Louisiana Tech and LSU Health Shreveport have announced what they describe as a historic research partnership. Leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a ceremony at the Louisiana Tech Research institute in Bossier City on Tuesday, August 4.
The MOU creates what leaders call, “a framework for collaborative research, student training and shared access to specialized research facilities and expertise.” Specifically, this new arrangement will allow students and researchers from both universities to work together on projects and access specialized laboratories and equipment.
This dynamic is expected to create what leaders say will be an environment for training and mentorship for research work across disciplines to tackle major health, scientific, and technological challenges.
Louisiana Tech Interim Vice President for Research Bala Ramu Ramachandran, PhD, highlighted the mutual benefits. “This will lead to collaborations, research proposals, and there's lots of potential for external funding.”
Officials also explain that the agreement is intended to combine the best attributes of both institutions. That includes the biological and biomedical expertise of LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) with the biomedical engineering, micromanufacturing, and technology expertise of Louisiana Tech, into a strong research corridor along Interstate 20 in North Louisiana.
LSUHS Vice Chancellor for Research Oren Rom, PhD, RD, says this is exactly the kind of team approach that federal agencies are looking for in research institutions. “Something that people don’t realize is that there is a level of mentorship and state of the art technology that we have here in North Louisiana. Now we can offer the level of technology and the mentorship. The level of faculty that we have here and people that we’ve recruited over the last years, we’ve brought in people from the best institutions in the world and they’re right here in North Louisiana.”
Historic Partnership Sealed with Signing Between La Tech & LSU Health Shreveport
