Louisiana Cancer Research Center - LCRC

03/31/2026

Read the LCRC enewsletter to stay up to date on what Louisiana's scientists are doing in the battle against cancer in our state. https://bit.ly/4v7VBOu

03/30/2026

Another Louisiana municipality chooses smoke-free air thanks to the efforts of The Louisiana Campaign for To***co-Free Living , a program of the LCRC.

A major milestone for Lafourche Parish 🎉 On March 25, the Parish Council voted unanimously to pass a comprehensive indoor smoke-free ordinance, making Lafourche the 40th municipality in Louisiana to take this important step. This decision helps protect residents, workers, and visitors from the dangers of secondhand smoke while creating cleaner, healthier spaces for the entire community.

We extend our thanks to the Lafourche Parish Council, local leaders, and community partners whose dedication made this achievement possible. Together, we’re building momentum toward a healthier, smoke-free Louisiana.

03/27/2026

Could regular exercise boost a colorectal cancer patient’s chance of survival or reduce the side effects of their chemotherapy? Louisiana Cancer Research Center faculty at LSU and Pennington Biomedical Research Center among those researching how regular physical activity – moderate to vigorous intensity - can boost the immune system and maximize its ability to fight a recurrence. Read more: https://www.louisianacancercenter.org/news/exercise-coloncancer

Promoting education and conducting research in the diagnosis, detection and treatment of cancer in Louisiana.

03/26/2026

Thank you to Sunil Krishnan, MD, professor and director of Radiation Oncology at UTHealth Houston for today's talk: "Nanoparticle-aided cancer therapy" as part of the LCRC speaker series.

03/25/2026

The Louisiana Campaign for To***co-Free Living, a program of the LCRC reaches youth in several creative ways to educate about the risks of smoking and va**ng. Thursday's seminar describes one unique tool they use to reach teens. Details below!

Join us for our next Empowering People and Communities Series (EPCS) as we explore TFL’s School Bathroom Anti Va**ng Decal Project and how creative, youth focused messaging can help prevent to***co use among students.

This session will walk through the development of the campaign from concept to implementation, highlighting how the decals were designed to reach youth in everyday school spaces and spark awareness about va**ng. The presentation will also share how this approach supports youth prevention efforts and connects students to free help for quitting.

Thursday, March 26, 2026
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Register by visiting bit.ly/4rGuNCJ or scanning the QR code.

03/18/2026

Trying to quit smoking? See below for how to access 12 weeks of free combination ni****ne replacement therapy, an effective way to kick the habit.

Support someone on their quit journey today.

The Louisiana To***co Quitline is offering 12 weeks of FREE combination ni****ne replacement therapy (NRT) through June 2026 to help people quit to***co for good.

Encourage someone to take the first step:
• Text READY to 34191
• Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW
• Visit quitwithusla.org

Quitting to***co is possible, and FREE help is available.

03/16/2026

Thursday at noon at the LCRC- Gloria Echeverria, PhD, assistant professor, Baylor College of Medicine and the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center will present: "Mitochondria at the Crossroads of Bioenergetics and Stress Signaling in Triple Negative Breast Cancer." Details below!

03/13/2026

Congratulations to Matthew E. Burow, PhD, associate professor of Medicine and Surgery in Hematology & Medical Oncology at Tulane University School of Medicineand LCRC faculty member, for being named a Senior Member by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), a designation that recognizes rising stars who drive a culture of innovation on campus and help develop the next generation of inventors. Dr. Burow advances translational research in hormone-responsive breast cancer and metabolic disease. His work focuses on developing therapeutics derived from plant-based compounds, including glyceollins, that target estrogen signaling and tumor growth pathways. By bridging molecular discoveries with patented treatment strategies, he aims to improve outcomes for patients while addressing the connection between obesity, metabolism and cancer progression.

03/11/2026

LCRC Seed Grant At Work >>>> LSU College of Science Chemistry Professor Dr. Fatima Rivas received a pilot award from the Louisiana Cancer Research Center to look more closely at chemical reactions occurring in the human body that synthesize cholesterol. Along this pathway, intermediate molecules are formed and can sometimes become oxidized during cellular stress. Dr. Rivas is studying whether one of these understudied molecules could help fight colorectal cancer...

Awareness of colorectal cancer has grown in recent years as rates continue to rise among younger adults, and the disease remains one of the most common and deadly cancers in the United States.

At LSU, chemistry professor Dr. Fatima Rivas is studying an oxidized intermediate from the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Because it closely resembles cholesterol, cancer cells may take it up naturally — but once inside, the molecule can disrupt critical processes they rely on to survive, acting like a molecular “Trojan horse.”

In laboratory experiments, the compound slowed the growth of colorectal cancer cells while showing less impact on healthy tissue.

Supported by a Seed Grant from the Louisiana Cancer Research Center, the research is still in its early stages as scientists work to validate the findings and identify the molecule’s cellular targets.

🔬 Read more: https://www.lsu.edu/science/news/2026/03/rivas-pilot.php

LSU Department of Chemistry
LSU Research

03/09/2026

LCRC partner Ochsner Health is participating in a clinical research study evaluating the Galleri blood test that screens for multiple types of cancer. Led by principal investigator and LCRC faculty member Marc Matrana, MD, the REACH study is examining how the Galleri® test affects patient care in real-world settings, in addition to the standard cancer screenings doctors currently recommend. Seniors with Medicare Part A and Part B or a Medicare Advantage plan, who are at least 50 years old and have not had cancer in the past three years, may qualify for the study. For details, call 504-703-4440 or email REACH.study@ochsner.org.

03/05/2026

Thank you, Dr. Peter Park, director of bioinformatics and integrative genomics (BIG) at Harvard Medical School, for your presentation today, "A New Mechanism for Oncogene Amplification in Breast Cancer."

03/04/2026

Distinguished Speaker at the LCRC tomorrow - Peter Park, PhD, director of bioinformatics and integrative genomics (BIG) at Harvard Medical School will present, "A New Mechanism for Oncogene Amplification in Breast Cancer."
Details below!