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

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: LSU Office of Graduate Admissions, 114 David Boyd Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. These paper documents are stored electronically and department has 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 the 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

Hermann H. Bragulla (M) • Development of skin and skin appendages in normal and diseased states
Henrique Cheng (M) • Cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling insulin and glucagon secretion, stem cell differentiation, and spermatozoa activation and motility.
Levent Dirikolu (M) • Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics,  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
Charles C. Lee (M) • Neurobiological mechanisms underlying auditory processing and plasticity
Shisheng Li (M) • DNA repair and mutagenesis
Alexandra Noël (6A) • Inhalation and Developmental Toxicology, electronic cigarette & JUUL vapor, nanoparticles, chronic lung diseases
Olalekan Ogundele (6A) • CaMKIIa-dependent hippocampal synaptic switch systems in developmental neuropsychiatric disorders
Michelle L. 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
Shaomian Yao (M) • Cell and molecular biology of tissue-derived stem cells and applications of stem cells in tissue biofabrication
Masami Yoshimura (M) • Molecular and cellular biological aspects of cyclic AMP signal transduction regulation and their role in innate immune responses

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.

Stovall, K.E., Tran, T.D.N., Suantawee, T., Yao, S., Gimble, J.M., Adisakwattana, S. and Cheng H. (2019). Adenosine triphosphate enhances osteoblast differentiation of rat dental pulp stem cells via the PLC-IP3 pathway and intracellular Ca2+ signaling. J Cell Physiol. Jul 12. doi: 10.1002/jcp.29091.

Liu, Y., Cheng, H. and Tiersch, T.R. (2018). The role of alkalinization-induced Ca2+ influx in sperm motility activation of a viviparous fish Redtail Splitfin (Xenotoca eiseni). Biol Reprod. Dec 1;99(6):1159-1170.

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.

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.

Rachel J. Tulipan RJ, Phillips H, Garrett LD, Dirikolu L, Mitchell MA. Characterization of long-term elution of platinum from carboplatin-impregnated calcium sulfate hemihydrate beads in vitro by two distinct sample collection methods.  Am J Vet Res. 2017 May;78(5):618-623. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.78.5.618.

Dirikolu L, Waller P, Waguespack ML, Andrews FM, Keowen ML, Gaunt SD. The effect of sodium bicarbonate and validation of beckman coulter AU680 analyzers for measuring total carbon dioxide (TCO2) concentrations in horse serum.  Vet Med Sci. 2017 Oct 25;3(4):263-269. doi: 10.1002/vms3.82 (one of the journal’s top 20 most downloaded recent papers)

Ellerbrock RE, Canisso IF, Roady PJ, Rothrock LT, Zhong L, Wilkins P, Dirikolu L, Lima FS, Honoroto J. Diffusion of enrofloxacin to pregnancy fluids and effects on foetal cartilage after intravenous administration to late pregnant mares.  Equine Vet J. 2018 Nov 18. doi: 10.1111/evj.13044

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

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.

Noël, A., Verret, C.M., Hasan, F., Lomnicki, S., Morse, J., Robichaud, A., Penn, A.L. 2018. Generation of Electronic Cigarette Aerosol by a Third-Generation Machine-Vaping Device: Application to Toxicological Studies. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 138: e58095.

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.

Lewis BW, Patial S, Saini Y (2019). Immunopathology of Airway Surface Liquid Dehydration Disease.  J Immunol Res:2180409. 

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.

Bollman M, Malbrue R, Li C, Yao H, Guo S, Yao S. (2019). Improvement of osseointegration by recruiting stem cells to titanium implants fabricated with 3D printing. Ann N Y Acad Sci. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14251.

Yao S, Li C, Budenski AM, Li P, Ramos A, Guo S. (2019).  Expression of microRNAs targeting heat shock protein B8 during in vitro expansion of dental pulp stem cells in regulating osteogenic differentiation. Arch Oral Biol. doi:10.1016/j.archoralbio.2019. 104485.

Li Z, Yao S, Xu J. (2019). Indocyanine-green-assisted near-infrared dental imaging -the feasibility of in vivo imaging and the optimization of imaging conditions. Sci Rep. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44660-y

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

• Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences-Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Ph.D.

• Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences-Comparative Biomedical Sciences, M.S.

• Veterinary Medical & Biomedical Sciences Graduate Certificate