RESEARCH & ACADEMIC CENTERS | LSU Health Shreveport

Feist-Weiller Cancer Center (FWCC) is a Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, Treatment and Education (1993). FWCC provides basic and translational science programs that contribute to comprehensive cancer care. With a mission to increase understanding of the mechanisms that regulate cancer formation and progression and to develop novel techniques to detect and treat cancer, four scientific programs are currently active at FWCC:

• Translational Research
• Cancer Cell Biology Focus Groups
• Tumor Virology
• Innovative North Louisiana Experimental Therapeutics (INLET)

Physicians and scientists take clinical problems from the bedside to the research laboratory where solutions are generated that come back to the bedside. This type of research allows scientific discoveries to more rapidly be used in the assessment and treatment of cancer patients. FWCC is an affiliate of the Gulf South Cancer Clinical Trials Network NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) and leads the network in clinical trial patient enrollment. LSU Health Shreveport’s Partners in Wellness cancer screening program supports cancer research by educating and enrolling rural patients in clinical trials.

Feist-Weiller Cancer Center LEADERSHIP
Richard Mansour, MD, Director
Andrew Yurochko, PhD, Assistant Director of FWCC Basic Research

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The Center of Excellence for Arthritis and Rheumatology (CEAR), established in 1990, promotes the treatment and prevention of immunological and inflammatory diseases that affect many Louisianans. For more than 30 years, the CEAR has sustained and expanded multidisciplinary programs of excellence in clinical patient care, medical education and research, making it one of the country’s exemplary rheumatology programs.

The CEAR:

• Provides a research platform to investigate novel aspects of these diseases and bring new discoveries to the patient
• Engages a community learning to manage immunological and inflammatory diseases
• Educates the next generation of doctors

CEAR LEADERSHIP
Samina Hayat, MD, Director & Chief, Rheumatology Division
Andrew D. Yurochko, PhD, Assistant Director of Research

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The Center of Research Excellence for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences (CCDS), established in 2018 as designated by the Louisiana Board of Regents, creates a strong environment to mentor trainees and facilitate increased translational research across the LSU Health Shreveport campus.

The CCDS and its investigators:

• Develop nationally renowned biomedical research programs with the potential to change the treatment of cardiovascular disease for future generations
• Train future biomedical researchers, housing one of six NIH-funded T32 training grants in Louisiana within a rich predoctoral and postdoctoral training environment that is further enriched by multiple summer undergraduate research programs
• Conduct clinical trials for new devices and drugs to increase cardiovascular treatment options in Louisiana, especially for acute coronary syndrome, heart failure and cardiomyopathy, and provide training opportunities for medical students and residents interested in biomedical research

As the third Center of Excellence on the LSUHS campus, CCDS faculty and trainees brought in $18.6 million in extramural funding in FY25 — the most in CCDS history.

CCDS LEADERSHIP
A. Wayne Orr, PhD, Director
Karen Stokes, PhD, Assistant Director

CCDS FOCUS GROUP LEADERS
Shenu Bhuiyan, PhD
Kalgi Modi, MD
Arif Yurdagul, PhD
Matthew Woolard, PhD
Karen Stokes, PhD

► Learn more about CCDS

The Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT) engages in multidisciplinary basic and translational research on infectious pathogens (bacteria, fungi, viruses and other pathogens) to provide surveillance and detection for infectious threats; to provide cutting edge diagnostics and access to national clinical trials; and to educate physicians, scientists and the community about prevention, treatment and the science of endemic and pandemic diseases. The CEVT is recognized internationally for its contributions to public health, research, community outreach and genomic surveillance, established in 2022 as designated by the Louisiana Board of Regents.

To accomplish its mission and continue being a leader in the study and diagnosis of acute and chronic infectious diseases throughout the state and region, the CEVT is dedicated to:

• Growing the number of infectious disease researchers at LSUHS
• Increasing extramural funding to support investigator research
• Enhancing training in the study and treatment of infectious agents and the diseases they cause

Addressing chronic diseases and the infectious agents that cause these diseases is a major focus of the CEVT going forward. Through research that improves diagnosis and access to clinical treatment options, the CEVT works toward improving the health of all citizens in Louisiana.

CEVT LEADERSHIP
John Vanchiere, MD, PhD, Co-Director
Andrew Yurochko, PhD, Co-Director
Jason Comer, PhD, Director of BSL-3 and Viral Research
Krista Queen, PhD, Director of Genomics and Surveillance

High Complexity Reference Lab
Jennifer Carroll, PhD, Director
Nina Jones, General Supervisor

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The Center for Brain Health (CBH), established in 2019 as designated by the Louisiana Board of Regents, advances neuroscience research, education and comprehensive care for brain conditions such as stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The CBH integrates biology, engineering and medicine, from molecular genetics to human brain imaging, with a goal of successfully competing for extramural research funding. Researchers and clinicians use advanced technologies to:

• Conduct groundbreaking research that leads to new, life-changing therapies for brain conditions
• Support state-of-the-art care
• Provide top-quality education for students and the community

