LSU Health Shreveport Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology

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!💜💛

Congratulations Dr. Rom!!!💜💛

Please help us congratulate Oren Rom, PhD, RD on being named Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research at LSU Health Shreveport! In this role, Dr. Rom will provide executive leadership of the LSU Health Shreveport research enterprise.

In his previous role as Senior Associate Dean for Basic and Translational Research, Dr. Rom helped lead the record-setting research growth in extramural funding and research expenditures at LSUHS. Additionally, 18 faculty from world-renowned universities, including three new department chairs, have been recruited since July 2024 under Dr. Rom’s leadership. These recruits are bringing more than $25M in new NIH funding to LSUHS.

Congratulations, Dr. Rom!

The Physiology Department is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates and faculty following the recent Commencement Ceremony at LSU Health Shreveport for the Class of 2026.

We would especially like to recognize two outstanding individuals among this year’s graduating class. Congratulations to Naznin Sultana Remex, PhD (Bhuiyan Lab), recipient of the Chancellor’s Award, and Luisa Delgadillo, PhD (Pattillo Lab). Both have successfully completed all required tasked and assignments, marking an important milestone in their academic journeys. Your commitment to excellence and contributions to research have inspired those around you. 🎉🎊

We are also excited to celebrate one of our faculty members, Dr. Ana-Maria Dragoi, MD, PhD for receiving the Copping Award for Excellence in Training. This recognition reflects the mentorship, guidance, and unwavering support our faculty provide to students every day.

Please join us in congratulating these outstanding members of our Physiology Department on their well-deserved achievements.

Dr. El Saafien’s lab had the pleasure of attending the annual American Physiology Summit in Minneapolis. Lab members Gavyn Navarro, Research Associate, and Salman Saleh, Postdoctoral Fellow, presented data from their ongoing projects.

The American Physiological Society brings together a multidisciplinary community of scientists and educators from around the world, fostering collaboration and highlighting advances in physiology and related fields.

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