LSU Health Shreveport Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology

The Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduate student following LSU Health Shreveport's Summer Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2026.

We are delighted to recognize another outstanding graduate from this year's class. Congratulations to Dr. Nilu Dhungel, PhD (Dragoi Lab), on successfully completing all degree requirements and reaching this significant milestone in her academic journey.🎉🎊

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Nilu Dhungel on this well-deserved achievement. We are proud to celebrate her success and wish her continued accomplishments in all her future endeavors.

From Discovery to Development: How Blood Cell Interactions Shape Disease and the Next Generation of Scientists

From high school students to undergraduate summer researchers and medical students to graduate trainees and postdoctoral fellows, Physiology Department Professor, Karen Stokes, PhD, introduces future scientists and physicians to the LSUHS research enterprise. Among the programs she has led are MS CARDIO, CURIOUS, AHA SURE and SUMMIT. These programs immerse students in active research laboratories while also providing professional development and networking opportunities.

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and fellow students in the Department of Physiology, we are delighted to welcome our new graduate students!

Congratulations on joining our program. You are beginning an exciting journey filled with opportunities to learn, discover, and grow as scientists and professionals. Throughout the coming year, you will challenge yourself academically, develop valuable research skills, and build lasting relationships with mentors and colleagues who are invested in your success.

We encourage you to stay curious, ask questions, embrace new experiences, and take advantage of the many resources available to support your academic and personal growth. Every achievement begins with a single step, and we are excited to see the contributions you will make to our department and the scientific community.

We wish you an exciting, successful, and rewarding academic year. Welcome to the Physiology family—we're glad you're here, and we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments throughout the year!

Welcome, and best wishes for an outstanding year ahead!

Students

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Christopher Pattillo on securing a new RO1 grant from the NHLBI😁👏

Christopher Pattillo, PhD, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, received a five-year $3.6 million R01 award from the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for his project, "Cellular Reductive State Regulates Inflammation Resolution." This achievement reflects Dr. Pattillo's dedication to advancing scientific discovery and commitment to excellence in research.

CONGRATULATIONS 🎊🎉to Physiology faculty member Dr. Changwon Park on his promotion from Associate Professor to Professor. This well-deserved achievement reflects Dr. Park's outstanding dedication, leadership, and commitment to excellence at LSU Health Shreveport.

We congratulate him on this significant career milestone and thank him for his continued contributions to our institution! 🎊🎉

Behind the many achievements of the Department of Physiology stands the exceptional dedication, hard work, and contributions of our faculty. We would like to take a moment to recognize one of our outstanding faculty members whose commitment and excellence have played a role in these successes. Hongxue Shi, PhD, is advancing MASH research through macrophage-driven cell clearance.

Dr. Shi’s lab is working to strengthen the liver’s natural defense system by engineering macrophages - introducing receptors that improve their ability to recognize and clear dead hepatocytes.

🤗Congratulations to Nilu Dhungel, Physiology graduate student in Dr. Dragoi’s lab, on successfully defending her dissertation today! The title of her talk was, "Investigations on the role of cancer cells-fibroblasts direct interaction in EMT plasticity and chemoresistance."

This accomplishment reflects your hard work, dedication, and expertise, and we are incredibly proud of all you’ve achieved. Your presentation was outstanding, and it was clear how deeply knowledgeable you are about your research.

We look forward to seeing all the amazing things you will accomplish in the future!

🧬 🧪🦠

The Physiology Department would like to appreciate Dr. C. Kimberly Tsui, PhD!😁
Dr. Tsui, from LSU Health Shreveport Department of Microbiology and Immunology, completed last week's Physiology Spring Seminar Series with her presentation, "Sweet Talk: Understanding the Role of Glycans in Cell-Cell Communication".
We truly appreciated her time and contribution to our seminar series!💜💛