LSU Department of Biological Sciences

Happy ! 🇺🇸 Today, we honor and thank the brave men and women who have served.

We are deeply grateful for your service. May this day be filled with appreciation and respect for all you’ve done and continue to do.

🌲 Growing up on a Christmas tree farm in Rhode Island, Aislinn Mumford developed a love for plants. 🌲

Now a third-year PhD candidate advised by Dr. Laura Lagomarsino, she recently won a $1,500 award from the Botanical Society of America.

The award will help her purchase equipment to analyze fruit nutrients and further her goal of understanding bird-plant interactions.

🔗https://www.lsu.edu/science/biosci/news/2024/aislinn_mumford_receives_award.php

Congratulations to Prof. Ryoichi “Ryo” Teruyama for receiving an award from the Louisiana Board of Regents!🎉

His research explores how oxytocin influences brain changes in new mothers. Teruyama’s findings could pave the way for new treatments for postpartum depression, benefiting mothers and families.
🔗 https://www.lsu.edu/science/biosci/news/2024/teruyama_award.php

🌞 Had an amazing day retreat with our scholars and mentors! We kicked off with a lively Zydeco breakfast 🎶🍞, explored the beauty of Lake Martin 🌿🏵️, and wrapped up with a swamp tour! 🐊
✨It was a day filed with bonding, learning, and unforgettable views of Louisiana nature.

Our Mammalogy Curator, 𝐃𝐫. 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐧, and our former Postdoc 𝐃𝐫. 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐇𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, along with other prominent researchers, have recently published an article titled "S***m competition intensity shapes divergence in both s***m morphology and reproductive genes across murine rodents" in the journal Evolution. 🐁

Check it out here: https://academic.oup.com/evolut/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/evolut/qpae146/7818428?redirectedFrom=fulltext

In honor of , our Administrative Staff team has come together wearing pink to show support and raise awareness for all those impacted by breast cancer. Drop a 💗 below to show your support.

Discover the latest study by LSU alum Dr. Jamie Phelps, LSU alum Dr. Luis Santiago-Rosario, and Dr. Morgan Kelly, recently published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America.

Their research experimentally explores the cues behind increased melanization in Bordered Patch butterfly pupae.

🔗 https://academic.oup.com/aesa/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/aesa/saae026/7831282?utm_source=advanceaccess&utm_campaign=aesa&utm_medium=email&login=false

Big congratulations to LSU graduate student Shova Pandey for successfully defending her PhD titled “Investigating the Roles of Nopp140 Isoforms in Drosophila melanogaster.” Shova conducted her research under the guidance of our interim chair, Dr. Patrick DiMario. We are incredibly proud of her hard work and dedication! 🌟

Meet Assistant Professor Nathan Gilbert!

Dr. Gilbert began his college career as an undergraduate in the Fall of 2001. His enthusiasm for LSU and the college of science culminated in a PhD in Biochemistry being awarded in 2011. Dr. Gilbert then worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Vanderbilt Medical Center for four years under the guidance of Dr. Tina Iverson and Dr. Rich Breyer. The start-up biotech environment was Dr. Gilbert’s next stop where he utilized new pharmacology instrumentation that aided in drug-binding quantification for many big Pharma companies. Dr. Gilbert returned to academia as a beamline manager at the LSU’s synchrotron (CAMD) and initiated his own independent research as a research assistant professor. Dr. Gilbert was then hired by the Department of Biological Sciences as a tenure-track assistant professor in Biochemistry.

Shoutout to Richard Garcia and his PI, Dr. Maheshi Dassanayake, for their outstanding presentation at the National Science Foundation EDGE Conference in Washington, D.C.! Great job representing on the national stage. 👏👏

Meet Assistant Professor Flavia A. Montaño-Centellas! Born and raised in the Tropical Andes, Dr. Montaño-Centellas is an interdisciplinary ecologist with a broad interest in tropical ecology and conservation. She earned a PhD in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation from the University of Florida and was a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Daijian Li’s lab at LSU. Her research explores the patterns and processes behind biodiversity across spatial scales in various taxa, as well as the role of species traits and interactions in shaping diversity.