LSU Health Shreveport Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neuroscience

04/27/2026

Over the weekend, our students represented the Pharmacology dept. in a state-wide intramural soccer tournament, hosted by the LCIRSA. Teaming with 3 medical students and competing against LA Tech, Grambling & Northwestern within 4 games, they won 1st place in the tournament. Go PHARM!

03/31/2026

The title of the artwork is “In Search of the Infinite.” by grad students Frances Vest and Bo Wood

This piece was inspired by their work in neuroscience, behavioral research, and psychedelic science. At its core is the idea that their perception of reality is shaped from within, captured by the phrase ‘our life is the creation of our mind,’ which they came across in a fortune cookie but felt deeply aligned with.

They also reflected on how the pursuit of knowledge can become consuming. In that sense, Icarus represents the risk of becoming so fixated on reaching truth that we lose sight of curiosity itself. His fall serves as a reminder to stay open, rather than believing we’ll ever fully arrive at understanding.

LSUHS selected their artwork for purchase last year out of the hundreds of applicants. It is now hanging within our New Medical Building (also known as the Stapler) as part of LSUHS' permanent collection.

03/18/2026

Inspiring the next generation! Our graduate student, Noel Jacquet, shared knowledge and personal experience with middle school visitors during our on-campus recruitment event.

A great thanks to Noel for her participation in discussing future pathways, including the BioStart Internship program.

03/13/2026

Pharmacology recently welcomed William Pu, PhD, Associate Chair and Senior Cardiologist of Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, who presented a lecture on “iPSC-based Models of Heart Disease.” at the Seminar Series. Dr. Pu discussed current research approaches using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to study heart disease and their role in advancing biomedical research.

Thank you to Jiliang Zhou, PhD, Chair of the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, for hosting the seminar and presenting Dr. Pu with a departmental mug in appreciation of his visit.

We couldn't help but share this "mug shot". Thank you, Dr. Pu!

03/06/2026

Zianne Owens, a Southwood High School student, participated within our BioStart Internship Program in Pharmacology. After completing the program in December 2025, Zianne presented her research project on how photobiomodulation enhances cognitive function at the Louisiana Tech Research Institute’s Regional Science Fair.

We are proud to share that her work earned an award from the American Chemical Society. Zianne’s accomplishment highlights the incredible talent of our students and the meaningful research opportunities available through the BioStart Program.
Congratulations, Zianne!

03/04/2026

Big congratulations to our very own Year 6 graduate student, Frances Vest, for competing in the Best Poster Competition at the International Society for Research on Psychedelics meeting!

She went head-to-head with students from Johns Hopkins University, LSU Health New Orleans, Medical College of Wisconsin, University of California San Diego, and many other outstanding institutions — and represented us with excellence.

When Pharmacology meets Toxicology meets Neuroscience… the data doesn’t just speak, it synapses.

We’re incredibly proud of you, Frances!

02/23/2026

Hello. We'd like to celebrate and give thanks to the student candidates that visited our campus last week.

During their visit, they connected with our graduate students over a Chipotle-catered lunch and got a taste of our collaborative community. 🌯🎓

Thank you to everyone who helped make their visit memorable!

02/17/2026

Hey! Do you know anyone who may be interested? Send them our way for the Undergraduate SUPER program.

https://schoolofgradstudies.lsuhs.edu/academics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-neuroscience/research/super

02/17/2026

KSLA speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD, faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, ahead of the upcoming Parkinson’s Disease Community Forum.

Dr. Disbrow is a valued member of our faculty and brings expertise in neuroscience research and community engagement.

Watch the full interview below!

KSLA speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD ahead of the Parkinson's Disease Community ForumFor more Local News from KSLA: https://www.ksla.com/For more YouT...

12/15/2025

We were proud to host our BioStart Poster Presentation, showcasing the hard work of Southwood High School seniors from the Biotechnology Academy. Through the BioStart Program, coordinated by the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience since 2009, students participate in hands-on laboratory research under the mentorship of LSU Health Shreveport faculty engaged in translational and clinical research.

Presenting research can be intimidating—especially for young scientists—but our students rose to the occasion, confidently sharing their projects with family members, Southwood High School staff, and LSU Health Shreveport faculty and staff who came out to support them.

BioStart continues to inspire the next generation of medical and life science professionals by providing early exposure to real-world research and academic mentorship. We’re excited to see where these talented students go next!

We would also like to thank Sonia and Monica, representatives from the CRAVE for a nice breakfast spread! ☺

12/15/2025

Thanks to the initiative of our new Chair, Dr. Zhou, the Pharmacology department came together at the on-campus CRAVE restaurant for a holiday celebration enjoyed by graduate students, faculty, and staff.