Oct 12, 2024  
2018-2019 General Catalog 
    
2018-2019 General Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Comparative Biomedical Sciences (Graduate Program)



Program Overview

The graduate program in the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences offers an interdisciplinary approach to conducting biomedical research as it applies to humans and animals. The goal of the program is to educate and prepare students for successful careers in academic, private industry, or government environments. Degrees granted include a PhD or MS degree in Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences with focuses in cell and molecular biology, environmental health sciences, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, or toxicology. The school also has a DVM/PhD track for students accepted into the veterinary medicine program. 

Administration

J. Michael Mathis, Head
Masami Yoshimura, Graduate Advisor
TELEPHONE 225-578-9889
FAX 225-578-9895
WEBSITE www1.vetmed.lsu.edu//CBS/index.html

Admission

Applications and supporting materials for all graduate study must be submitted through the online application site for the LSU Graduate School. Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources must be mailed to: Graduate Student Services, 114 David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and departments have access to all materials submitted by and/or on behalf of a student applying to graduate study.

Applications for admission are accepted and evaluated by the department at any time, but applicants are not evaluated for admission or financial assistance until completed application materials have been received, including test scores, official transcripts, and letters of recommendation. Application should be initiated at least six months prior to anticipated entry. Applicants must adhere to the application deadlines established by the Graduate School.

Students seeking admission must submit satisfactory credentials from previous study, acceptable GRE test scores, and three letters of recommendation. Minimum criteria for admission include ≥3.0 GPA out of 4.0 on the US system scale and a combined verbal and quantitative GRE score of ≥302. International students whose native language is not English must also submit an acceptable TOEFL score (≥213 computer version or ≥79 Internet version or ≥550 paper version) or IELTS score (≥6.5), or PTE score of (≥59).

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available to some students. Financial aid consists of research assistantship stipends or fellowships. The amount of the award depends on prior educational performance and awards are made on a competitive basis; financial aid is rarely awarded to MS students. Special fellowships and tuition exemption may also be available. A student should contact his/her home department for more information on available assistantship positions. To ensure consideration for financial aid, all application materials should be submitted in accordance with deadlines established by the LSU Graduate School and preferably six months prior to anticipated entry.

Research Facilities

Research facilities include laboratories, instrument rooms, walk-in cold rooms, and rooms for radiolabel materials use, animal treatment, cell culture, photography, and storage. The department operates the Inhalation Research Facility, the Analytical Systems Laboratory, the Aquatic Research Facility, the Equine Medication Surveillance Laboratory, and the SVM Microscopy Center. The School of Veterinary Medicine also houses the Gene Probes & Expressions Systems Laboratory, LSU Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Veterinary Computer Resources, Veterinary Medicine Library, Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, a Biomedical Communications Unit, and the facilities of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Graduate Faculty

Steven A. Barker (EM) • Analytical toxicology and the neurochemistry of hallucinogens
Hermann H. Bragulla (M) • Development of skin and skin appendages in normal and diseased states
Henrique Cheng (M) • Molecular mechanisms controlling stem cell differentiation and pancreatic islet hormone secretion
Stephania A Cormier (M) • Neonatal respiratory immunology, inhalation exposures and host defense, respiratory tract bacterial and viral infection, and gene-environment interactions in airways disease
Levent Dirikolu (M) • Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicokinetics, molecular, clinical and analytical pharmacology/toxicology, and drug metabolism
Tammy Renee Dugas (M) • Toxicological mechanisms of cardiovascular disease progression
Joseph Francis (M) • Pulmonary and cardiovascular pathophysiology
Kevin M. Kleinow (M) • Aquatic animal pharmacology and toxicology, developmental toxicology, zebrafish as genomic models for disease, Deep Horizon
Charles C. Lee (6A) • Neurobiological mechanisms underlying auditory processing and plasticity
Shisheng Li (M) • DNA repair and mutagenesis
Martha A. Littlefield (3P) • Gross anatomy, neuroanatomy, histology, acupuncture and disaster medicine
J. Michael Mathis (M) • Targeted oncolytic virotherapy for breast cancer and multifunctional targeted delivery and non-invasive imaging of adenoviral vectors
Alexandra Noël (6A) • Inhalation and Developmental Toxicology, electronic cigarette vapor, nanoparticles, chronic lung diseases
Olalekan Ogundele (6A) • CaMKIIa-dependent hippocampal synaptic switch systems in developmental neuropsychiatric disorders
Michelle Lynn Osborn (6A) • Functional and evolutionary anatomy, biomechanics, and 3D imaging
Sonika Patial (6A) • Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in innate immunity, inflammation, and carcinogenesis
Arthur Penn (M) • Inhalation toxicology, cardio/pulmonary responses to air pollutants, gestational exposures and adult disease
Yogesh Saini (6A) • Immunobiology of genetic and environmental lung diseases
George M. Strain (M) • Deafness, clinical neurophysiology, molecular genetics, and neurology
Gary E. Wise (EM) • Cell and molecular biology of tooth eruption
Shaomian Yao (M) • Isolation and differentiation of tissue-derived stem cells and molecular biology of stem cells
Masami Yoshimura (M) • Molecular and cellular biological aspects of cyclic AMP signal transduction regulation 

