Pennington gets $11 million NIH grant to fund new center to study diabetes, preeclampsia and anxiety disorders

Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Dr. Jacqueline Stephens, was recently awarded $11 million, 5 year grant from NIH to establish a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE). The COBRE awards are funded under the NIGMS IDeA (Institutional Development Award) Program, similar to the LA CaTS Center IDeA-CTR award. This award also includes collaboration with LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Congratulations to Dr. Stephens and all the researchers on this grant. We look forward to your future engagement with the LA CaTS Center.

LA CaTS Pilot Investigator, Hoerger (Tulane), Awarded American Cancer Society Grant

Michael Hoerger, PhD, MSCR, Assistant Professor at Tulane University, was recently awarded a four year grant from the American Cancer Society to help metastatic cancer patients better understand and access palliative care. Dr. Hoerger acknowledged the sucess of the grant was supported in part by his LA CaTS Center pilot award, and will expand upon those findings. Dr. Hoerger was also a past LA CaTS Roadmap Scholar from 2014-2016. We congratulate Dr. Hoerger on his new grant and important area of research.

Dr. Lucio Miele (LSU Health New Orleans) appointed to Assistant Dean for Translational Research

Congratulations to LA CaTS Center Biomedical Informatics Core Director, Lucio Miele, MD, PhD, on being named the new Assistant Dean of Translational Research at LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans. Join us in commending Dr. Miele on this well-deserved, new leadership role.

NIH Director: COVID-19 Brings Health Disparities Research to the Forefront

LA CaTS Leaders to Serve on Gov. Edwards’ COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force

On Tuesday, April 21, 2020, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the members of the Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and subcommittees. We are proud to highlight several LA CaTS Center leaders and Community Advisory Board Members that were appointed to the task force which will result in improved health outcomes and equity in Louisiana.

LA CaTS Investigator, Dr. Ursula White, Receives Grant to Study How Weight Changes Affect Long-Term Health

Ursula White, PhD, Assistant Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, was recently awarded a federally funded NIH R01 grant to study how short term fluctuations in weight impacts long-term health. Dr. White is also a past recipient of a LA CaTS Center Pilot Grant and a Visiting Scholar Award in 2018. We congratulate Dr. White on her success and look forward to the results of this very important study.

LSU Health Shreveport Promising COVID-19 Clinical Trial

LA CaTS Center Research Parter, LSU Health Shreveport, is one of the first centers in the country to enroll patients into an international study testing whether inhaled nitric oxide improves outcomes in COVID-19 patients with lung damage. See links to various news articles below for more information.

LA CaTS Institutions Appointed To Governor's COVID-19 and Health Disparities Task Force

https://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/2457

Publication Spotlight - Anne Gilmore, PhD, Pennington Biomedical Research Center

LA CaTS Center Roadmap Scholar & Pilot Grant Awardee

LA CaTS Center Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19): Update on Events, Opportunities & Services

The LA CaTS Center (IDeA-CTR) will continue to connect with our research community during this time by providing online access to meetings and educational opportunities as much as possible. However, as we plan for our CTR center operations within and between our institutional partners to be virtual for the time being, below is an update on our center events, service requests and deadlines as of March 18, 2020. We will be sure to update you on changes as they occur. Our top priority is the safety of all of our members across the state. Any questions or concerns can be sent to info@LACaTS.org.

LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport's Connie Arnold, Terry Davis, John Vanchiere, and Paari Dominic receives award at Research Celebration

March LA CaTS Webcast: SPARC 101: LA CaTS Services & How to Request Them

Please join us for the next LA CaTS Webcast on Thursday, March 26th at 2:30pm. Brian Melancon, SPARC Project Lead will present "SPARC 101: LA CaTS Services & How to Request Them". This is an interactive presentation and attendees will be able to engage and ask questions during the webcast. This webcast is especially important for those investigators that will be submitting applications for funding opportunities.

Tulane's Drury Receives NIH Award to Standardize Research in Genetic Aging

Congratulations to Tulane University neuroscientist, Dr. Stacy Drury, on receiving a $2.9 million grant from NIH to lead a research network to standardize part of a chromosome related to genetic aging.

LA CaTS Welcomes Dr. Leanne Redman as Professional Development Co-Director

The LA CaTS Center welcomes Leanne M. Redman, MD, PhD as the new Professional Development Core Co-Director and lead for Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Dr. Redman is replacing Dr. Phil Brantley, who has been the professional development lead for Pennington Biomedical since 2012. She will co-direct the Professional Development Core along with Vivian Fonseca, MD (Tulane University, lead) and Paula Gregory, PhD (LSUHSC-New Orleans). The overall goal of the Professional Development Core is to educate and train academic faculty and trainees to pursue clinical/translational research to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities of Louisiana residents.Click HERE (/cores/professional-development/) for more details on the LA CaTS Professional Development Core.

