight motivated high school teachers in collaborations with colleagues and researchers at LSUHSC New Orleans for training experiences that impact how they impart science education in their classrooms, inspiring students to pursue STEM professions. 

 

                      2025-2026 BIORETS Teachers in Collaboration

Damionne Bell                                                                                   Kimberly McCarter
New Orleans Charter Science and                               Huntington High School
Mathematics High School                                              Mary Phililips  
Laura Decker                                                                                      Rooted School
Mandeville High School                                                  Marla Taylor
Temitope Fadipe                                                                            Warren Easton Charter HIgh School
Louisiana School for Math Science & the Arts          Joseph Vaccaro 
Madison Hannan                                                                            Metairie Park Country Day School
Mount Carmel Academy                                              
Biorets conference

2024-2025 BIORETS Teachers in Collaboration

Madelaine Bryant
Christ Episcopal
Joseph Vaccaro
Metairie Park Country Day School
Janine Koenig
St Mary’s Dominican High School
Science Teacher Koenig in LSUHSC summer research labs
Marla Taylor
Warren Easton Charter High School
Laura Decker
Mandeville High School
Biorets summer 2024

REU: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in the Basic Sciences, Genomics and Neuroscience

PI:  Dr. Fern Tsien     Co-PI: Dr. Kelly Jean Sherman      Co-Investigator: Dr. Hamilton Farris

NSF logo

Dr. Sherman is the Co-Director and Co-Principal of the REU: Research Experiences for Undergradudates in Basic Sciences, Genomics ad Neuroscience. LSUHSC New Orleans is funded through a grant with the National Science Foundation to provide a 10-week research experience to undergraduate students interested in a career in biological sciences.  Students are provided training by LSUHSC faculty in designing and conducting experiments, analyzing the results and presenting those results.