NIH awards $20.3M grant to Louisiana research program

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a $20.3 million renewal grant to a medical research program at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine (LSU Vet Med). The 5-year grant issued by NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) supports the Louisiana Biomedical Research Network (LBRN), a program administered by LSU Vet Med and the university’s Division of Biotechnology & Molecular Medicine (BioMMeD).

“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,” Gus Kousoulas, PhD, MS, department head, director of BioMMeD, and professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at LSU Vet Med, said in a news release. 

The renewed grant marks a major milestone in advancing biomedical research capacity across Louisiana, according to the university.The LBRN is a statewide program established in 2001 and dedicated to enhancing faculty development, student training, and research infrastructure across Louisiana’s public and private institutions. Over the past 2 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 thankful to all our partner institutions and to the dedicated team whose hard work has contributed to the success of the program,” Ojasvi Dutta, MS, assistant director of BIoMMeD and program manager for LBRN, and Seetharama Jois, PhD, MS, PBS professor and LBRN program coordinator, said in a joint statement. “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.”

In addition to the NIH funding, LBRN has secured approximately $1.91 million in matching and cost-sharing support from state and institutional partners. With these combined resources, total program support for the next 5 years exceeds $22.2 million. Partners include the following:

• $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 7 primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) to support undergraduate summer research and infrastructure, totaling $210,000
• Nearly $100,000 from LSU Vet Med

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.

“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 Oliver Garden, BVetMed, PhD, dean of LSU Vet Med, said in the release. “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.”

Reference

$20.3 million NIH renewal boosts Louisiana Biomedical Research Network. News release. Louisiana State University. August 1, 2025.