Recent Faculty Publications

The following is a representative sample of recent faculty publications:

Levy, M., Gaschen, L., Rademacher, N., Bragulla, H. H. (2014). Technique for ultrasound-guided intraarticular cervical articular process injection in the dog. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound, 55, 1-6.
 
Schoenfuss, H. L., Bragulla, H. H., Schumacher, J., Henk, W. G., George, J. C., Hillmann, D. J. (2014). The anatomy of the larynx of the Bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, and its sound-producing functions. Anat. Rec., 297, 1316-1330.
 
Levy, M., Gaschen, L., Rademacher, N., Bragulla, H. H. (2014). Technique for ultrasound-guided intraarticular cervical articular process injection in the dog. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, 55(4), 435-440.
 
Ngoc Tran T.D., Stovall K.E., Suantawee T., Hu Y., Yao S., Yang L.J., Adisakwattana S., Cheng H. (2017). Transient receptor potential melastatin 4 channel is required for rat dental pulp stem cell proliferation and survival. Cell Prolif. Oct;50 (5). doi: 10.1111/cpr.12360
 
Suantawee T., Elazab S.T., Hsu W.H., Yao S., Cheng H., Adisakwattana, S. (2017). Cyanidin Stimulates Insulin Secretion and Pancreatic β-Cell Gene Expression through Activation of l-type Voltage-Dependent Ca2+ Channels. Nutrients 9:814.
 
Sompong, W., Cheng, H., Adisakwattana, S. (2017). Ferulic acid prevents methylglyoxal-induced protein glycation, DNA damage, and apoptosis in pancreatic β-cells. J Physiol Biochem. 73(1):121-131.
 
Fitzpatrick, E.A., You, D., Shrestha, B., Siefker, D., Patel, V.S., Yadav, N., S. Jaligama, S., Cormier, S.A. (2017). A neonatal murine model of MRSA pneumonia. PLoS One 12(1): e0169273.
 
Jaligama, S., Saravia, J., You, D., Yadav, N., Lee, G.I., Shrestha, B., Cormier, S.A. (2017). Regulatory T cells and IL10 suppress pulmonary host defense during early-life exposure to radical containing combustion derived ultrafine particulate matter. Respir Res 18(1): 15.
 
Oyana, T.J., Podila, P., Wesley, J.M., Lomnicki, S., Cormier, S.A. (2017). Spatiotemporal patterns of childhood asthma hospitalization and utilization in Memphis Metropolitan Area from 2005 to 2015. J Asthma 54(8): 842-855.
 
Chakkath, T., Lavergne, S.N., Fan, T.M., Bunick, D., Dirikolu, L. (2015). Alkylation and carbamylation effects of lomustine and its major metabolites and MGMT expression in canine cells.  Vet. Sci. 2(2), 52-68; doi:10.3390/vetsci2020052
 
Pieper, J., Dirikolu, L., Campbell, K., Li, Z., Mitchell, M. (2016). Evaluation of the effect of fluconazole on the pharmacokinetics of cyclosporin A in healthy dogs after a single dose and at steady state. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 40, 304-308. doi: 10.1111/jvp.12352.
 
Collins, S.P., Labelle, A.L., Dirikolu, L., Li, Z., Mitchell, M.A., Hamor R.E. (2016). Tear film concentrations of doxycycline following oral administration in ophthalmologically normal dogs.  J Am Vet Med Assoc. 249(5):508-514.
 
Kleinedler, J.J., Yurdagul, Jr., A., McInnis, M.C., Khandelwal, A.R., Spence, A.L., Orr, A.W., and Dugas, T.R.  2014.  Resveratrol promotes endothelial cell wound healing under laminar shear stress through an estrogen receptor α dependent pathway.  Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Phys.  306(6):H797-806.                    
 
Nair, A., Ebenezer, P., Saini, Y., Francis, J. (2015). Angiotensin II-induced hypertensive renal inflammation is mediated through HMGB1-TLR4 signaling in rat tubulo-epithelial cells. Experimental Cell Research. 335, 238-247.
 
