Meet PhD student Albina Ibrayeva, presenter at the ISSCR 2017 Annual Meeting
What happens to the stem cells in our brains as we age? Albina Ibrayeva, a PhD student in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Michael Bonaguidi, will address this question in a …
USC Stem Cell scientist Justin Ichida explores Alzheimer’s disease, with support from the John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation
About 15 percent of the cells in our brains are scavengers—roving immune cells known as microglia that remove infectious agents, damaged neurons and plaques. USC Stem Cell scientist Justin Ichida is taking …
Countdown to Commencement: Nicole Koutsodendris aims to succeed where neurological medications fail
“Anti-psychotic medications can numb you to the point where you no longer have your own thoughts,” said Nicole Koutsodendris, who is graduating from the master’s program in stem cell biology and regenerative …
Artist plus researcher equals infinite inspiration at the Keck School of Medicine of USC
What happens when you pair 14 artists with 14 USC biomedical researchers? The answer is currently on display at the Hoyt Gallery on the Health Sciences Campus of the Keck School of …
Megan McCain appointed to Chonette Early Career Chair
Megan McCain, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, has been honored with the Chonette Early Career Chair at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. As an …
From professional volleyball to stem cell biology, Leonardo Morsut is at the top of his game
For USC Stem Cell researcher Leonardo Morsut, the word “set” refers to a collection of scientific data. “Set” is also the prelude to spiking a volleyball over the net—something he used to do for a living as a professional athlete in Italy.
Next-generation stem cell scientists evidence strong nerves at USC mini-symposium
Five next-generation scientists got everyone’s neurons firing at the Junior Faculty Candidate Mini-symposium, hosted by USC’s Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine on March 7.
What I’m Reading: Top pick from stem cell postdoc Zlatka Stojanova
Usher syndrome is a devastating genetic disorder that causes profound hearing loss, balance disorders and progressive blindness. In the ear, mutations in the Usher 1c (USH1C) gene lead to damage and loss …
Bioengineering models for muscular dystrophy research
Studying muscular diseases proves extremely complicated. The current system of studying muscle cells and tissues using animal models is often inconclusive and cost-prohibitive. Looking to improve the status quo, Megan McCain—a Gabilan …
Americans for Cures produces animation about spinal cord injury
This animation, produced by Americans for Cures, illustrates how stem cells are providing a better treatment for patients with spinal cord injury. Asterias Biotherapeutics launched a multi-center clinical trial to fix nerve …
Current research on inner ear hair cell regeneration
Article courtesy of the February 2017 issue of KeckZine Otolaryngology Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common sensory disability in humans and is most often caused by the death of so-called …
Stem cell therapy gives paralyzed man second chance at independence
Courtesy of USC Trojan Family Magazine Four days after undergoing major surgery, 21-year-old Kris Boesen picked up a smartphone and sent a text. It was the first message that he had sent …
Dr. Mark Humayun elected a 2016 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
Today the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) announced Mark S. Humayun, co-director of the University of Southern California (USC) Roski Eye Institute and director of the USC Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, has …
USC Stem Cell’s Kate Galloway and Haoze (Vincent) Yu answer a new ALS challenge
Although it’s not the type of challenge that involves an ice bucket, this year’s Doerr Stem Cell Challenge Grant has brought together two young scientists from different USC labs to tackle ALS. …
What I’m Reading: Top pick from stem cell faculty member Senta Georgia
Earlier this year, a team at the Karolinska Institute published a paper that profiled gene activity in single cells from human embryos created in the context of in vitro fertilization. Now this …
What I’m Reading: Top pick from stem cell faculty member Qi-Long Ying
In a recent study published in Cell Stem Cell, Joshua Black and colleagues demonstrated that skin cells are converted into neurons using a powerful tool called CRISPR/Cas9 to concurrently modify and activate …
What I’m reading: Top pick from stem cell faculty member Wange Lu
Our genetic material is packed into the nucleus of the cell, but is the packing process random or organized in some way? In a recent study published in Cell Stem Cell, Krijger …
Megan McCain receives American Heart Association Faculty Award
Megan McCain has received a 2016 Scientist Development Grant from the American Heart Association. The three-year, $231,000 grant supports highly promising early career scientists in cardiovascular and stroke research. McCain—Gabilan Assistant Professor …
Paralyzed man regains use of arms and hands after experimental stem cell therapy at Keck Hospital of USC
Keck Medical Center of USC today announced that a team of doctors became the first in California to inject an experimental treatment made from stem cells, AST-OPC1, into the damaged cervical spine …
There’s hope for reversing stroke-induced long-term disability
Permanent brain damage from a stroke may be reversible thanks to a developing therapeutic technique, a USC-led study has found. The novel approach combines transplanted human stem cells with a special protein …