Our Mission

KTAL/KMSS - LSUHS was awarded one of three contracts in Louisiana to deliver FREE COVID-19 testing in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) for the 2021-2022 school year. The agreement is in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) with funding provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Patch.com - "The CURIOUS program is such a great experience for our students as it allows them to think critically and systematically about science, thus creating new knowledge," said Dr. Scott Chirhart, professor of biology at Centenary. "It's science in action."

Mabruka Alfaidi, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Pathology at LSU Health Shreveport, has been selected as a recipient of an American Heart Association Career Development Award. This prestigious award supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals in the early years of their career by funding innovative research and training to assure the future success of the awardee as a cardiovascular independent scientist.

KTBS 3 - The Shreveport Police Department and Fire Department leaders detailed the 40 hour mental health training that some first responders have completed so far with LSU Health Shreveport and Seedlinks Behavior Management. The goal is to prepare first responders to handle situations with people who are undergoing a mental health crisis.

NPR / Red River Radio - Dr. Shawn McNeil, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport talks about substance abuse disorders, a national health crisis.

KSLA 12 - Filling up on fluids and constant hydration are good ways to prevent heat exhaustion, especially as outdoor sports like football are gearing up for the fall with summer practices, says Dr. Charles Webb, LSUHS Director of Sports Medicine Division.

Wayne Nix has been named the new Chief Innovation Officer of Research at LSUHS, effective July 15, 2021. Mr. Nix is an experienced entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in both healthcare and business development and management arenas. He has also led many team innovation strategies while providing mentorship for new entrepreneurs.

The AHEAD program launched for the first time during the summer 2021 semester with 16 participants from several local high schools, including Caddo Magnet, Captain Shreve, C. E. Byrd, and Southwood. Students participated in full-day sessions of hands-on, interactive activities within each health care program.

LSU Health Shreveport welcomed 177 new residents and fellows to campus this week. The group began their training in one of our 44 accredited programs on July 1st. The diverse group of physicians hail from over 27 states and 29 different countries.

BIZ Magazine - Celeste Y.C. Wu, PhD, post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neurology at LSU Health Shreveport, was awarded the American Heart Association Career Development Award receiving $231,000 in funding.

Mabruka Alfaidi, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow in Pathology at LSU Health Shreveport, has been selected as a recipient of an American Heart Association Career Development Award. This prestigious award supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals in the early years of their career by funding innovative research and training to assure the future success of the awardee as a cardiovascular independent scientist.

Wayne Nix has been named the new Chief Innovation Officer of Research at LSUHS, effective July 15, 2021. Mr. Nix is an experienced entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in both healthcare and business development and management arenas. He has also led many team innovation strategies while providing mentorship for new entrepreneurs.

BIZ Magazine - Celeste Y.C. Wu, PhD, post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neurology at LSU Health Shreveport, was awarded the American Heart Association Career Development Award receiving $231,000 in funding.

PRNewswire — JanOne Inc. (Nasdaq: JAN), a company focused on developing treatments for conditions that cause severe pain and drugs with non-addictive, pain-relieving properties, today announced the appointment of Nicholas E. Goeders, Ph.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Goeders is considered one of the world’s leaders on the role of stress in drug addiction.

Louisiana Radio Network - The objective of the grant is to strengthen global capabilities to detect and respond to pandemic threats in the future. Director for Emerging Viral Threats at LSUHS Dr. Andrew Yurochko said the award is indicative of LSU Health Shreveport’s strides in detecting variants and assisting with vaccine rollout.

Red River Radio - Work by Drs. Jeremy Kamil and Rona Scott along with COBRE principal investigators Drs. Andrew Yurochko and Chris Kevil has produced and shared 2,839 full coverage SARS-CoV-2 genomes, which amounts to over 60% of the SARSCoV-2 genome surveillance from Louisiana, and 1.2 % of the total US data submitted to GISAID which is the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data.

