$20.3 Million NIH Renewal Boosts Louisiana Biomedical Research Network

The Louisiana Biomedical Research Network (LBRN), administered by the Division of Biotechnology & Molecular Medicine (BioMMeD) at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded a five-year, $20.3 million renewal grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research in the United States.

This renewal marks a major milestone in advancing biomedical research capacity across Louisiana.

Established in 2001, the LBRN is a statewide program dedicated to enhancing faculty development, student training, and research infrastructure across Louisiana’s public and private institutions. Over the past two decades, LBRN has played a vital role in fostering collaborative research, advancing STEM education, expanding opportunities for students from high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels, and faculty development at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUI) throughout Louisiana.

“We are proud to serve as the administrative home for LBRN,” said Dr. Gus Kousoulas, department head, director of BioMMeD, and professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at LSU Vet Med. “This renewed investment allows us to deepen our commitment to supporting researchers and students across Louisiana while launching new initiatives in areas like artificial intelligence, data science, and interdisciplinary research.”  

“We are thankful to all our partner institutions and to the dedicated team whose hard work has contributed to the success of the program,” added Ojasvi Dutta, assistant director of BIoMMeD and program manager for LBRN, and Dr. Seetharama Jois, PBS professor and LBRN program coordinator. “The recently developed LBRN Training Platform, built and managed in collaboration with BioMMeD, will serve as a cornerstone for advancing biomedical research training in the years ahead.”

“I am thrilled that we are the administrative hub of the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network under Dr. Gus Kousoulas’ talented leadership. We are a veterinary and biomedical powerhouse at LSU Vet Med, serving all of Louisiana to better lives—animal and human,” said Dr. Oliver Garden, dean of LSU Vet Med. “Our scientists are making groundbreaking advances in lung health and disease, neuroscience, cancer, infectious disease, and veterinary clinical science. We build teams that win for Louisiana and the world.”

In addition to the NIH funding, LBRN has secured approximately $1.91 million in matching and cost-sharing support from state and institutional partners, including:

• $1.2 million over five years from the Louisiana Board of Regents
• $100,000 each from Pennington Biomedical Research Center, LSU Health New Orleans, LSU Health Shreveport, and Tulane University
• $30,000 each from seven primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) to support undergraduate summer research and infrastructure, totaling $210,000
• Nearly $100,000 from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine

With these combined resources, total program support for the next five years exceeds $22.2 million.

As the central hub for LBRN, BioMMeD and the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine will continue to lead collaborative training efforts across the state, enhance virtual learning tools through the LBRN Training Platform, integrate AI and machine learning training modules, and support faculty development across Louisiana’s PUI’s and research institutions.

For more information about LBRN and its initiatives, visit lbrn.lsu.edu.

About LSU Vet Med

LSU School of Veterinary Medicine is one of only 33 veterinary schools in the U.S. and the only one in Louisiana. We are dedicated to improving the lives of people and animals through education, research, and service. We teach. We heal. We discover. We protect.

Our Vision

Bettering lives through education, public service, and discovery.

Our Mission

Improving and protecting the lives of animals and people through superior education, transformational research, and compassionate care.

Our Values

Innovation. Compassion. Integrity.