LSU Health Shreveport - Department of Microbiology and Immunology

08/03/2026

The PHIIRE (Pathogen-Host Interactions and Immunology Research and Education) program held its final poster session jointly with 5 other research programs (MS-CARDIO, SUMMIT, SUPER, CURIOUS, and AHA-SURE) on Thursday July 30, 2026 from 2:30-4:30. This eight week program features high quality research using cutting edge technologies, mentored by our faculty, students and postdocs, along with a strong education component covering many areas of Ethics, Professional Development and Scientific Toolkit. We are so proud of everything the PHIIRE Fellows accomplished in just eight weeks. We look forward to continuing to watch your growth as you work towards your career goals. Congratulations and best wishes to:

Gracie Chism

Madison Coleman

Liliyana Lee

Christopher "Gavyn" Longoria

Hannah McCarty

Victoria Wootan

08/03/2026

06/09/2026

The Department and Microbiology and Immunology extends a warm welcome to our 2026 PHIIRE Fellows. If you see them in the hallway, please say hi! We look forward to hearing about their research progress.

01/22/2026

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260105165806.htm

New research shows gut bacteria can directly influence how the brain develops and functions. When scientists transferred microbes from different primates into mice, the animals’ brains began to resemble those of the original host species. Microbes from large-brained primates boosted brain energy a...

10/14/2025

Louisiana Strategic Research Laboratory

The Center for Emerging Viral Threats, created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has pivoted to fight diseases that effect our community on a daily basis...

10/04/2025

Congrats Dr. Morgens!👏👏

10/01/2025

Congratulations to Nick First (Gestal Lab) for successfully defending his dissertation last week!

Nick starts his postdoctoral fellowship TODAY at UT Health San Antonio in Dr. Laurence Morel's lab, where he will be studying how oral and gut microbiome dysbiosis drives B cell dysregulation in lupus.

We are very proud of you, Dr. First!

LSU Health Shreveport School of Graduate Studies

08/26/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9oNfdDOLCU

LSU Health Shreveport hosts summer research programs for undergraduate and medical students each year. For more on each program, follow the links below.Audio...

08/15/2025

Congratulations Dr. Comer! Well deserved👏

08/15/2025

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology is delighted to announce a new Endowed Professorship in honor of former Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dr. Richard J. Courtney. The Dr. Richard J. Courtney Endowed Professorship in Virology is a very generous donation by former chairman of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Boyd Professor, Dr. Dennis J O’Callaghan. Dr. O’Callaghan highlighted Dr. Courtney’s many important contributions to LSU Health and Penn State as well as their friendship. The Professorship was set up through the LSU Foundation by President and CEO Kevin Flood.
The Department is excited to announce that the inaugural recipient is Dr. Jason E. Comer, Associate Professor and Director of the BSL-3 Research Facility. Dr. Comer joined LSU Health 18 months ago and has been instrumental in moving the BSL-3 lab, housed in the Center for Medical Education Building, closer to full operations. Dr. Comer also has recruited multiple new faculty working on high containment pathogens, and recently secured a $2.2 million grant. Congratulations, Dr. Comer!