LSU Vet Med announces Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day Award Recipients

On April 25, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine hosted its annual Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day—a day established to promote research in schools of veterinary medicine, to recognize research conducted by veterinary students, House Officers (residents and interns), graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty, and to encourage veterinary students to pursue research careers.

Phi Zeta is the national veterinary honor society, which recognizes and furthers scholarship and research in matters pertaining to the welfare and diseases of animals. The importance of this day to LSU Vet Med is underlined by the fact that the Veterinary Teaching Hospital is closed except for emergencies to allow all students and House Officers to participate.

Phi Zeta Day provides a platform for national experts to share insights on research across various fields and present a global perspective veterinary research. This year’s keynote speaker was Srinand Sreevatsan, BVSc, MVSc, MPH, Ph.D., dean of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. The goal of his research is to advance an understanding of pathogen-host interactions through a systems approach. By using advanced technologies like genome sequencing and functional genomics, the interdisciplinary research strategy aims to uncover new insights into zoonotic pathogen infections.

Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day includes a presentation by a biomedical scientist with veterinary experience, and posters are presented by students, House Officers, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and research associates in the interlude between presentations. The presentations inform the school community and visitors of the diverse current research activities within LSU Vet Med. Posters presented by advanced studies students, professional students, undergraduate students, and House Officers/Residents were judged by a panel of veterinarians and/or scientists for prizes in the following categories: (1) post-doctoral researchers, (2) dissertation (PhD) students, (3) House Officers/Residents (non-PhD/non-Master’s), (4) veterinary students, (5) undergraduate/Masters students and (6) case reports.. The growth and quality of the event are a measure of the efforts of the LSU Vet Med community and our commitment to scholarly activity at all levels.

Veterinary students who participate in LSU Vet Med’s Summer Scholars Program enter their research projects for consideration on Phi Zeta Emphasis Day. Each year, veterinary students apply to participate in the Summer Scholars Program, in which they develop research proposals with the guidance of a faculty member and conduct research throughout the summer.

Winners in the Ph.D. Poster Competition:

Angel Casillo, Ph.D. student in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, received 1st place in the Ph.D. Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Is Different Better? Assessing Effects of Bisphenol Exposures on Development and Stress Response in Larval Zebrafish.”
Melina JalaliFarahani, Ph.D. student in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, received 2nd place in the Ph.D. Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Enhancing CAR-T cell function via multi-domain inhibition of ITK.”

Ivan Martinez-Espinoza, Ph.D. student in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, received 3rd place in the Ph.D. Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Impact of Pneumovirus Infection on the Phagocytic Function of Human Macrophages.”

Yathushigan Kulatheepan, Ph.D. student in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, received 4th place in the Ph.D. Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Role of CD38 in Pulmonary Host Defense against Klebsiella pneumoniae-Induced Pneumonia.”

John Le, Ph.D. student in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, received 5th place in the Ph.D. Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “The NLRP12 Inflammasome Negatively Regulates Neutrophil Function During Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-Induced Pneumonia.”

Winners in the Case Reports Poster Competition:

Bianca De Cecco, DVM, anatomic pathology resident in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, from Santa Maria, Brazil, received 1st place in the Case Reports Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Malignant Round Cell Neoplasm in a Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana).” Her faculty mentor was Fabio Del Piero, DVM, Ph.D., professor of diagnostic pathology.

Fiona Arnold, DVM Class of 2026 student in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, received 2nd place in the Case Reports Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Outbreak of Avian Polyomavirus in Five Psittacines.”

Eliana De Luca, DVM, anatomic pathology resident in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, from Teramo, Italy, received 3rd place in the Case Reports Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Disseminated Metastatic Malignant Melanoma with CNS Involvement in a Geriatric Dachshund.” Her faculty mentor was Jeongha Lee, DVM, DACVP, assistant professor of anatomic pathology.

Winners in the Resident Poster Competition:

Keishla Marrero-Acosta, DVM, small animal medicine and surgery intern in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, from Dorado, Puerto Rico, received 1st place in the Resident Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Measuring the Degradation of Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Concentrations in Captive Northern Blue Tongued-Skinks (Tiliqua scincoides intermedia) Over Time.” Her faculty mentor is Mark Mitchell, DVM, Ph.D. (LSU 2001), DECZM, professor of zoological medicine.

Zoey Lex, DVM (LSU 2023), zoological medicine resident in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, received 2nd place in the Resident Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Measuring the Effects of Diet and Ultraviolet Exposure on Vitamin D Concentrations in Superworms (Zophobas morio) and Dubia Roaches (Blaptica Dubia).”

