LSU Discover Day 2026

Panel: Pursuing Careers in Research

3:30 - 4:30 pm | LSU Student Union | Capital Chamber, room 329

Panelists:

Headshot of panelist Ethan AndersonDr. Ethan Anderson
Assistant Professor, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine

Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) are major problems in our society today, and there is a great need for better therapies. Repeated substance and alcohol use causes neuroplastic adaptations in the brain through molecular mechanisms. These changes lead to cravings, increased motivation to take the drug, and can cause relapse during times of abstinence. I have studied these lasting effects of abused drugs on the brain since 2009. Almost all of my research experiences have focused on neuroplastic molecular mechanisms that underlie drug-induced behavioral changes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain area in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway vital for reward, stress, and anxiety. I employ cutting-edge viral and chemical tools to manipulate molecular pathways to reverse or mimic drug/alcohol-induced changes in NAc and study their behavioral relevance. The Anderson Lab aims to discover novel, translational treatments for SUDs and AUDs that are capable of reducing drug use by reversing neuroplastic adaptations that occur following chronic use.

Headshot of panelist Erik JohnsonDr. Erik Johnson
Assistant Professor, School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University College of Agriculture

Erik Johnson grew up in the northeastern United States and migrated to Louisiana in 2003 to join Dr. Phil Stouffer’s lab as a M.S. and then Ph.D. student at Louisiana State University. After graduating in 2011, he joined the National Audubon Society as a conservation biologist focused on applied research of habitat restoration and management initiatives along the Gulf Coast. He rejoined LSU as an Assistant Professor of Conservation Biology in fall 2025 where he continues to work on applied avian conservation research projects and train the next generation of students. He is active in Louisiana’s birding community, serving as the regional editor of the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, a member of Louisiana Bird Records Committee, and director of the Louisiana Bird Observatory.

Headshot of panelist Heather McKillopDr. Heather McKillop
Thomas & Lillian Landrum Alumni Professor, Department of Geology and Anthropology, Louisiana State University College of Science

Heather McKillop is an LSU Professor and Maya archaeologist who carries out field research on the cays, coast, and underwater in Belize with LSU undergrad and grad students and colleagues. She earned her undergraduate and MA degrees at Trent University in Canada. She was awarded a SSHRC doctoral fellowship for her PhD, which she earned at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has directed summer archaeological field schools at several island sites in Belize, including Moho Cay, Wild Cane Cay, and Frenchman’s Cay. Since she and her team discovered ancient Maya wooden buildings preserved below the sea floor in 2004, field work focused on discovery, mapping, and excavation of the buildings and contents. She has been awarded grants from the National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, and other agencies, along with Faculty Research grants and LA Board of Regents grants, and awards to students. She received a Research Master Award, Distinguished Faculty Award, Rainmaker Award, Alumni Professorship, and other awards from LSU. In 2024 she received a Trent University Alumni Award and will receive an Anthropology Alumni award from UCSB in April 2026. Her Underwater Maya research group uses 3D scanners in the field and in the DIVA Lab at LSU to document the salt waterlogged wooden posts and pottery. The DIVA Lab (Digital Imaging and Visualization in Archaeology) lab was started with funds from a LA Board of Regents grant in 2010. She teaches courses in 3D digital imaging, archaeology, Maya films, and the Maya. Her publications include seven books and over 100 articles in journals (see Heather McKillop | LSU Geography & Anthropology).

Headshot of Panelist Frank TsaiDr. Frank Tsai
Chevron Professor of Engineering and Director, Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University College of Engineering

Dr. Frank Tsai is a Chevron Professor of Engineering in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University and the Director of the Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute. He is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) and a registered Professional Geoscientist (PG) in Louisiana. He received his B.S. degree from the National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan in 1993, M.S. degree from the National Taiwan University, Taiwan in 1995, and Ph.D. degree from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles in 2002. He Joined LSU in 2003. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and a Fellow of the ASCE Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). Dr. Tsai has broad research interests in hydrology, hydrogeology, groundwater and water resources. His current research topics include high-resolution aquifer characterization and groundwater modeling using airborne geophysical data and borehole logs, integrated groundwater management, saltwater intrusion, land subsidence, and CCS environmental impact analysis.