Mentoring

Summer Research Interns

The LA-TCI is dedicated to developing future and current scientists by mentoring high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Each summer, we host interns from the LSUHSC School of Medicine Research Internship Program and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center's Summer Undergraduate Cancer Research Experience—an initiative designed to spark interest in careers in medicine, public health, and the basic or clinical sciences. Over the course of the 8-week program, students are matched with mentors and engage in hands-on research experiences. The internship culminates in a poster session or oral symposium where students present their findings.

2025 Mentees:
Kaylie Nguyen
Summer Research Intern
"Analyzing Tobacco Use and Opioid Misuse Regarding Urban vs. Rural Areas"
Tessa Peterson
Summer Research Intern
"Intersecting Risks: Food Insecurity, Cigarette Smoking, Rurality and Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis in the U.S."
Nathan Xiang
Summer Research Intern
"Differentially Expressed miRNAs Linking Transportation Infrastructure to TNBC Stages at Diagnosis Differentially Expressed miRNAs Linking Transportation Infrastructure to TNBC Stages at Diagnosis"
2024 Mentees:
Randy Hamilton, Undergraduate student, Xavier University of Louisiana
“Environmental Risk Factors Drive Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer Stages At Diagnosis.”
2023 Mentees:
Haneen Awadallah, Undergraduate student, Xavier University of Louisiana
“Differences in E-Cigarette Ad Exposure Between 2020 and 2022 Among U.S. High School Students.”
Jack Wang, Medical student, LSU Health New Orleans
“Influence of Peer Perception and Survey Location on E-cigarette use in 2021 and 2022 High school Students.”
Amy Liu, Undergraduate student, Duke University
“Racial Disparities and Risk Factors of E-cigarette Use.”
2022 Mentees:
Laila Flores, Undergraduate student, Xavier University of Louisiana
“The Association Between Covid -19 and Vaping Among Young Adults Ages 18 to 24 Caused by Pandemic Related Stressors”
Firdaous Ningbinnin, Undergraduate student, Xavier University of Louisiana
“Smoking and Reproductive Health: The Association Between Tobacco Cessation and Impaired Female Fertility”
2021 Mentees:
Naija Nelson- Undergraduate student, Villanova University, Villanova PA
“Examining Differences in Reasons Why Former vs. Current Teenage E-Cigarette Users Smoke”
Theresa Nguyen-High School Student, De La Salle High School, New Orleans
“Smoking and Mental Health: Associations Between Adolescent E-Cigarette Use and Feelings and Behaviors Toward Suicide”
First Place Winner
2020 Mentees: 
Patrick Daly-Undergraduate student, LSU Baton Rouge
“The Relationship between E-Cigarette Information Seeking and Trusted Sources of Information on E-Cigarettes and Respective Use”
Brian Washington- Undergraduate student, University of New Orleans
“Differences in Patient-Provider Communication Between Smokers and Non-Smokers”
First Place Winner
2018 Mentees:
Kelsey Lain-Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans
“A Review of E-Cigarette Use Among Pregnant Women”
Hannah Guichet- Haynes Academy of Louisiana
“Awareness and Utilization of Tobacco Cessation Services Among Disadvantaged Minority Female Smokers”
Third Place Winner
Graduate Mentees
Mirandy Li, Ph.D.
MD/PhD Graduate Student
LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health
2017-2022
“Minority Stress, Mental Health, and Social Support among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Smokers in the Deep South”
Taylor Herring, B.S.
Master of Health Policy & Systems Management Student
LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health
2022
“Difference in Dental Professional Advice to Quit Smoking Between Regular and Electronic Cigarette Users”
Undergraduate Mentees
Arlysse Rodney, B.S.
Public Health Student
Xavier University of Louisiana
2017
“Racial Disparities Among High-Risk (Pre-diabetic) Smokers in Public Hospitals”
Practice Experience
Augustine Tseng
Public Health Student

For more information about our training opportunities, please email us at latci@lsuhsc.edu