The Department of Genetics 2025 Medical Student Research Poster Symposium was held Thursday, October 30th in the Lions Eye Center Building on the campus of LSU Health Sciences Center – New Orleans. The poster presentation event included 2 in-person sessions and 1 virtual session. The awards ceremony was held Monday, November 1st.
2025 Medicine Research Poster Symposium Winners:
Session 1
2nd Place Winner, Dean's Research Travel Award (Freshman/Sophomore Award)
Jack Menard
"Understanding Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Pregnancies Impacted by Congenital Central Nervous System Anomalies"
3rd Place Winner, Dean's Research Travel Award (Freshman/Sophomore Award)
Farrell Chatelain
"High-fat Diet Induces Sex-Specific Cognitive Dysfunction in Mice"
3rd Place Winner, Dean's Research Travel Award (Freshman/Sophomore Award)
Zachary St. Pierre
"Evaluating CSF leak risk in traumatic frontal sinus fracture based on degree and morphology of radiographic pneumocephalus"
Steve Nelson, MD Award for Excellence in Alcohol Research
Anna Leyrer
"Impact of chronic plus binge alcohol exposure on inflammation in the taste buds and the hypothalamic feeding center in young and aged C57/Bl6 mice"
Award for Cancer Research, LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center Travel Award
(Freshman/Sophomore Category)
Abigail Rink
"Investigating Tumor Suppressor Function and Regulatory Control of NISCH in Breast Cancer"
Session 2
1st Place Winner, Mitzie Hano Wittliff Research Travel Award (Freshman/Sophomore Category)
Ainsley Morgan
"Computational Fluid Dynamics Evaluation of Sinonasal Flow During Respiration and Nasal Irrigation Following Transnasal Endoscopic Surgery"
2nd Place Winner, Dean's Research Travel Award (Freshman/Sophomore Award)
Hamza Islam
"Dual-Platform Screening of Compound Libraries to Identify Novel Inhibitors of Histone Lysine Demethylase PHF8"
3rd Place Winner, Dean's Research Travel Award (Junior/Senior Category)
Mary Grace Robichaux
"The Importance of Early Recognition: A Case of ADEM in a Toddler Presenting with Altered Mental Status"
Award for Cancer Research LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center Travel Award
(Junior/Senior Category)
Brionna King
"Forodesine has anticancer immunomodulatory properties through the adenosine pathway"
Virtual Session
1st Place Winner, Margaret Raiford Hano Research Award (Junior/Senior Category)
Alexandra Bartholomew
"Coping and Chemotherapy: A Trilingual Graphic Medicine Approach to Oncology"
2nd Place Winner, Dean's Research Travel Award (Junior/Senior Category)
Madelaine Pickens
"Natural History of Visual Loss in USH1C"
3rd Place Winner, Dean's Research Travel Award (Junior/Senior Category)
Daniel Vicknair
"Uncommon Triad: Surgical Management of Concurrent Spigelian, Inguinal, and Femoral Hernias"