School of Medicine

The Pulse

New Appointments and Promotions at School of Medicine Announced

Dr. Richard DiCarlo has agreed to serve as Interim Dean. Dr. DiCarlo has served the school and the Health Sciences Center in many roles in his 28 years on the faculty, dedicating his career to serving students, residents and faculty. He has been recognized for excellence in teaching students and residents, and has overseen several major renewals of the medical curriculum. He was instrumental in restoring the school's educational programs after Hurricane Katrina, and has successfully led the school through multiple LCME accreditation visits. Most recently, he has overseen faculty hiring and promotions. He has worked closely with the school's clinical partners, and has succeeded in recruiting excellent new leaders to the school.

Dr. Emilio Russo has been appointed as Department Head for Family Medicine. He follows Dr. James Campbell who admirably led the department as Interim Head through very challenging times. 

Dr. Russo is a graduate of LSUHSC School of Medicine and was a member of the inaugural class of Rural Scholars Track students. He completed a rural Family Medicine residency in Spokane, Washington and has also completed a HRSA Leadership Fellowship. He joined the Family Medicine faculty in 2008 and has served as Program Director for the Bogalusa rural Family Medicine residency since 2013. In 2019 he became the department's Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs.

Dr. Russo has committed his career to the realization of more equitable community health outcomes, particularly for those most at risk and in diverse communities. Prior to joining the residency in Bogalusa, he spent five years practicing in vulnerable New Orleans neighborhoods as a member of the National Health Service Corps. Dr. Russo has an interest in disease prevention and has served as co-investigator of numerous regional trials of health screening in the primary care setting. He also has a longstanding interest in global health. In 2015 he developed a Global Health and Social Medicine elective rotation in which he supervises interprofessional students and residents in rural Peru. He serves as Chair of the LSUHSC Committee on International Educational Programs. He serves on numerous other school and hospital committees.

Dr. Stephanie Taylor has been promoted to Interim Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Institutional Affairs. Dr. Taylor has served the school and community for many years and is widely respected for her work in sexually transmitted infections, achieving national and international distinction. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently welcomed her to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Advisory Council. In 2019, she received the American STD Association's Career Achievement Award.

She has published over 75 peer reviewed papers, including lead authorship for a recent paper in the New England Journal of Medicine. She has numerous other papers, book chapters, and national presentations, including chapters in Netter's Infectious Diseases and a chapter for the upcoming edition of Cecil's Textbook of Medicine. Dr. Taylor has been successful in leading STI treatment and diagnostic studies, with a long history of funding from NIH, industry and private foundations. She has served the city and state as a leader in STI treatment and prevention, currently as Medical Director of the Louisiana Office of Public Health STD/HIV Program and the LSU-CrescentCare Sexual Health Center. In addition to her work as a clinician on the infectious diseases consult service and in the clinic, Dr. Taylor has also served the school as an outstanding educator. She has also been recognized by the Faculty Assembly for her community service, and continues to represent the school on many local, state and national boards. 

Dr. Peter Winsauer will serve as Interim Department Head for Biochemistry. Dr. Winsauer has been funded by the NIH for more than 20 years and was awarded the Copping Award for teaching excellence in 2010. He has served as a leader in both the Faculty Assembly and Faculty Senate. In 2019, Dr. Winsauer was elected Secretary/Treasurer of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), and in 2020 he was appointed Assistant Dean for Basic Science Research.

Other promotions this quarter include:

Dr. Kristi Anderson has been promoted to Assistant Professor, Research.

Adam D'Arensbourg has been promoted to Quality Assurance Manager.

Gynell Nelson has been promoted to Nursing Supervisor.