LA CaTS Announces 2020 Professional Development Speaker on "Using Social Media for Science"

LA CaTS Professional Development Core Announces 2020 Plenary Talk Speaker

LA CaTS Announces 2020 Community Scholars Program Teams

The Community Engagement and Outreach Core (CEO Core) is pleased to announce the Cohort 3 awardees of the Louisiana Community Scholars Program: 

Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk, Pennington Biomedical, recognized on the 2019 Highly Cited Researchers list by the Web of Science Group

Special Webcast: 2020 Roadmap Scholars Program-Jan. 9, 2020

November LA CaTS Webcast Featuring the Health Literacy Core (11/21/19)

LA CaTS Center Part of CTSA Administrative Supplement Award

HHS Leaders Highlight the Importance of Health Literacy

October LA CaTS Webcast Featuring the Pilot Grants Program (10/31/19)

Save the Date for the next LA CaTS Webcast on Thursday, October 31st at 2:30pm. Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk, Co-Director of the LA CaTS Pilot Grants Program will present "Pilot Grants Program Funding Opportunities". Dr. Katzmarzyk will give an overview of the present and upcoming funding opportunities and helpful tips for those wanting to apply. Specifically, this will cover information on the Visiting Scholar and Grant Development Programs, and the next Pilot Grant Opportunity (2020-Round 9) planned to be released in November 2019. This is an interactive presentation and attendees will be able to engage and ask questions during the webcast.

World-Renowned Bariatric Surgeon Joins Pennington Biomedical to Head New Bariatric/Metabolic Surgery Program

Public-Private Partnership Creates Infrastructure for Next Steps to Improving Care for Patients with Obesity

Dr. Candida Rebello Publishes LA CaTS Pilot in Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism

Candida Rebello, PhD, Post-doctoral Researcher at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, recently published an article in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, est. audience 6.1 million. Dr. Rebello was awarded a LA CaTS Pilot Award in 2018 funded by Pennington Biomedical titled "Clinical Safety and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Naringenin: Single Dose Escalation Randomized Double Blind Controlled Trial".

Congratulations to our 2019 Pilot Grant Awardees

The LA CaTS Pilot Grants Program is pleased to announce the awardees of the Round 8 Multi-Institutional Pilot Grants and the Special Round Diabetes Focused Pilot Grants Funding Opportunities. Abstracts for each project can be found on our Pilot Projects page: /research-funding/pilot-projects/. Congratulations to the following awardees:

September LA CaTS Webcast (9/26): Promoting a Bi-directional Relationship between the LA CaTS Center and the Community

Save the Date for the next LA CaTS Webcast on Thursday, September 26th at 1:30pm. The LA CaTS Community Engagement & Outreach Core (CEO Core) presents "Promoting a Bi-directional Relationship between the LA CaTS Center and the Community". They will discuss the present and future plans for services offered, the LA CaTS Community Scholar Program (LA CoSP), infusing the community voice through the Community Advisory Boards (CABs), etc. This is an interactive presentation and attendees will be able to engage and ask questions during the webcast.

LA CaTS Coordinators Level 1 Training-October 11, 2019

Please save the date for the LA CaTS Clinical Research Coordinators Level 1 Training, which will be held on Friday, October 11, 2019 at Tulane University (1440 Canal Street, Room 1208). Registration will start at 7:30 a.m. with a continental breakfast, and the training will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided and all participants will receive an LA CaTS Level 1 Research Coordinator Training Certificate, upon completion. The session is free and open to all LA CaTS institutions.

LA CaTS Community-Engaged Research Symposium-September 6, 2019

The LA CaTS Community Engagement and Outreach Core (CEO Core) and Xavier University are hosting its first LA CaTS Community-Engaged Research Symposium on Friday, September 6, 2019 in New Orleans. The event is open to all LA CaTS member institutions.

Professional Development to Host Mock Study Section on September 18th

Register here: LA CaTS Mock Study Section 2019 Registration

LA CaTS Center Welcomes Tynesia Fields, Community Engagement & Outreach Coordinator

We proudly welcome Ms. Tynesia Fields to the LA CaTS Center family. Ms. Fields is filling the important role of the Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for the LA CaTS Community Engagement Outreach Resource (CEO Core), and is housed at Xavier University in New Orleans.