Eight Caddo Parish High School students who graduated from the Science and Medicine Academic Research Training (SMART) program were honored at a special luncheon.

The SMART program matches high school seniors with LSUHSCS researchers. The students spend a year working alongside graduate students on a number of medical research projects.

2017 – 2018 SMART STUDENTS, MENTORS & RESEARCH PROJECTS

JEMMA CLARY
Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Mentor: J. Steven Alexander, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology
Project Title: “The Role of Lymphatic Proteins in the Brain and Multiple Sclerosis”

CHASE COLVIN
C.E. Byrd High School
Mentor: Mani Panchatcharam, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor, Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy
Project Title: “Hyperglycemic Vascular Complications and the Autotaxin-LPA-LPP3 Axis”

CHRISTOPHER FERRIER
Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Mentor: Elizabeth Disbrow, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience; Adjunct, Department of Neurology
Project Title: “The Relationship Between Brain Volume and Cognitive Function in Parkinson’s Disease”

TOBIAS KALLENBERG
Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Mentor: Christopher Kevil, Vice Chancellor for Research; Dean, School of Graduate Studies; Professor, Department of Pathology;
CCDS Director
Project Title: “An Investigation into the Possible Application of Selenide in the Treatment of Ischemic Vascular Disease”

LILLY KAMBEROV
Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Mentor: Diana Cruz-Topete, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology
Project Title: “Stress Signaling Inhibitory Effects of Estrogen Protection in Myocardial Ischemia”

SUNJAY LETCHUMAN
Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Mentor: Christopher Pattillo, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology
Project Title: “Redox in CABG: A Tale of Two Cell Types”

PARKER SMITH
Captain Shreve High School
Mentor: Yunfeng Zhao, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience
Project Title: “UCP2 and Metabolic Reprogramming”

BLAISE WILLIS
Caddo Parish Magnet High School
Mentor: Lynn Harrison, Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology
Project Title: “Is Alternate Sigma Factor H (SigH) Essential for the Mycobacterium marinum Response to Low-Shear Modeled Microgravity?”