Next-generation CAR T cells could expand solid cancer treatment options
Using cell cultures and animal models, researchers from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck School of Medicine of USC showed that innovative ways to further engineer CAR T cells can …
USC Stem Cell-led study generates authentic embryonic stem cell from birds
Scientists discover that egg yolk is a key to establishing authentic embryonic stem cells from chickens and seven other avian species, as reported in Nature Biotechnology. Egg whites may be perfect for …
USC Stem Cell students and trainees win $15,000 collaborative research grants
When learning to become a great scientist, the most important lesson might be how to collaborate. To encourage this essential skill, for the past decade, USC Stem Cell has awarded one-year challenge …
USC COMPASS student Alara Berkmen wins prestigious Astronaut Scholarship
Alara Berkmen, a biomedical engineering student, is recognized for leadership and dedication to cancer research. Alara Berkmen, a USC Viterbi senior studying biomedical engineering, recently won the prestigious 2025 Astronaut Scholarship award …
USC Stem Cell PhD student Shuwan Liu receives award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Which signals drive cells to heal large-scale bone injuries? For her research into this question, USC Stem Cell PhD student Shuwan Liu has won a 2025 Young Investigator Award from the American …
USC Stem Cell-led team makes major advance toward building a synthetic kidney
Scientists combine kidney filtering and urine-concentrating components to create “assembloids,” the most mature and complex kidney structures ever grown in a lab and a tool for developing new therapies. A USC Stem …
Stem cell transplant for stroke leads to brain cell growth and functional recovery in mice
Insights about brain cell damage after stroke and repair after transplant could pave the way for therapies that extend the treatment window, as revealed in a lab study led by the Keck …
USC Stem Cell scientists unlock blueprint for lab-grown kidney cells with preclinical value
In the lab, it’s easier to grow simple balls of cells than complex asymmetrical structures with two distinct ends—like the one million filtering units, or nephrons, that make up a human kidney. …
Why aging matters for bone healing: New clues from the rib
A resected rib in a young person can grow back with surprising ease—even if a large piece is missing. This remarkable healing ability was observed by Janice S. Lee, principal investigator of …
Meet USC’s CIRM Scholar Alumni: Alex Qiuyu Guo, Senior Scientist for Discovery Biomarkers at Amgen
Although Alex Qiuyu Guo is now Senior Scientist for Discovery Biomarkers at Amgen, he admits that he didn’t start off being devoted to science. “I was more interested in history,” said Guo, …
Meet USC’s CIRM Scholar Alumni: Joanna Smeeton, Assistant Professor at Columbia University
Joanna Smeeton runs a lab at Columbia University that uses zebrafish to understand joint tissue regeneration and develop new approaches for treating ligament injuries and arthritis. But before receiving a California Institute …
Meet USC’s CIRM Scholar Alumni: Guanyi Huang, Associate Principal Scientist at Merck
Guanyi Huang, associate principal scientist at Merck, has often found himself in the right place at the right time. The son of a middle school math teacher and computer science professor-turned-entrepreneur, Huang …
Meet USC’s CIRM Scholar Alumni: Vivian Medina, Senior Manager of Digital and Data Analytics at Takeda
As the Senior Manager of Digital and Data Analytics at Takeda in Los Angeles, Vivian Medina pursues her career in science with the ultimate goal of helping people. A lifelong Angeleno whose …
Meet USC’s CIRM Scholar Alumni: Maksim Plikus, Professor at the University of California, Irvine
Maksim Plikus was still an undergraduate when he first became fascinated by the study of hair biology. His lab supervisor asked him to dissect a rat whisker, and to recombine parts of …
Yang Chai named dean of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
The clinician-scientist, who is the school’s associate dean of research, has been serving as interim dean. Yang Chai, associate dean of research at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, has …
Meet USC’s CIRM Scholar Alumni: Suhasni Gopalakrishnan, Director at Allogene Therapeutics
“I feel like I’m a person who goes with the flow,” said Suhasni Gopalakrishnan, Director at Allogene Therapeutics in San Francisco. Going with the flow has led Gopalakrishnan to many fascinating places. …
Meet USC’s CIRM Scholar Alumni: Noah Merin, Assistant Professor at Cedars-Sinai
For physician-scientist Noah Merin, the form of stem cell transplantation known as bone marrow transplantation remains the “coolest thing in medicine” and the focus of his career. “I do bone marrow transplantation …
USC trains biotech leaders, thanks to state stem cell funding
To accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has always recognized the need to educate and train a scientific workforce. Since 2006, …
USC Dornsife undergraduates Catcher Salazar and Jason Toliao earn prestigious Goldwater scholarships
Aimed at identifying and nurturing scientific talent, the scholarships support students focused on developmental biology and pediatric neurology. The Goldwater scholarships, administered by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, …
2025–2026 Broad Collaborative Challenge Grant for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows
To stimulate interdisciplinary and creative trainee-directed stem cell research Overview USC Stem Cell invites applications for the Broad Collaborative Challenge Grant for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows. The goal of the program …