Louisiana Cancer Research Center - LCRC

In addition to working every day with their PhD mentors in labs at LSU Health New Orleans, Tulane University School of Medicine, and Xavier University of Louisiana, LCRC Summer Undergraduate Cancer Research Fellows (SUCRE) regularly hear from prominent cancer scientists across the LCRC faculty. Yesterday, Tulane Geneticist Victoria Belancio, PhD, visited with the group during lunch.

This Monday ➡️➡️➡️an important conversation about the risks of va**ng, presented in part by the LCRC's The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living. Registration info below!

Youth va**ng continues to impact schools, families, and communities across Louisiana. Join us for the New Orleans Va**ng Town Hall as community leaders, educators, healthcare professionals, and advocates come together for an open conversation on the impact of youth va**ng and how we can work together to protect the health and future of young people.

Attend in person or virtually.

🗓 Monday, June 15, 2026
⏰ 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
📍 Junior League of New Orleans (JLNO)

Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees. Register today using the QR code or at bit.ly/4eWA2KY

Congratulations to Dr. Lu, who is also a member of the LCRC faculty. The Tulane Cancer Center researcher discovered that a bacterial signaling molecule significantly reduced the spread of cancer cells in pre-clinical models, particularly in aggressive breast cancers.

Bacteria-produced molecule shows promise in slowing cancer spread Researchers working in the laboratory of Tulane Cancer Center researcher Dr. Hua Lu (front, left) recently identified a naturally occurring molecule produced by bacteria that may help stop cancer from spreading, one of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment. (Photo courtesy of Tulane Cancer Cent...

Tomorrow at noon at the LCRC--Emerging Genomics and Heterogeneity of Type 2 Diabetes, presented by Jerome Rotter, MD, FACP, FACMG, MHA, LCRC Distinguished speaker and Director, Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; Director, Division of Genomic Outcomes, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, UCLA. Details below!

2026 LCRC New Investigator Award recipient Velencia Witherspoon, PhD, Tulane School of Science and Engineering, is using a novel form of MRI—low-field MRI—to study ovarian cancer in a faster, safer, and more accessible way. Low-field MRI uses smaller magnets and simpler hardware, making it more affordable and easier to operate. Dr. Witherspoon and her team will evaluate whether low-field MRI can detect key microscopic features within ovarian tumors, such as cell density and tissue stiffness. Researchers will pair these scans with detailed 3D images from light-sheet microscopy to better understand how MRI patterns reflect tumor structure. https://bit.ly/4wTBxjN

The LCRC’S Summer Undergraduate Cancer Research Experience (SUCRE) started this week with the arrival of 10 undergraduate Fellows, each interested in pursuing a career in cancer or biomedical research. For the next eight weeks, they will work in labs under the guidance of faculty mentors from LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center Tulane Cancer Center and Xavier University of Louisiana.

LCRC Welcomes 2026 Summer Undergraduate Cancer Research (SUCRE) Fellows | Louisiana Cancer Research Center Promoting education and conducting research in the diagnosis, detection and treatment of cancer in Louisiana.

Congratulations to Dr. Hua Lu, a member of the LCRC faculty.

🎉 Congratulations to Tulane Cancer Center Researcher Hua Lu, MB, PhD, on receiving a one-year $180,000 Louisiana Board of Regents Support Fund Grant to advance promising research aimed at preventing cancer from spreading.

Cancer metastasis, the spread of cancer from its original site to other parts of the body, is responsible for most cancer-related deaths. Dr. Lu's research is investigating a naturally occurring molecule first discovered in bacteria that has shown an impressive ability to slow or stop the spread of cancer, particularly metastatic breast cancer, in preclinical studies.

With support from this award, Dr. Lu and his team will continue exploring how this novel approach could one day lead to new therapies that help keep cancer from spreading while minimizing harmful side effects.

Congratulations, Dr. Lu, on this exciting achievement and the potential impact of your work on patients with cancer.👏

Tulane University School of Medicine

Parents, teachers, adults! Here's your chance to hear from Louisiana youths about va**ng, it's health risks and prevention strategies. This free webinar is presented by our partners at the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living, an LCRC program.

Youth voices matter in the conversation about va**ng prevention.

Join us tomorrow for Get Real About Va**ng: A Virtual Conference for Adults Led by Youth in Louisiana. Hear directly from young people as they share their perspectives on ni****ne use and addiction, prevention strategies, school culture, and what approaches are making a difference in their communities.

This virtual event is an opportunity for parents, educators, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and anyone who works with youth to learn from the experiences and insights of Louisiana’s next generation.

Tuesday, June 2, 2026
2:00 PM – 3:15 PM CT
bit.ly/49Sh9oX