A “stemness checkpoint” helps control stem cell identity
Building on the concept that blocking differentiation into specialized cell types maintains stem cells, USC and NIH scientists identify GSK3α as a checkpoint across diverse stem cell types. A study published in …
Four Keck School of Medicine of USC researchers elected as senior members of the National Academy of Inventors
Honorees have created technologies for fighting cancer and other diseases by harnessing the immune system, DNA and the mechanisms that control gene expression. The National Academy of Inventors (NAI), a nonprofit member …
USC physician-scientist Mohamed Abou-el-Enein named Outstanding New Investigator by the American Society of Gene + Cell Therapy
In addition, Abou-el-Enein, lab member Amaia Cadinanos-Garai and their co-authors received the Best of Molecular Therapy Award for their paper describing a new tool for identifying which CAR T cells are best …
Stem Cell Day demystifies the world of science for high school students
With support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), USC Stem Cell welcomes teens to campus for education and outreach that opens their eyes to future career possibilities. The buzzer chimed, …
USC announces joint biomedical engineering department, bridging medical and engineering schools
Building on decades of collaboration between the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the department reimagines the expansion of biomedical engineering into medicine. The Keck …
USC receives funding for AI tool to advance treatment for rare pediatric diseases
With up to $6.8 million in funding, USC researchers will develop an AI-driven framework to strengthen how evidence is generated for gene and cell therapies, helping to bring promising treatments closer to …
USC Stem Cell doctoral student Wynnie Nguyen aims to shift paradigms in Alzheimer’s research
Nguyen was awarded a grant from the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund for studies aiming to stimulate growth of new brain cells and, ultimately, reverse the course of dementia. For USC Stem Cell PhD …
Meet the scholarship recipients in USC’s stem cell master’s program
Four scholarship recipients combine medicine with mentorship and science with service. From authoring a bilingual STEM coloring book to mentoring biotechnology students at Los Angeles Mission College, this year’s scholarship recipients in …
Exploring how the cochlea responds to speech sounds: John Oghalai and Alberto Recio receive an American Hearing Research Foundation (AHRF) Discovery Grant
The one-year grant will support research on how the cochlea responds to fricative consonants like “S” and “SH.” USC researchers John Oghalai, MD, and Alberto Recio, PhD, were inspired by a simple …
Fecal transplants from older mice significantly improve ovarian function and fertility in younger mice
The surprising findings shed light on the little-known relationship between the microbiome and the reproductive system. Greater understanding could lead to better treatment options not only for fertility but also for overall …
Recognizing promise in hearing research: Ksenia Gnedeva wins the 2026 Geraldine Dietz Fox Young Investigator Award
The Association for Research in Otolaryngology recognizes Gnedeva for her work in understanding the development and regeneration of the inner ear’s sensory hearing cells. As Ksenia Gnedeva, PhD, was finishing her postdoctoral …
Science benefiting society: Evergreen Select CTO got his start with PhD in USC Stem Cell lab
From USC biomedical labs to D.C. to a Bay Area startup, Eric Schulze makes a difference thanks to career-oriented doctoral education at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Eric Schulze has …
New stem cell treatment may offer hope for Parkinson’s disease
Keck Medicine of USC investigates a unique therapy that aims to repair damaged brain cells Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than one million people in the United …
Growing a garden of academic excellence
His path to USC from China led the clinician-scientist through resilience and growth — and now the Ostrow Dean will nurture learning, patient care and research into the future. On Sundays, Ostrow’s …
New federal grant to help researchers explore better treatment options for temporomandibular disorders
The $4.3-million NIDCR grant will help clinicians build upon previous work to improve patient outcomes for those suffering with TMD pathology. There are few joints as complex as the jaws — they …
USC launches a new Center for Stem Cell Engineering on the Health Sciences Campus
A collaboration between the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the center will use stem cell engineering to uncover disease mechanisms and advance new therapies. …
From lab to launch: Inside USC’s fast-growing ecosystem of health startups
From patches that restore vision to compounds that kill brain tumors, drug and device discoveries by USC researchers are reaching patients faster than ever before. Ten years ago, two pediatric heart specialists …
Can a retinal implant reverse macular degeneration?
Clinical trial explores if stem cell-derived patch can help replace cells damaged by the disease and restore vision. Age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss and blindness for Americans 65 …
Biologists discover neurons use physical signals — not electricity — to stabilize communication
A USC Dornsife team shows how synapses rapidly adjust when their receptors fail, revealing a new mechanism of neural resilience. Every movement you make and every memory you form depends on precise …
USC Stem Cell’s Chuck Murry shows heart for local third-graders through the medical and cancer STEM programs
USC’s Medical STEM Program brings pig hearts, pulse oximeters, and a world of possibility to local third graders. At Vermont Avenue Elementary School, a class of third graders stared wide-eyed as Chuck …