The Rockefeller Foundation - LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) is receiving funding ($340,000) from the Rockefeller Foundation. This follows the announcement yesterday of LSUHS being awarded $730,000 to further its work in genomic sequencing of COVID-19 through a NIH supplemental grant.  LSUHS joins Harvard and the Broad Institute at MIT among others in the US Regional Accelerators for Genomic Surveillance.

Dr. Arrigo DeBenedetti receives Spring 2021 Feist Weiller Cancer Center (FWCC) Bridging Award grant in the amount of $100,000.

LSU Health Shreveport has identified two cases of the novel COVID-19 variant of concern, B.1.617.2, which was first identified in India and is rapidly spreading around the world. LSU Health Shreveport sequencing also reveals that B.1.1.7, sometimes called “the U.K. variant,” remains dominant in North Louisiana, as is the case in the rest of the United States, as well. 

Kevin S. Murnane, PhD, was awarded the NINDS grant for the research project entitled, “Exploring the Role of Oxytocin in the Regulation of Neuronal Excitability,” is focused on form of catastrophic childhood epilepsy called Dravet syndrome.

Patch.com - "The CURIOUS program is such a great experience for our students as it allows them to think critically and systematically about science, thus creating new knowledge," said Dr. Scott Chirhart, professor of biology at Centenary. "It's science in action."

The AHEAD program launched for the first time during the summer 2021 semester with 16 participants from several local high schools, including Caddo Magnet, Captain Shreve, C. E. Byrd, and Southwood. Students participated in full-day sessions of hands-on, interactive activities within each health care program.

LSU Health Shreveport welcomed 177 new residents and fellows to campus this week. The group began their training in one of our 44 accredited programs on July 1st. The diverse group of physicians hail from over 27 states and 29 different countries.

KTAL News - The Emergency Water Services Project will allow LSUHS to have access to its own water source. “This is an excellent and needed project for the LSU Health Shreveport campus," State Sentator Greg Tarver said. "The water system will help the campus to continue educating and serving the community, even in times of crisis.”

LSUHS congratulates our residents and fellows who completed their training in their respective programs this month. Our institution currently offers 43 fully accredited residency and fellowship programs with more than 559 residents and fellows in training.

LSUHS School of Medicine and Dillard University have established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Guaranteed Interview Program at LSU. The MOU represents the objective of each institution to increase the number of African American and Latinx students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Louisiana who apply to the LSUHS School of Medicine.

It brings us great sorrow to share a tragedy within our family. Matt Rushing (Physical Therapy, Class of 2018) died last week as a result of a motor vehicle collision. 

LSUHS School of Allied Health Professions (SAHP) welcomed 124 new students in 6 different programs offering Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees.

The first quarter of 2021 publication of ON THE INSIDE is available now! See the latest in honors, appointments, publications and presentations by LSUHS faculty and students.

Thanks to a second grant from the Noel Foundation, the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions is now offering advanced educational opportunities for entry-level professional and residency education programs. This advanced technology delivered through BITS provides students the opportunity to have simulation and hands on experience with the most advanced technology available in real time. 

KTAL/KMSS - LSUHS was awarded one of three contracts in Louisiana to deliver FREE COVID-19 testing in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) for the 2021-2022 school year. The agreement is in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) with funding provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

KTBS 3 - The Shreveport Police Department and Fire Department leaders detailed the 40 hour mental health training that some first responders have completed so far with LSU Health Shreveport and Seedlinks Behavior Management. The goal is to prepare first responders to handle situations with people who are undergoing a mental health crisis.

NPR / Red River Radio - Dr. Shawn McNeil, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport talks about substance abuse disorders, a national health crisis.

KSLA 12 - Filling up on fluids and constant hydration are good ways to prevent heat exhaustion, especially as outdoor sports like football are gearing up for the fall with summer practices, says Dr. Charles Webb, LSUHS Director of Sports Medicine Division.

KTBS 3 - Dr. Peter Seidenberg, professor of family medicine at LSU Health Shreveport, said it is important for those who will be in the heat for an extended time to stay hydrated. “With how much people use energy drinks nowadays, that increases the risk for heat stroke, as well. Any stimulant type medication, including ADD medicines, will also increase your risk. And also certain blood pressure medications increase your risk for heatstroke.”

