It is with great sadness that we share that Professor Neil Segil passed away on Saturday July 2nd.
Neil established an international reputation for his pioneering research on the development and regeneration of hearing through the study of cell division and cell specification in the sensory epithelium of the inner ear. Neil’s influential research was founded on a deep scholarship, insightful and innovative experiments, and an ease in extending his laboratory’s research through highly productive, collaborative partnerships. Neil was a sought-after mentor to student and faculty alike and a selfless contributor to the building of regenerative medicine, first at the House Research Institute in Los Angeles (1996–2013) where he became executive vice president for research, then as a faculty member in the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and USC Tina and Rick Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC (2013–2022). Always committed to the education and training of the next generation of scientists and physicians, Neil played a leading role in establishing the T32 Training Grant in Hearing and Communication Science and taught undergraduate and graduate courses on several topics, including the undergraduate course he founded on Human Development: From Stem to Sternum (MEDS 335). He was also awarded a 2022 USC Mentoring Award for Faculty Mentoring Faculty, Postdoctoral Scholars, Medical Residents, and Fellows.
Neil remained energized by, and active in, his laboratory’s research, and that of his colleagues, to the time of his passing. Neil will be missed by us all. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and lab members. A full obituary will follow shortly.
If you wish to share a special memory of Dr. Segil, please fill out a note card and attach it to the poster board in the lobby of the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. Note cards will be shared with Dr. Segil’s family.