Nair, A. R., Masson, G. S., Ebenezer, P. J., Del Piero, F., Francis, J. (2014). Role of TLR4 in Lipopolysaccharide-induced Acute Kidney Injury:  Protection by Blueberry. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 71C, 16-25.
 
Lee, C.C. (2015), Exploring functions for the non-lemniscal auditory thalamus. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 9:69:1-8.
 
Lee, C.C., Yanagawa, Y., Imaizumi, K. (2015). Commissural functional topography of the inferior colliculus assessed in vitro. Hearing Research 328:94-101.
 
Lee, C.C., Yanagawa, Y., Imaizumi, K. (2015). Nicotinic modulation of functional thalamocortical topography. Neuroreport 26:688-694 (Cover Image) 
 
Li, W., Li, S. (2017). Facilitators and repressors of transcription-coupled DNA repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Photochem Photobiol. 93, 259-267. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27796045
 
Li, W., Selvam, K., Rahman, S.A., Li, S. (2016). Sen1, the yeast homolog of human senataxin, plays a more direct role than Rad26 in transcription coupled DNA repair. Nucleic Acids Res. 44, 6794-6802. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27179024
 
Li, S. (2015). Transcription coupled nucleotide excision repair in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae: The ambiguous role of Rad26. DNA Repair. 36, 43-48. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26429063
 
Sakr, H.I., Coleman,D.T., Cardelli, J.A., Mathis, J.M. (2015). Characterization of an oncolytic adenovirus vector constructed to target the cMet receptor. Oncolytic Virotherapy 4, 119-132.
 
Jackson, K.L., Dayton, R.D., Fisher-Perkins, J.M., Didier, P.J., Kate C Baker, K.C., Weimer, M., Gutierrez, A., Cain, C.D., Mathis, J.M., Gitcho, M.A., Bunnell, B.A., Klein, R.L.. (2015). Initial gene vector dosing for studying symptomatology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in non-human primates. Journal of Medical Primatology 44 (2), 66-75.
 
Liu, L., Rogers, B.E., Aladyshkina, N., Cheng, B., Lokitz, S.J., David T Curiel, D.T., Mathis, J.M. (2014). Construction and radiolabeling of adenovirus variants that incorporate human metallothionein into protein IX for analysis of biodistribution. Molecular Imaging 13, 1-12.
 
Pujalté, I., Serventi, A., Noël, A., Dieme, D., Haddad, S., Bouchard, M. (2017). Characterization of Aerosols of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles Following Three Generation Methods Using an Optimized Aerosolization System Designed for Experimental Inhalation Studies. Toxics, 5(3), 14.
 
Noël, A., Truchon, G., Cloutier, Y., Charbonneau, M., Maghni, K., Tardif, R. (2017). Mass or total surface area with aerosol size distribution as exposure metrics for inflammatory, cytotoxic and oxidative lung responses in rats exposed to titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Toxicology and industrial health, 33(4), 351-364.
 
Ogundele*, O.M., Lee, C.C. (2017). CaMKIIα expression in a mouse model of NMDAR hypofunction schizophrenia: Putative roles for IGF-1R and TLR4. Brain Res Bull. 137:53-70. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2017.11.007 PubMed PMID: 29137928 (*Co-Corresponding Author).
 
Ogundele, O.M., Ebenezer, P.J., Lee, C.C., Francis, J. (2017). Stress-altered synaptic plasticity and DAMP signaling in the hippocampus-PFC axis; elucidating the significance of IGF-1/IGF-1R/CaMKIIα expression in neural changes associated with a prolonged exposure therapy. Neuroscience. 353:147-165. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.04.008. PubMed PMID: 28438613; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5578405.
 
Ogundele*, O.M., Rosa, F.A., Dharmakumar, R., Lee, C.C., Francis, J. (2017) Systemic sympathoexcitation was associated with paraventricular hypothalamic phosphorylation of synaptic CaMKIIα and MAPK/ErK. Front Neurosci. 11:447. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00447. PubMed PMID: 28824368; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5541931. (*Co-Corresponding Author).
 
Uhl, E.W., Osborn, M.L. (2016). The pathomechanics of degenerative joint disease: a one health comparative case study approach. AAVMC /APTR One Health Case Studies, http://www.aavmc.org/one-health/case-studies.aspx
 
Osborn, M.L., Homberger, D.G. (2015). The human shoulder suspension apparatus: a causal explanation for bilateral asymmetry and a fresh look at the evolution of human bipedality. The Anatomical Record, 298 (9): 1572-1588. doi: 10.1002/ar.23178 
 
Patial, S., Curtis, A.D. 2nd., Lai, W.S., Stumpo, D.J., Hill, G.D., Flake, G.P., Mannie, M.D., Blackshear, P.J. (2016). Enhanced stability of tristetraprolin mRNA protects mice against immune-mediated inflammatory pathologies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 113(7):1865-70.
 
