LSU School of Veterinary Medicine conferred four advanced degrees
May 21, 2026
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine conferred four advanced degrees on May 19, 2026. Colin Mitchell, BVM&S, MS, DACVS, LSU Vet Med interim 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.
Celebrating LSU Vet Med Ph.D. graduates are (back row from left) Comparative Biomedical Sciences Department Head Dr. Alexander Murashov, Research and Graduate Education Manager Dr. Stephen Costin, Interim Dean Dr. Colin Mitchell, and Professor of Zoological Medicine Dr. Mark Mitchell; and (front row from left) Professor Dr. Joseph Francis, Dr. Sabrina Cousseau, Dr. Graciela Aguilar, Dr. Abihshek Pandit, and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education Dr. Tammy Dugas.
– Photo credit: Chris Jones
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Maria Graciela Aguilar, DVM, from Costa Rica, received her Ph.D. from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Her dissertation was entitled “Enhancing Ex-Situ Amphibian Conservation Using Red-Eyed and Lemur Tree Frogs (Agalychnis Callidryas and Agalychnis Lemur) as Models for Improving Nutrition, Microbiome Health, and Husbandry,” and her major advisor was Mark A. Mitchell, DVM, MS, Ph.D. (LSU 2001), DECZM, Professor of Zoological Medicine. Dr. Aguilar will remain at LSU Vet Med as a post-doctoral fellow in VCS. Her research focuses
Sabrina Bellaver Cousseau, DVM, from Farroupilha, Brazil, received her Ph.D. from the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Her dissertation was entitled “Effects of a Pre-Maturation Treatment of Maturation Markers and Developmental Competence of Equine Cumulus-Oocyte Complexes,” and her 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. Cousseau is an assistant professor of theriogenology at North Carolina State University.
Abihshek Pandit, DVM, from Nepal, received his Ph.D. from the Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences. His dissertation is entitled “Mechanism Underlying Therapeutic Modulation of Cardiac Dysfunction in HFpEF,” and his major advisor was Joseph Francis, BVSc, MVSc, Ph.D., professor. Dr. Pandit will begin his post-doctoral research work at Indiana University.
Amit Sharma, from Chitwan, Nepal, 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. He is a post-doctoral fellow 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.