Leadership
The LA CaTS Center is led by an executive team that brings together decades of experience in biomedical research, academic medicine, and institutional leadership. Our leadership structure reflects the collaborative nature of our enterprise, with executive oversight from the lead institution and co-direction from our primary collaborating institutions.
Executive Director
John P. Kirwan, Ph.D.
Executive Director, LA CaTS Center
George A. Bray Jr. Endowed Super Chair in Nutrition
Dr. John Kirwan has served as Executive Director of the LA CaTS Center since 2018, leading the transformation of Louisiana's clinical and translational research infrastructure into a unified statewide enterprise. Under his leadership, the LA CaTS network has grown to encompass more than $215 million in research funding and over 300 investigators across 10 partner institutions.
From 2018 to 2025, Dr. Kirwan simultaneously served as Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, where he led the institution to unprecedented growth—from $59 million to over $100 million in annual revenue, representing the first $100 million milestone in the Center's history.
Dr. Kirwan is an internationally recognized translational scientist whose research spans the full continuum from mechanistic discovery to large-scale clinical trials. He has led landmark studies including ARMMS-T2D, investigating the mechanisms by which metabolic surgery reverses type 2 diabetes. His clinical research portfolio addresses the major chronic diseases affecting Louisiana and the nation: obesity, diabetes, aging, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), cancer, and pregnancy-related metabolic conditions. Over the course of his career, Dr. Kirwan has secured more than $100 million in research funding from the NIH, state agencies, pharmaceutical industry, and philanthropic sources.
His basic science team conducts deep research into mitochondrial biology and the fundamental mechanisms of metabolic disease, work that informs and strengthens the clinical research enterprise. This bench-to-bedside approach—connecting molecular insights to patient outcomes—exemplifies the translational science mission of the LA CaTS Center.
Dr. Kirwan has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications with over 22,000 citations and an H-index of 98. He recently served as a Commissioner on the prestigious Lancet Commission on Clinical Obesity, one of only 56 global experts selected for this influential role.
Before joining Pennington Biomedical, Dr. Kirwan directed the Metabolic Translational Research Center at Cleveland Clinic and held faculty positions at Case Western Reserve University and Penn State. Originally from County Carlow, Ireland, he has extensive experience in international research collaboration, maintaining partnerships across more than 20 countries.
Co-Directors
Steve Nelson, M.D.
Co-Director, LA CaTS Center
Chancellor, LSU Health New Orleans
Dr. Steve Nelson serves as Co-Director of the LA CaTS Center and Chancellor of LSU Health New Orleans, which comprises six schools: Medicine, Nursing, Allied Health, Public Health, Graduate Studies, and Dentistry. As Co-Director, Dr. Nelson ensures that LA CaTS services and resources are fully integrated with the clinical and research missions of Louisiana's largest academic health center. Dr. Nelson is a nationally recognized leader in academic medicine and pulmonary research. His leadership has strengthened the partnership between LSU Health New Orleans and the LA CaTS network, expanding opportunities for investigators and trainees across the institution.
L. Lee Hamm, M.D.
Co-Director, LA CaTS Center
Senior Vice President and Dean, Tulane University School of Medicine
Dr. Lee Hamm serves as Co-Director of the LA CaTS Center and Senior Vice President and Dean of the Tulane University School of Medicine. In his role as Co-Director, Dr. Hamm oversees the integration of Tulane's research and educational programs with the LA CaTS infrastructure, including the Master of Science in Clinical Research degree program that is central to LA CaTS workforce development efforts. A distinguished nephrologist and academic leader, Dr. Hamm brings extensive experience in research administration and medical education to the LA CaTS leadership team. His commitment to training the next generation of physician-scientists aligns closely with the Center's professional development mission.
Administrative Leadership
Program Coordinator: Tiffany Prather, RN — Pennington Biomedical Research Center tiffany.prather@pbrc.edu | (225) 763-2979
Administrative Coordinator: Kieu Nguyen — Pennington Biomedical Research Center kieu.nguyen@pbrc.edu | (225) 763-3142
Inter-institutional Liaison: Bonnie Hymel Trentecoste — Pennington Biomedical Research Center bonnie.hymel@pbrc.edu | (225) 763-2986
Project Manager: Yanna de Koter — Pennington Biomedical Research Center yanna.dekoter@pbrc.edu | (225) 763-2676
LA CaTS Administrator, LSU Health New Orleans: Carly Pigg, CRA cgerva@lsuhsc.edu | (504) 568-4439
LA CaTS Administrator, Tulane University: Marla Lampp mlampp@tulane.edu | (504) 988-9038
LA CaTS Coordinator, Tulane University: Meaghan Donewar, MPH mhendri@tulane.edu
Read more about the LA CaTS Leadership in the Administrative Core.
Governance Structure
The LA CaTS Center operates through a governance structure designed to ensure accountability, coordination, and responsiveness across our statewide network:
Executive Council — Provides strategic direction and high-level decision-making for the Center. Composed of the Executive Director and Co-Directors.
Operations Committee — Implements the Center's strategic and management plans. Composed of the Executive Director, Co-Directors, Core Leaders, and administrative staff.
Governing Board — Ensures cross-institutional coordination and accountability. Composed of institutional leaders from all Primary Collaborating Institutions and Research Partners.
External Advisory Committee — Provides independent guidance and evaluation of Center activities. Composed of distinguished leaders in clinical and translational science from outside Louisiana.
Community Advisory Boards — Ensure that community perspectives inform research priorities and implementation. Active boards in New Orleans and Baton Rouge regions.