Patial, S., Blackshear, P.J. (2016). tristetraprolin as a therapeutic target in inflammatory disease. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 37(10):811-21.
 
Patial, S., Stumpo, D.J., Young, W.S. 3rd., Ward, J.M., Flake, G.P., Blackshear, P.J. (2016). Effects of combined tristetraprolin/tumor necrosis factor receptor deficiency on the splenic transcriptome. Mol Cell Biol. 36(9):1395-411
 
Noël, A., Xiao, R., Perveen, Z., Zaman, H.M., Rouse, R.L., Paulsen, D.B., Penn, A.L. (2016). Incomplete lung recovery following sub-acute inhalation of combustion-derived ultrafine particles in mice. Particle and Fibre Toxicology, 13: 10.
 
Xiao, R., Noël, A., Perveen, Z., Penn, A.L. (2016). In utero exposure to second-hand-smoke (SHS) activates pro-asthmatic and oncogenic miRNAs in adult mice. Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis, 57: 190-199. Editor’s Choice-Paper of the Month                              
 
Noël, A., Xiao, R., Perveen, Z., Zaman, H., LeDonne, V., Penn, A.L. (2017). Sex-specific lung functional changes in adult mice exposed only to second-hand smoke in utero. Respiratory Research, 18: 104.
 
Saini*, Y., Wilkinson, K., Terrell, K., Burns, K.A., Livraghi-Butrico, A., Doerschuck, C.M., O’Neal, W.K., Boucher, R.C. (2016). Neonatal pulmonary macrophage depletion coupled to defective mucus clearance alters pulmonary immune responses. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, 54, 210-221. (*Corresponding Author)
 
Lewis, B.W., Sultana, R., Sharma, R., Noël, A., Langohr, I., Patial, S., Penn, A.L., Saini, Y. (2017). Early post-natal second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure disrupts bacterial clearance and abolishes immune responses in muco-obstructive lung disease. Journal of Immunology, 199: 1170-1183.
 
Hwang, H., Lynn, S.G, Vengellur, A, Saini, Y., Grier, E.A., Fergusan-Miller, S.M., LaPres, J.J. (2015). Hypoxia Inducible Factors (HIFs) modulate mitochondrial oxygen consumption and transcriptional regulation of nuclear encoded electron transport chain genes. Biochemistry, 54, 3739-3748.
 
Strain, G.M. (2017). Hearing disorders in cats. Classification, pathology and diagnosis. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 19, 276-287.
 
Strain, G.M., K.A. McGee. (2017). Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in young adult and geriatric cats. The Veterinary Journal 221, 34-37.
 
Strain, G.M. (2018). Evoked potential and EEG study of the neurotoxicity of hydramethylnon in rats. Research in Veterinary Science DOI:10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.10.008.
 
Rezai-Rad, M., Liu, D., He, H., Brooks, H., Wise, G.E., Yao, S. (2015). The role of dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) in regulation of osteogenic differentiation of rat dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs). Archives of Oral Biology 60: 546-556. 
 
Yao, S., Li, C., Beckley, M., Liu, D. (2017). Expression of odontogenic ameloblast-associated protein in the dental follicle and its role in osteogenic differentiation of dental follicle stem cells. Arch Oral Biol. 78:6-12. doi:10.1016/j.archoralbio.2017.02.001.
 
Flanagan, M., Li, C., Dietrich, M.A., Richard, M., Yao, S. (2017). Downregulation of heat shock protein B8 decreases osteogenic differentiation potential of dental pulp stem cells during in vitro proliferation. Cell Prolif. doi:10.1111/cpr.12420.
 
Hill, R.A., Xu, W., Yoshimura, M. (2016). Role of adenylyl cyclase isoform in ethanol’s effect on cAMP regulated gene expression in NIH 3T3 cells. Biochem. Biophys. Rep. 8, 162-167. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580816301583
 
Qualls-Creekmore, E., Gupta, R., Yoshimura, M. (2017). The effect of alcohol on recombinant proteins derived from mammalian adenylyl cyclase. Biochem. Biophys. Rep. 10, 157-164. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580816303715

Programs

    Doctor of PhilosophyMaster of ScienceGraduate Certificate