Could a simple blood test detect cancer?
Clinicians agree that cancer screenings, such as mammograms, offer the best hope of finding cancer before it’s out of hand. Unfortunately, screening is often uncomfortable and can require invasive techniques. It also …
Why are male kidneys more vulnerable to disease than female kidneys? USC Stem Cell-led mouse study points to testosterone.
Female kidneys are known to be more resilient to disease and injury, but males need not despair. A new USC Stem Cell-led study published in Developmental Cell describes not only how sex …
Inside the hunt to understand developing baby skulls
If you’ve ever held a baby, you probably remember soft spots on their heads — space for the developing skulls to grow around the brain. When the system works correctly, it leaves …
Breaking the sound barrier: Ksenia Gnedeva’s transformative research on growth and regeneration in the inner ear sensory organs
Some children dream of growing up to be a ballerina or an astronaut, but Ksenia Gnedeva always knew she wanted to be a biologist. “I remember receiving a microscope for my sixth …
USC-supported startup receives major grant for clinical trial of a promising eye treatment
A stem cell patch developed by USC researchers for patients with macular degeneration will soon be tested in a phase 2b clinical trial. This latest milestone in the patch’s development was made …
ALS and frontotemporal dementia show origins in utero, according to evidence from mice and patient-derived stem cells
Even though neurodegenerative diseases often strike in middle age or later, patients could have structural differences in their brains that arise before birth. In a new study in Cell Reports, USC Stem …
USC Stem Cell mouse studies tune into hearing regeneration
A deafened adult cannot recover the ability to hear, because the sensory hearing cells of the inner ear don’t regenerate after damage. In two new studies, partially funded by the National Institutes …
Researchers unlock mystery of cartilage regeneration in lizards
Scientists from the Keck School of Medicine of USC identify key cells involved in the process of cartilage regeneration in lizards—a discovery that could offer insights into novel approaches to treating osteoarthritis. …
Stem Cell PhD student Alma Zuniga Munoz wins USC’s first Gilliam Fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Alma Zuniga Munoz, a student in USC’s PhD program in Development, Stem Cells, and Regeneration, is used to being the first. She’s a first-generation American, the first member of her extended family …
For dogs with arthritis, pet pain relief effort could be a game-changer
A USC researcher is launching a biopharmaceutical startup with backing from the university to develop a drug to slow premature aging and arthritis — in dogs. Denis Evseenko, a professor of orthopedic …
Ten USC Stem Cell PhD students and recent graduates earn NIH fellowships
Ten USC Stem Cell PhD students and recent graduates have been awarded fellowships from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Known as F31 awards, these prestigious fellowships provide promising PhD students with …
University Professor Yang Chai wins 2023 Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Paul Goldhaber Award
Yang Chai, the associate dean of research for the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, has been awarded the 2023 Paul Goldhaber Award by the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. The highest …
USC Stem Cell faculty member Louise Menendez helps students realize their pluri-potential
Louise Menendez, the newest assistant professor in USC’s Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, credits her mother as her first role model for career success. Both of Menendez’s parents work …
USC Stem Cell’s journey towards 1,000 mini-kidneys begins with $1 million from KidneyX
To help patients in need of transplants, artificial kidneys would have to function like their natural counterparts, but they wouldn’t necessarily have to look like them. With a new $1 million prize …
Senta Georgia reflects on Title IX and becoming the first Black PhD scientist to earn tenure at the Keck School of Medicine of USC
When USC Stem Cell researcher Senta Georgia was granted tenure on March 10, 2023, she became the first Black PhD scientist to earn this promotion in the history of the Keck School …
The Keck School of Medicine of USC celebrates the graduates of the master’s, doctoral, and nurse anesthesia programs
“I now declare commencement ceremonies for the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California open!” announced Francesca Mariani, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and integrative …
Study offers new insights into how the most common kidney cancer starts in kids
Researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles found new clues to how disruption of the early process of kidney formation may be linked to the development of Wilms tumor — also known as …
Call for Applications: NIH T32 PhD Fellowships in Developmental Biology, Stem Cells, and Regeneration
All PhD students who are conducting research related to developmental biology, stem cell biology, and/or regenerative medicine are encouraged to apply for a training fellowship. We have one slot available for a …
Stem cell faculty member Francesca Mariani wins USC’s highest honor for outstanding teaching
When Francesca Mariani learned that she would receive USC’s highest honor for outstanding teaching, a 2023 Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching, it took her by surprise. “Sometimes it feels mysterious as …
USC Professor Bérénice Benayoun receives grant to study menopause and ovarian aging
Bérénice Benayoun, assistant professor of gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School, received a $200,000 grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI). The funding will support Benayoun’s work in understanding the molecular …