Samuel Murray, DVM, small animal medicine and surgery intern in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, received 3rd place in the Resident Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Measuring Plasma Fat-Soluble Vitamin Concentrations in the Threatened Blanding’s Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii).”

Winners in the Post-doctoral Poster Competition:

Shallinie Thangadurai, Ph.D., post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, from Banting, Selangor, Malaysia, received 1st place in the Post-doctoral Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Mei-P26: The Germ Cell Gatekeeper that even a Western diet can’t ignore.” Her faculty mentor is Alexander Murashov, MD, Ph.D., professor and head of Comparative Biomedical Sciences.

Chandika Gamage, Ph.D., post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, received 2nd place in the Post-doctoral Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Evaluation of MVA-vectored VP7 Vaccines Against Equine Rotavirus A.”

Rabab Hassanien, post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, from El Wadi El-Gadid, Egypt, received 3rd place in the Post-doctoral Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Construction of arterivirus infectious clones using circular polymerase extension reaction (CPER).” Dr. Hassanien’s faculty mentor was Mariano Carossino, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, assistant professor of diagnostic pathology.

Winners in the Undergraduate/Master’s Poster Competition:

Sydney Stepp, undergraduate student in the LSU College of Agriculture in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, received 1st place in the Undergraduate/Master's Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Assessment of equine epithelial wound healing in vitro after exposure to stimulated adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell supernatant.”

Balseba Tewelde, undergraduate student in the LSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, from New Orleans, La., received 2nd place in the Undergraduate/Master's Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Lung mesenchymal stem cells attenuate pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.” Her faculty mentor was Tirumalai Rangasamy, Ph.D., associate professor (research).

Hudson Rieman, undergraduate student in the LSU College of Science in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences, received 3rd place in the Undergraduate/Master's Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “The NLRP10 Inflammasome Decreases Host Defense and Survival During Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia.”

Winners in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition:

Trace Presley, DVM Class of 2025 student in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, from Franklin, La., received 1st place in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Using Intraocular Fluid Analysis to Investigate the Role of Leptospirosis in Horses with Chronic Equine Recurrent Uveitis (ERU).” His faculty mentor was Renee Carter, DVM (LSU 2000), DACVO, professor of veterinary ophthalmology.

Logan Roddy, DVM Class of 2027 student in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, from New Orleans, La., received 2nd place in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Presentation of Clinical Signs and Cardiac Deterioration in Canines Affected with Trypanosoma cruzi Infections across Various Southern Louisiana Parishes.” Her faculty mentor was Henry W. Green, III, DVM (LSU 1999), DACVIM, associate professor of veterinary cardiology and associate dean for organizational health and mentorship.

Sara Bucher, DVM Class of 2027 student in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., received 3rd place in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Cell Envelope Stress Induces Arachidonic Acid Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.” Her faculty mentor was Will Beavers, Ph.D., assistant professor of infectious diseases.

Julia Harig, DVM Class of 2027 student in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, from Maple City, Mich., received 4th place in the Veterinary Student Poster Competition category for the poster entitled “Developmental and Stress Behavioral Effects of Trace-Element Oversupplementation Using the Zebrafish Model.” Her faculty mentor was Ahmed Abdelmoneim, Ph.D., assistant professor of toxicology.

Phi Zeta would like to take this opportunity to thank the poster judges:

