12-04-2025
LSU Health Shreveport honors 10 faculty with Research Excellence Awards
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – LSU Health Shreveport presented 10 faculty members with Research Excellence Awards at its 7th annual Research Celebration.
The 2025 Research Excellence Award winners include:
Excellence in Extramural Funding – Matthew Woolard, PhD
Excellence in Translational/Clinical Research – Connie Arnold, PhD
Research Rising Star – Ana-Maria Dragoi, MD, PhD
Excellence in Scholarly Activity –Honoring outstanding scholarly accomplishments with manuscripts recently accepted to be published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals:
Stanimir Ivanov, PhD ('Nature Communications,' 2024)
Rohit Jangra, PhD ('Cell Host & Microbe,' 2025)
Changwon Park, PhD ('Nature Communications,' 2025)
Arif Yurdagul, Jr., PhD ('Nature Metabolism,' 2024)
Oren Rom, PhD, RD ('Cell Metabolism,' 2024; 'Nature Metabolism,' 2024)
Career Service Recognition –
Nicholas Goeders, PhD, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience, was honored for 40 years of service and significant contributions to advancing science and understanding the role of stress in drug addiction.
Sushil Jain, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, Physiology, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, the 2024 Career Service Recognition recipient, was honored this year as he was unable to attend last year's event for his 43 years of service at LSUHS and outstanding contributions to diabetes research.
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According to a press release, the event shared additional highlights, including:
Progress made on the new Cardiovascular & Cancer Research Building, a state-of-the-art research facility that will be located in the former Sears building at Mall St. Vincent
Nearly $3 million in intramural grants awarded to LSUHS faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students in the 2024 fiscal year
14% annual growth in LSUHS extramural funding over the past decade
New research core facilities and updates to current research facilities with new equipment
14 new faculty members recruited since July 2024 with substantial extramural funding – a total of 19 R01 and R00 grants from the National Institutes of Health – as well as 5 LSUHS postdoctoral fellows promoted to faculty members, bringing the total number of new research faculty members to 19, each of who will play an essential role in shaping the future of research at LSUHS.
'It was an inspiring event and the perfect opportunity to reflect on these accomplishments and look forward to what the future of research at LSU Health Shreveport holds as our institution remains committed to fostering a robust research environment, supporting faculty in achieving excellence, and translating discoveries into meaningful impact,' the release stated.
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