History

The Louisiana State University School of Medicine was established in New Orleans in 1931, and a School of Graduate Studies at the LSU Medical Center was administered through the LSU Baton Rouge campus.   MS and PhD degrees were awarded in Anatomy, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Tropical Medicine & Parasitology.  In 1965, the LSU Medical Center School of Graduate Studies became an autonomous unit with an Associate Dean.  In 1974, the position of Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies was created, with MS and PhD degrees awarded to students at both the Shreveport and New Orleans Medical Centers.  In 2005, the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport established a separate School of Graduate Studies, and the School of Graduate Studies at LSUHSC New Orleans added a combined MD/PhD program, as well as a one-year Interdisciplinary curriculum to the options for initiating doctoral studies in seven different degree-granting programs.  In 2015, the M.S. degree program was redesigned into a single degree program - MS in Biomedical Sciences, and a track of study in Bioinformatics was added in 2020.  The school currently awards PhD degrees in seven basic science programs, including:
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cell Biology & Anatomy, Genetics, Microbiology Immunology & Parasitology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, and Physiology.  Doctoral degrees in the School of Public Health and the School of Nursing are jointly awarded through the School of Graduate Studies, and a combined MD/PhD program is jointly administered with the School of Medicine. 

Administrators

Associate Dean of Graduate Studies (reporting to Chancellor 1967-1975): Dr. Ronald Coulson

VCAA/Deans

Dr. John Finerty (1975-1985)

Dr. Robert Dyer (1985-1990)

Dr. Marilyn Zimny (1990-1998)

Dr. Joseph Moerschbaecher, III (1998-2021)

Interim Dean

Dr. Angela Amedee (2021-present)

Associate Deans (New Orleans)

Dr. Conrad Hornick (1992-1994)

Dr. Adele Spence (1994-2004)

Dr. Kathleen McDonough (2004-2018)

Dr. Angela Amedee (2018-present)