• Basel Abuaita, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases, Pathobiological Sciences (PBS)
• Neoklis Apostolopoulos, DVM, Ph.D., DECVD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Veterinary Clinical Sciences (VCS)
• Renee Carter, DVM (LSU 2000), DACVO, Professor of Veterinary Ophthalmology, VCS
• Eddie Cramer, DVM, Copper Crowne Equestrian Center
• Jeannette Cremer, DVM, Dr.med.vet., DACVAA, Associate Professor of Veterinary Anesthesiology, VCS
• Fabio Del Piero, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, Professor of Anatomic Pathology, VCS
• Levent Dirikolu, DVM, MVSc, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology, Director of the Center for Clinical Innovation, Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS)
• Dina Duplantis, DVM (LSU 1992), Equine Veterinarian
• Bethany Edler, DVM (LSU 2021)
• Antonieta Guerrera-Plata, BSc, MSc, Ph.D., Associate Professor, PBS
• Lorrie Hale-Mitchell, DVM, MS, CVA, CVFT, CVCH, CVTP, CVTCM, Assistant Professor of Integrative Medicine and Rehabilitation, VCS
• Ky Hoang, DVM, Ph.D., Assistant Professor (Research), PBS
• Weishan Huang, Ph.D., Associate Professor, PBS
• Duane Jeansonne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor (Research), PBS
• Tomislav Jelesijevic, DVM, MS, Ph.D., DACVP, Assistant Professor, CBS
• Charles Lee, Ph.D., Professor of Cognitive and Neural Systems, CBS
• Jeongha Lee, DVM, MS, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathology PBS
• Britta Leise, MS, DVM (LSU 2002), Ph.D., DACVS, Associate Dean for Student and Faculty Advancement; Associate Professor of Equine Surgery, VCS
• Mandi Lopez, DVM, Ph.D., DACVS, Professor of Veterinary Surgery, VCS
• Juan Martinez, Ph.D., Professor, PBS
• Colin Mitchell, BVMS, MS, DACVS, Professor of Equine Surgery and Department Head, VCS
• Nancy Mitropoulou, DVM, Ph.D., DECVECC, Assistant Professor of Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care, VCS
• Francisco Morales, DVM, Assistant Professor of Equine Surgery, VCS
• Alexandra Nöel, Ph.D., Associate Professor, CBS
• Michelle Osborn, Ph.D., Associate Professor, CBS
• Patricia Queiroz-Williams, DVM, Professor of Anesthesiology, Interim Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, VCS
• Jeremy Redmond, DVM, Director of Clinical Skills, Assistant Professor of Equine Medicine, VCS
• Laura Riggs, DVM, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Equine Surgery, VCS
• Emi Sasaki, DVM, DACVP, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathology, PBS 
• Robert Simpson, DVM, JD, Assistant Professor and Director of Professional Development, VCS
• Ryan Smith, DVM, Assistant Professor of Emergency and Critical Care, VCS
• Rhett Stout, DVM, Ph.D. (LSU 1994, 2003), DACLAM, Professor and Director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, PBS
• Côme Thieulent, BSc, MSc, Ph.D., Assistant Professor (Research), PBS
• Gianluca Veggiani, BSc, MSc, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, PBS
• Fabio Borges Vigil, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, CBS
• Shaomian Yao, Ph.D., Associate Professor, CBS
• Nancy Welborn, DVM (LSU 1990), Associate Professor and Service Chief, Community Practice, VCS

This day would not be possible without the support of NAVE Veterinary Group, the Chi University, and Lisa Scrantz. LSU Vet Med and the Tau Chapter of Phi Zeta are grateful for their generosity.

Phi Zeta Research Emphasis Day is sponsored by the Tau Chapter of the Society of Phi Zeta, which was established on March 30, 1977, with Dr. C.W. Titkemeyer as Chapter President. Phi Zeta is the abbreviation of the Greek word Philozoi, which means “love of animals.” 

The 2025 Phi Zeta Committee members are as follows:

• Mustajab Mirza, DVM, MS, DAVCS, President, Associate Professor of Equine Surgery, VCS
• Mandi Lopez, DVM, Ph.D., DACVS, Treasurer, Professor of Veterinary Surgery, VCS
• Samithamby Jeyaseelan, DVM, Ph.D., Secretary, Professor of Pathobiological Sciences, PBS
• Emi Sasaki, DVM, DACVP, Immediate Past President, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathology, PBS
• Oliver A. Garden, BVetMed, Ph.D., FHEA, FCPP, FRCVS, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, Kenneth Burns Endowed Chair in Veterinary Medicine and Dean
• Bonnie Boudreaux, DVM, Ph.D., Senior Associate Dean for Student Success; Professor of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, VCS
• Tammy Dugas, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education; Professor of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, CBS
• Britta Leise, DVM, MS, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Staff and Faculty Advancement, Associate Professor of Equine Surgery, VCS
• Colin Mitchell, BVMS, MS, DACVS, Head of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, VCS
• Stephen Costin, Ph.D., Research and Graduate Education Manager
• Alexa Boudreaux, Dean’s Events and Logistics Manager
• Bonnie Brocato, Facilities Manager
• Dustin Brewster, Dean’s Coordinator
• Ginger Guttner, APR, Assistant Director of Communications
• Thomas Rooney, Assistant Dean for Strategic Communications
• Alex Sheets, Data Processing Analyst
• Brooke Rust, Executive Assistant of the Senior Associate Dean for Student Success.

About LSU Vet Med: Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery

The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. LSU Vet Med is dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.