Join us virtually as LSU's emerging viruses expert Dr. Rebecca Christofferson, respiratory immunologist Dr. Stephania Cormier, and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center’s Medical Director Dr. Hollis "Bud" O’Neal share their experiences with how an academic lab was temporarily retooled to help fill a critical gap in COVID-19 testing capabilities and its impacts on the community.

About the Speakers

Dr. Rebecca Christofferson is an assistant professor in the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine's pathobiological sciences department, where she conducts research on infectious diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, including laboratory work and epidemiology. Her research has received funding from the National Institutes of Health and NASA.

Dr. Stephania Cormier holds a joint position as the Wiener Chair and Professor in the LSU Department of Biological Sciences and the LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center. She is also the director of the LSU Superfund Research Center and Associate Vice President of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in the Office of Research & Economic Development.

Dr. Hollis "Bud" O'Neal is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center in Baton Rouge and the Medical Director of Research for Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. His research interests include sepsis diagnosis and treatment. He is an active investigator in clinical trails, including industry-sponsored, NIH-funded, and investigator-initiated studies.

This LSU Science Café will be held entirely online via Zoom. The Zoom link to attend will be shared to those who register in advance.