LSU School of Veterinary Medicine conferred two advanced degrees
December 17, 2025
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine conferred two advanced degrees on December 17, 2025. Oliver A. Garden, BVetMed, Ph.D., DACVIM, LSU Vet Med dean, welcomed the graduates and guests. Tammy Dugas, Ph.D., associate dean for research and graduate education, introduced the graduates and asked their mentors to say a few words about their educational journeys. Mark A. Mitchell, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (LSU 2001), DECZM, professor of zoological medicine, conferred the degrees on behalf of the LSU Graduate School. Also being honored at this event are two students who will receive degrees in Spring 2026 and a Ph.D. graduate from August 2025.
MASTER OF SCIENCE
Melina JalaliFarahani, BS, from Tehran, Iran, received her MS from the Department of Pathobiological Sciences. Her thesis was entitled “Enhancing CAR-T Cell Function Via Multi-Domain Inhibition of ITK,” and her major advisors were Gianluca Veggiani, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Weishan Huang, Ph.D., associate professor. JalaliFarahani plans to pursue her Ph.D.
Victor F. Medina, MVZ, from Mexico City, Mexico, received his MS from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. His thesis was entitled “Effects of pre-maturation treatment on developmental competence of domestic cat oocytes,” and his major advisors were Mark A. Mitchell, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (LSU 2001), DECZM, Professor of Zoological Medicine, and Carlos Pinto, DVM, Ph.D., DACT. Dr. Medina, theriogenology research associate at LSU Vet Med, plans to pursue a Ph.D. and his board certification from the American College of Theriogenology.
SUMMER 2025 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Ivan Martinez-Espinoza, from Puebla, Mexico, received his Ph.D. from the Department of Pathobiological Sciences. His dissertation was entitled “Cellular and molecular mechanisms of innate immune response modulated by respiratory pneumoviruses in macrophages and epithelial cells,” and his major advisor was Antonieta Guerroro-Plata, BSc, MSc, Ph.D., associate professor. Dr. Martinez-Espinoza is currently a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University.
SPRING 2026 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Sabrina Bellaver Cousseau, DVM, from Farroupilha, Brazil, successfully defended her dissertation and is expected to receive her Ph.D. from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences in Spring 2026. Her dissertation is entitled “Effects of a Pre-Maturation Treatment of Maturation Markers and Developmental Competence of Equine Cumulus-Oocyte Complexes,” and her major advisors are Mark A. Mitchell, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (LSU 2001), DECZM, Professor of Zoological Medicine, and Carlos Pinto, DVM, Ph.D., DACT. Dr. Cousseau is now an assistant professor of theriogenology at North Carolina State University.
Amit Sharma, from Chitwan, Nepal, successfully defended his dissertation and is expected to received his Ph.D. from the Department of Pathobiological Sciences in Spring 2026. His dissertation is entitled “Role of Cellular Stress Responses in Innate Immune Defense Against Acute Respiratory Infections,” and his major advisor is Basel Abuaita, Ph.D., assistant professor. Following graduation, he will start post-doctoral training at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo.
About LSU Vet Med: Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. LSU Vet Med is dedicated to improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.