KTAL News - Shane Sumlin was stricken by a rare syndrome called Guillain-Barre which requires extensive physical therapy in order to use one’s arms and hands again. Dr. Suzanne Tinsley, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement at LSUHS, with 3+ decades of experience in dealing with neurological injuries was able to help Shane walk again.

KTBS News - Dr. Peter Seidenberg, professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport, explains: “The difference between heat exhaustion and heatstroke is actually your body starts to shut down. When you start adding altered mental status to that, that's when it becomes heatstroke. And it's extremely dangerous.”

318 Forum - This summer, get out with your family and get active. Exercising and encouraging physical activity with your children is a surefire way to help them establish healthy habits that are lifelong. Researchers have found that parents who live a healthy lifestyle have healthier, more fit children, shares Dr. Marie Vazquez Morgan, LSU Health Shreveport.

Heather Fulkerson, PhD and Sadie Rice, PhD have written and illustrated a newly published children's book called "Microbiology for Kids: From A to Z" that is available for purchase online. 

Thanks to a second grant from the Noel Foundation, the LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions is now offering advanced educational opportunities for entry-level professional and residency education programs. This advanced technology delivered through BITS provides students the opportunity to have simulation and hands on experience with the most advanced technology available in real time. 

KSLA12 - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has implemented a statewide indoor mask mandate to combat the spread of COVID-19 and the delta variant of the virus. Gov. Edwards made the declaration during a news conference Monday, Aug. 2. The new mask mandate is set to expire on Sept. 1, 2021, but could be extended if needed, the governor said.

KTAL/KMSS - LSUHS was awarded one of three contracts in Louisiana to deliver FREE COVID-19 testing in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) for the 2021-2022 school year. The agreement is in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) with funding provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

KTAL - Dr. Yurochko, a Professor and Vice-chair of Microbiology and Immunology at LSU Health Shreveport, said by now one ought to know that “masks absolutely work” — and his stance on it is abundantly clear, citing Delta variant is more infectious and anyone who is more vulnerable or who has underlying health issues should mask up.

New York Times - Facing deep mistrust stoked by rampant conspiracy theories, local health officials are fighting for influence when the only sure strategy for beating back the virus is getting more people vaccinated. “It’s a lot of small battles in different places,” Dr. John Vanchiere said, “and every battle is going to be different.”

Boston Globe - Dr. Jeremy Kamil, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at LSUHS, oversees a team of scientists reading the genomes of positive virus samples each week. A run of samples this week found the number of cases involving the delta variant had exploded. Dr. John Vanchiere, a professor of infectious disease at LSUHS said a growing public awareness of local delta cases was one reason his team was now vaccinating twice as many people as a month ago — as many as 100 a day.

LSUHS hosted a press conference where research experts, medical professionals and community leaders gave an update on the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of the new Delta variant of the virus, along with latest numbers and efforts to increase vaccination rates.

Local clergy and Vaccination providers, including LSU Health Shreveport, are joining forces to administer free Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccinations to all citizens with particular emphasis on teenagers.  Also, other health screening services will be offered including blood pressure checks, COVID-19 Rapid Test, glucose/blood sugar check and physical fitness activities for the whole family.

Bloomberg News - Given the patchy start to COVID surveillance last year, some experts have expressed concern over whether the CDC can create a system that will help bring the pandemic to a true end. Jeremy Kamil, a virologist at LSUHS, points out that the agency takes weeks to provide data from sequencing including diseases such as influenza, too.

KSLA 12 - On Monday, July 19, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested all kids age 2 or older should wear a face mask. “The ages 12 and under, they are a vulnerable population and the argument from the AAP that wearing mask in schools will help lessen the risk of transmission and infectivity for those, I think is a very strong argument,” said Thomas.

KSLA 12 - Dr. Jonathan Eaton, a critical care doctor with LSUHS shares his main concern during this latest surge in COVID-19 cases is the new age group being impacted. “The best thing we have is being vaccinated. Don’t think because your 30 to 40 years old you’re invincible to this.”