Dr. Levent Dirikolu
Director
Professor
Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS)

Biography:
Dr. Dirikolu received his DVM degree from Ankara University, College of Veterinary Medicine in Turkey, and Master and PhD degrees from University of Kentucky in Veterinary Pharmacology area. In January 2016, he joined the faculty at Louisiana State University as a full professor of pharmacology with tenure and director of Equine Medication Surveillance Laboratory. Dr. Dirikolu is highly effective and motivated teacher, he has been awarded with Carl-Norden Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award in 2005 and Dr. Erwin Small Teaching Excellence Award in Veterinary Medicine in 2011 and 2012. He served as a Course coordinator for Veterinary Pharmacology course and also as a primary pharmacologist in Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology course rotation both at Tuskegee University and University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign before joining LSU, SVM. Dr. Dirikolu is also extremely passionate about mentoring and educating highly motivated and intelligent graduate students and residents/interns. He is the recipient of Pfizer Award for Research Excellence in 2006 and 2011. Dr. Dirikolu is the author and co-author of Practical Antimicrobial Therapy and Mineralocorticoids and Adrenolytic Drugs chapters in A Text Book of Diseases of Cattle, Horses, Sheep, Pigs and Goats (11th edition) and Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics (9th edition), respectively.

Teaching Interests:
Clinical Pharmacology Rotations, Pharmacology (evidence based medicine and applied clinical pharmacology), Comparative Dispositions of Xenobiotic, Veterinary Pharmacology, Comparative Clinical Pharmacology, Advanced Clinical Pharmacology

Research Interests:
Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Molecular, clinical and analytical pharmacology, Drug metabolism.
A complete list of publications is available at: PubMed

 Awards & Honors:
  • 2019 Dean's Teacher Merit Honor Roll (2nd and 3rd year)
  • 2018 Dean's Teacher Merit Honor Roll (2nd and 3rd year)
  • 2016 Phi Zeta poster presentation (Third place)
  • 2015 Elected by the CVM Class of 2015 as a Hooder for Commencement
  • 2015 Teacher Ranked as Excellent
  • 2014 Elected by the CVM Class of 2014 as a Hooder for Commencement
  • 2014 Elected by the CVM Class of 2015 as a Draper for White Coat Ceremony
  • 2014 Teacher Ranked as Excellent
  • 2013 Elected by the CVM Class of 2014 as a Draper for White Coat Ceremony
  • 2012 Dr. Erwin Small Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2012 Elected by the CVM Class of 2012 as a Hooder for Commencement
  • 2012 Teacher Ranked as Excellent
  • 2011 Dr. Erwin Small Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2011 Pfizer Research Excellence Award
  • 2011 Teacher Ranked as Excellent
  • 2010 Elected by the CVM Class of 2011 and 2012 as a Draper for White Coat Ceremony
  • 2010 Teacher Ranked as Excellent
  • 2009 Teacher Ranked as Excellent
  • 2008 Arnold O. Beckman Research Award
  • 2006 Pfizer Animal Health Research Excellence Award
  • 2005 Norden Distinguished Teacher of The Year Award
  • 2004 Faculty Performance Award
  • 2003 Involved in the development of first FDA approved therapeutic medications for the treatment and prophylaxis of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis based on the use of triazine drugs
  • 1997 Honor student program
 Education:
  • PhD University of Kentucky
  • MVSc University of Kentucky
  • DVM Ankara University College of Veterinary Medicine
 Grants:
  • Race horses testing , Louisiana Racing Commission , $1,355,269.00
  • Race horses testing , Louisiana Racing Commission , $4,106,336.00
  • Hergenrother P (PI), Minutolo F, Seth P (Co-PI), Dirikolu L, Grant A (C-I) Design, synthesis, and evaluation of lactate dehydrogenase inhibitors, NIH (R01), $1,380,000.00
  • Canisso IF (PI), Dirikolu L, Wilkins P, Lima F (Co-PI). Is enrofloxacin toxic to the fetal cartilage when given to late term pregnant mares, USDA-HATCH, $10,569.00
  • Fischer BL (PI), Aldridge B, Lowe J, Mitchell M, Dirikolu L (Co-I). Pharmacokinetic evaluation of Orocam (Meloxicam) transmucosal oral spray following oral and rectal mucosal administration in piglets, USDA-HATCH, $14,326.00
  • Collins S (PI), Labelle A, Hamor RE, Dirikolu L (CoI). Tear film concentrations of doxycycline following oral administration in dogs, ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation, $4,990.00