The CBH partners with The Michael J. Fox Foundation as a site for the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease study and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services GUIDE Model. The Noel Foundation recently funded our new Neuroscience Education Undergraduate Research Opportunity Network (NEURON) to enhance education for future scientists. To gain insight into the mechanism of brain disease and treatment, the basic scientists recently formed the Institute for Cerebrovascular and Neuroregeneration Research (ICNR) that is supported by grants from the American Heart Association (AHA), the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

CBH LEADERSHIP
Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD, Director
Krista Rodgers, PhD, Associate Director
Suzanne Tinsley, PT, PhD, Associate Director

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The Louisiana Addiction Research Center (LARC), established in 2022 as designated by the Louisiana Board of Regents, was designed to increase knowledge and advance research related to Substance Use Disorders (SUD) to create a better quality of life for Louisiana citizens in the area. The integrated environment fosters innovative approaches to addiction treatment and learning about the mechanisms underlying addiction. Multidisciplinary translational research projects:

• Integrate basic and clinical sciences
• Engage a community of stakeholders to radically improve models of care
• Increase intervention opportunities for people with SUD

LARC researchers investigate multiple stages in the addiction disease state cycle to interrupt, prevent and treat substance use disorders.

LARC LEADERSHIP
Nicholas E. Goeders, PhD, Director

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Established in 2023, the CAE-PaCeR aligns research, academic and clinical programs at the School of Health Professions and Sciences to provide patient-centered rehabilitation in an academic culture of excellence for clinical learning, innovation and collaboration. Strategic investments in teaching, research and scholarships serve the needs of SHPS students, patients and faculty for the good of our community and the state of Louisiana.

CAE-PaCeR LEADERSHIP
Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Academic Administration, Dean
Sarah Murnane, PT, DPT, Center Director

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The Center for Applied Immunology and Pathological Processes (CAIPP), established in 2021, addresses diseases associated with altered immune responsiveness. Diseases such as cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases take a significant toll on personal health and also on the financial status of Louisiana’s health care system. Harnessing the collective strengths of multiple departments and researchers at LSUHS and other schools statewide, the CAIPP advances insights and understanding of how subversion of the immune response and functioning of immune cells influences human health and disease. With a better understanding of the molecular and clinical basis for these diseases and the resulting immunopathologies, research scientists at LSUHS hope to discover new and better ways to detect and treat these various diseases. CAIPP strengths:

• Strong mentorship and professional development program tailored to meet the needs of each investigator
• Cooperative research environment
• Advanced research core facilities that support the university, region and state
• Academically independent and internationally recognized center

CAIPP LEADERSHIP
Andrew Yurochko, PhD, Director and Principal Investigator
Rona Scott, PhD, Bioinformatics and Modeling Core Director
Matthew Woolard, PhD, Immunophenotyping Core Director

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The Center for Redox Biology and Cardiovascular Disease (CRBCD), established in 2018, addresses cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Louisiana that is responsible for nearly one quarter of all deaths in the state.

The CRBCD is working to:

• Discover disease mechanisms that remain poorly understood
• Advance the understanding of redox biology control of heart and vascular disease processes
• Investigate new and better ways to detect or treat cardiovascular disease

A Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) branch of the NIH provides substantial support for program development. The Animal Model & Histology Core and the Redox Molecular Signaling Core enable both COBRE and non-COBRE researchers to establish nationally competitive research programs in cardiovascular redox biology. Now in Phase 2 with a total of $21 million grant support, the CRBCD continues to develop investigators to compete effectively for independent research and further improve research infrastructure.

CRBCD LEADERSHIP
Chris Kevil, PhD, Director and Principal Investigator
A. Wayne Orr, PhD, Redox Molecular Signaling Core Director
Karen Stokes, PhD, Animal Models and Phenotyping Core Director

► Learn more about the Redox Biology COBRE

The Center for Post-Transcriptional Regulation (CPTR), established in 2025, is LSU Health Shreveport’s first National Science Foundation-funded center, leads nationally competitive science through a $7.5 million investment focused on how cells regulate metabolism – the process by which the body converts nutrients into energy.

Data outcomes from the NSF grant could:

• Advance metabolic science with clear biomedical and translational potential
• Provide insights relevant to conditions such as diabetes, obesity and liver diseases
• Spur new biotechnological advances
• Increase training opportunities for learners ranging from high school students through postdoctoral fellows, which builds Louisiana’s biomedical research workforce
• Expand Louisiana’s role in national biomedical research, biotechnology, data science and translational medicine

Cutting-edge biotechnology with a strong commitment to hands-on training will strengthen the regional research ecosystem and prepare the next generation of scientists in North Louisiana, a region with historically lower levels of National Science Foundation research investment. The CPTR directly advances LSU Health Shreveport’s mission and accelerates growth in metabolic research, a key priority for LSU’s system-wide strategy.

CPTR LEADERSHIP
Oren Rom, PhD, RD, PI, Co-Director
A. Wayne Orr, PhD, Co-PI, Co-Director

Advanced Research Sub-Projects
Tarek Magdy, PharmB, PhD
Arif Yurdagul, PhD
Nirav Dhanesha, PhD

Innovative Core Facilities
iPSC and Cell Models Core - Tarek Magdy, PharmB, PhD
Metabolomics and Machine Learning Core - Hyung Nam, PhD, and Nobel Bhuiyan, PhD

New Student Training Initiatives
Karen Stokes, PhD

► Learn more about CPTR