Lab Members
Top (from left to right): Research associate Chin-Chi Liu, principal investigator Andrea Johnston, and research associate Sarah Keeton,.
Bottom (left to right): Summer scholar and DVM student Jackie Post and summer scholar Jillian Myers.
Principal Investigator
Andrea N. Johnston, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Assistant Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine
Education
PhD in Molecular Biology: Genetics, Development, and Disease
UT Southwestern Medical Center: Dallas, TX
Thesis: Forward small molecule screen identifies novel protein chaperone inhibitor that blocks necroptosis.
Principal investigator: Zhigao Wang, PhD, Virginia Murchison Linthicum Scholar in Medical Research; Emerging Scholar in Medical Research
Residency in Small Animal Internal Medicine
Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine: Ithaca, NY
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with Thesis
Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine: North Grafton, MA
Thesis: The role of protein kinases, Akt, protein kinase A, and protein kinase C-zeta, in bile acid induced apoptosis in human hepatoma cells
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture: Microbiology & Veterinary Science
University of Arizona: Tucson, AZ
VCS Research Associates
Sarah Keeton, PhD
Resident
Tifini L. Batts, DVM, MSPHBat
Education
Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI; Completed 6/2011. BA in chemistry
Meharry Medical Collage, Nashville, TN; Completed 5/2013, MS in public health
Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing, MI; Completed 5/2017, Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Batts's primary work objective is to determine how the disciplines of internal medicine and public health, particularly the social determinants of health, intersect and impact patient outcome, an interest that developed in graduate school. Since starting her career at LSU, Dr. Batts has worked in the lab of Dr. Andrea Johnston with her first project involving the assessment of characteristics (biochemical and histologic) of liver dysfunction associated with preeclampsia in the preeclampsia-like BPH/5 mouse model.
Graduate Students
Priscilla Devora
Priscilla earned a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry and a Bachelor's of Science in Biology from the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. She was then accepted for the Dual Degree DVM/PhD fellowship from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. She is currently a 4th year DVM student and 1st year PhD student. Her current research involves Heterobilharzia amerciana and hepatocellular carcinoma.
Summer Scholars
Jacqueline Post, BS
LSU Vet Med 2021
Jackie received her Bachelor of Science in Equine Science and Management from the University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY). She then went on to work as a histology technician at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences before starting veterinary school at LSU. She is currently pursuing a career in academia as a clinician-scientist and plans to specialize after receiving her DVM.
Jillian Myers, BS 
LSU Vet Med 2021