Page 4 - SFRBMdot - October 2015

Radical View • Tammy Dugas, Ph.D.

by Sumitra Miriyala, Ph.D., LSU Health Sciences Center

polyphenol eluting balloons and stents for biology teacher, actually. I never realized

the prevention of vessel re-narrowing after my interest in science before taking several

balloon angioplasty – a procedure routinely of his classes. He had come to our school

performed by clinicians to clear arterial in small town Louisiana after a career in the

blockages. The project began with some very pharmaceuticals industry and to our beneit,

simple indings in vitro that were intriguing, took a teaching job at our small school. He

as well as the notion that polyphenols had was a dynamic teacher, but perhaps a bit

the ability to do what many of the currently controversial in his teaching methodologies.

utilized pharmacologic agents applied to From him, I learned how exciting and engaging

Tammy
these devices, albeit with less toxic. The science could be, and I have no doubt that

challenge with polyphenols was adequate were it not for his classes, I would not have
DUGAS
drug delivery, of course, as oral formulations chosen this career path. I have no idea what

of polyphenols are so poorly bioavailable. path he took after we graduated, but was not

However, endovascular delivery on balloons surprised to see him featured on national Professor, Dept. of Comparative Biomedical

and stents allows one to overcome these television just a few years ago, where he was Sciences, LSU School of Veterinary Medicine,

Baton Rouge.
limitations and exploit their unique potential reportedly battling petrochemical industries

as therapeutics.
in his area, ighting what he believed were DOT: Tell us about your background and

environmental injustices. I was so proud to current passion in your professional life?
But to address the question of what made
say that I knew him.
me as an academic scientist choose to I am currently a Professor in a biomedical

commercialize our research indings in the DOT: As a mentor, you have shaped many department of diverse research and teaching

laboratory,itreallybeganwhenacolleagueof students (graduate and postdoc) to enter
interests. IobtainedmyPh.D.infreeradical

mine challenged that publishing our indings academic and industry research. Do you have chemistry. Together, with this training and

only ensured that no one could beneit from any tips how to shape individuals for these my postdoctoral fellowships in biochemistry

our research. He argued to me that only when scientiic ields?
and toxicology, I inally arrived at my

we patent irst can anyone stand to beneit current research interest in cardiovascular
First and foremost, we only truly excel
from our indings. After much relection and pharmacology and toxicology.
in disciplines where we derive the most
good debate with him, I began to see the
enjoyment. Although many of my colleagues
DOT: You are the Co-Founder of the Requisite
logic behind his comment and realized that
argue that we should direct our trainees away Biomedical. What kind of research do you
conventional thinking in academia may need
from academia, I argue that we should direct conduct in this company and what made you
similar relection and change.
them toward ields where they feel they can want to start the company?

DOT: Who has been your greatest teacher? make the most impact. Certainly, times are
Our research is focused on developing
What do you think are the most important tough in academia of late, but circumstances
endovascular devices for the treatment of
factors that shaped your career?
can quickly change in science, and it would

cardiovascular disease. In short, we develop
be a shame to direct our best minds toward
My greatest teacher was a high school

SFRBM Newsletter // October 2015 // Radical View • Dr. Tammy Dugas

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