Department of Physiology Postdoctoral Fellows

Alejandra Jacotte Simancas, PhD Degree: PhD, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain Advisor: Patricia Molina, MD, PhD and Nicholas Gilpin, PhD Research: Traumatic brain injury and alcohol use Department: Physiology Email: mjacot@lsuhsc.edu Currently, my research seek to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying escalation of post-TBI alcohol drinking.
Danielle E. Levitt, PhD Degree: PhD, University of North Texas Advisors: Patricia Molina, MD, PhD, and Liz Simon, PhD Research: Alcohol-induced skeletal muscle dysregulation in SIV/HIV: Mitochondrial-mediated mechanisms Email: dlevit@lsuhsc.edu My long-term research interest is to elucidate alcohol-mediated mechanisms of metabolic dysregulation in order to develop effective methods to counteract such changes in health and disease states. Currently, my research focuses on alcohol and gonadal hormone loss-mediated mechanisms of mitochondrial dysregulation in insulin-producing and insulin-sensitive tissues using a simian model of HIV. View Curriculum Vitae
Patrick McTernan, PhD Degree: PhD, University of Georgia Advisors: Patricia Molina, MD, PhD Research: Health effects of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and HIV Email: pmcter@lsuhsc.edu Currently, the goal of my research is to understand the alcohol-related mechanisms that dysregulate CD4+ T cell metabolism and differentiation, leading to the priming of target cells for HIV/SIV. View Curriculum Vitae
Kandasamy Neelamegam, PhD Degree: PhD, Annamalai University, India Advisors: Jason Gardner, PhD, Xinping Yue, MD, PhD, Eric Lazartigues, PhD Research: Chronic nicotine inhalation increases susceptibility to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases through inhibition of local compensatory mechanicsm. Department: Physiology Email: kneela@lsuhsc.edu Currently, the goal of my research is to understand the Chronic nicotine inhalation increases susceptibility to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. View Curriculum Vitae
Christian Montanari, PhD Degree: PhD, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy Advisor: Nicholas Gilpin, PhD Research: Effects of chronic nicotine on alcohol intake in rats Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS or e-cigarettes); nicotine e-vape delivery and self-administration in rats Department: Physiology Email: cmont6@lsuhsc.edu I am interested in the rewarding, motivational and inhibitory behaviors and in their neurobiological basis, both in normal conditions and in neurological and psychiatric illnesses as drug addiction and PTSD. My work at LSUHSC will model in rats the human nicotine and alcohol co-abuse, and it will investigate its neurobiological, cellular and molecular bases. View Curriculum Vitae
Sydney Vita, PhD Degree: PhD, University of Mississippi Medical Center Advisors: Nicholas Gilpin, PhD and Patricia Molina, MD, PhD Department: Physiology Email:svita@lsuhsc.edu View Curriculum Vitae
Marcus Weera, PhD Degree: PhD Purdue University Advisors: Nicholas Gilpin, PhD Research: Neural mechanisms underlying substance use and co-morbid disorders. Department: Physiology Email: mweera@lsuhsc.edu I am interested in elucidating the neural circuits and neurobiological factors that underlie substance (primarily alcohol) use disorders. Further, my research seeks to understand the neural bases of co-morbid substance use and psychiatric (e.g. post-traumatic stress) disorders, as well as between different types of substance use disorders. The goal of my research is to inform prevention and treatment strategies for substance use and related psychiatric disorders. View Curriculum Vitae

Former Post-Doctoral Fellows

Elizabeth Delery, PhD Degree: PhD, Tulane University School of Medicine Advisor: Scott Edwards, PhD Currently Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology College of Osetopathic Medicine at Marian University.
Elizabeth A Fucich, PhD Degree: Ph.D., UTHSC-San Antonio Advisor: Patricia Molina, PhD Research: Traumatic brain injury and alcohol use Currently Professor of Practice in Neuroscience at Tulane University.
Amanda R. Pahng, PhD Degree: Ph.D., Tulane University Advisor: Scott Edwards, PhD Currently Research Health Scientist Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System
Joshua Oakes, PhD Degree: PhD, Baylor College of Medicine Advisor: Jason Gardner, PhD and Xinping Yue, PhD
Udita Datta, PhD Degree: PhD, Bowling Green State University Advisor: Nicholas Gilpin, PhD
Matthew Auten, MD, PhD Degree: PhD, LSUHSC-New Orleans MD from LSUHSC May 2016 Advisor: Patricia Molina, MD, PhD. Currently a Pathology resident at West Virginia University School of Medicine.
Emily A. Roltsch Helland, PhD Degree: PhD, Texas A&M University Advisor: Nicholas Gilpin, PhD Currently working as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Jun Wang at Texas A&M University.
Megan L. Armstrong, PhD Degree: : Ph.D., University of Florida Advisor: Patricia Molina, MD, PhD Currently working in private practice as a clinical psychologist
Tracy Y. Dodd, PhD Degree: PhD, University of South Alabama Advisor: Patricia Molina, PhD Currently a medical student at LSUHSC-New Orleans.
Paige S. Katz, PhD Degree: Ph.D., LSUHSC-New Orleans Advisor: Patricia Molina, MD, PhD Currently Associate Director and Medical Science Liasion at Novartis Oncology.
Christy A. Itoga, PhD Degree: PhD, University of Michigan Advisor: Nicholas Gilpin, PhD Currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California-Irvine.
Annie Whitaker, PhD Degree: PhD, LSUHSC-New Orleans Advisor: Nicholas Gilpin, PhD Currently a biology teacher at St. Scholastica Academy.
Karina Villalba, MPH, PhD Degree: PhD, Florida International University Advisor: Patricia Molina, MD, PhD Currently working at Florida International University.
Anthony A. Duplanty, PhD Degree: Ph.D., University of North Texas Advisor: Patricia Molina, MD, PhD Currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Texas Women's University.

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