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Justin Ichida (left) and Zhongwei Li (Photos by Chris Shinn and courtesy of Zhongwei Li); featured image for USC Stem Cell scientists Justin Ichida and Zhongwei Li receive NIH Director’s Awards

USC Stem Cell scientists Justin Ichida and Zhongwei Li receive NIH Director’s Awards

It’s hard to obtain research funding for safe ideas, and it’s even harder to find funding for risky ones. But thanks to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Awards, USC Stem …

fasting and breast cancer; featured image for Fasting-mimicking diet reduces signs of dementia in mice

Fasting-mimicking diet reduces signs of dementia in mice

Cycles of a diet that mimics fasting appear to reduce signs of Alzheimer’s in mice genetically engineered to develop the illness, according to a new USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology-led study. …

The brain; featured image for Newly discovered protein connected to Alzheimer’s disease risk

Newly discovered protein connected to Alzheimer’s disease risk

A mutation in a newly discovered small protein is connected to a significant increase in the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, expanding the known gene targets for the disease and presenting a new …

Dion Dickman; featured image for Podcast: Investigating synaptic plasticity and how the brain maintains cellular balance across the lifespan

Podcast: Investigating synaptic plasticity and how the brain maintains cellular balance across the lifespan

Dion Dickman, associate professor of neuroscience and gerontology, joins George Shannon to discuss how the nervous system processes and stabilizes the transfer of information in healthy brains, aging brains and after injury …

A cell showing the enzyme BirA*G3, which tags the proteins of the "secretome" (Image courtesy of the McMahon Lab)

This mouse can’t keep a secret about the “secretome”

The “secretome” refers to proteins that are secreted by a cell, a tissue or an organism. In a new study published in Open Biology, USC Stem Cell scientist Andy McMahon and his …

From left, Albert Almada and Miller Huang; featured image for The Baxter Foundation celebrates promising research in muscle loss and pediatric cancer

The Baxter Foundation celebrates promising research in muscle loss and pediatric cancer

For more than 60 years, the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation has supported innovative biomedical research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, each year granting $100,000 awards to …

Neil Segil (Photo by Chris Shinn); featured image for In Memoriam: Neil Segil, PhD (1953–2022)

In Memoriam: Neil Segil, PhD (1953–2022)

Professor, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC It is with sadness that we share that …

David Hinton; featured image for In Memoriam: David R. Hinton, MD, FARVO

In Memoriam: David R. Hinton, MD, FARVO

Professor of Pathology; Gavin S. Herbert Professorship in Vision Research; Associate Dean for Vision Science; Vice Chair of Pathology; Director, Keck School of Medicine of USC/CalTech MD/PhD Program; Director, Dean’s Research Scholars …

Haoze (Vincent) Yu and Litao Tao (Photo courtesy of Haoze (Vincent) Yu); featured image for USC Stem Cell alumni Litao Tao and Haoze (Vincent) Yu bring their A game to new positions in academia and industry

USC Stem Cell alumni Litao Tao and Haoze (Vincent) Yu bring their A game to new positions in academia and industry

Scientists Litao Tao and Haoze (Vincent) Yu were colleagues and team players for many years both inside and outside of Neil Segil’s lab at the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for …

The USC Mentoring Awards honor faculty who contribute to an engaging, supportive and inclusive academic environment through their mentorship of students and faculty. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock); featured image for Neil Segil is among members of Health Sciences Campus honored with USC Mentoring Awards

Neil Segil is among members of Health Sciences Campus honored with USC Mentoring Awards

Several faculty members from the USC Health Sciences Campus received 2022 USC Mentoring Awards on April 14 at a reception organized by the USC Center for Excellence in Teaching. These awards recognize …

Altered cells create an electrical “fire” in patients with epilepsy. (BioRender illustration by Aswathy Ammothumkandy/Bonaguidi Lab/USC Stem Cell); featured image for Newborn cells in the epileptic brain provide a potential target for treatment

Newborn cells in the epileptic brain provide a potential target for treatment

Over the years, everyone loses a few brain cells. A study led by scientists from USC Stem Cell and the USC Neurorestoration Center presents evidence that adults can replenish at least some …

Detail of brain from Mukund Iyer's first place winning entry (Image by Mukund Iyer)

Communicating science visually: Mukund Iyer, MaryAnne Achieng and Stephanie Chang win the 2022 Winter BioRender contest

For his graphic on immune cell function in the brain, Mukund Iyer took first place in the Winter 2021 BioRender Illustration competition for his schematic of breast cancer cells’ entry through the …

New subretinal implant A new subretinal implant invented by Mark Humayun has been shown to improve vision in some patients who suffered from dry age-related macular degeneration.; featured image for USC discovery shows long-term viability of stem cell derived retinal implant

USC discovery shows long-term viability of stem cell derived retinal implant

Doctors and biomedical engineers who implant cells and tissues into patients to restore motion or eyesight have long been challenged by potential rejection of the implant by the patient’s own immune system. …

Mark Humayun (Photo by Gus Ruelas); featured image for Mark Humayun among USC faculty named 2021 AAAS Fellows

Mark Humayun among USC faculty named 2021 AAAS Fellows

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elected three USC professors to become AAAS fellows in 2021. The council designates members with this distinction whose “efforts on behalf of …

THE SYNAPSES OF A ZEBRAFISH BRAIN ARE HIGHLIGHTED BY A MICROSCOPE (PHOTO CREDIT: USC); featured image for USC team shows how memories are stored in the brain, with potential impact on conditions like PTSD

USC team shows how memories are stored in the brain, with potential impact on conditions like PTSD

What physical changes occur in the brain when a memory is made? A team of researchers at the University of Southern California has, for the first time, answered this question by inducing …

Confocal microscopy image of an adult zebrafish head with neural crest-derived cells in red. The Crump lab has used single-cell sequencing to understand how these cells build and repair the head skeleton, with implications for understanding human craniofacial birth defects and improving repair of skeletal tissues. (Image by Hung-Jhen Chen/Crump Lab); featured image for A crowning achievement in understanding head development

A crowning achievement in understanding head development

Cranial neural crest cells, or CNCCs, contribute to many more body parts than their humble name suggests. These remarkable stem cells not only form most of the skull and facial skeleton in …

Yichen Li; featured image for Curiosity, commitment and compassion drive Yichen Li’s research in neurodegenerative diseases

Curiosity, commitment and compassion drive Yichen Li’s research in neurodegenerative diseases

Yichen Li has always been driven to understand the world around her. Growing up in an Eastern province in China, Li’s inquisitive nature steered her toward science. “When I was a girl, …

Image courtesy of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC; featured image for USC collaboration helps FaceBase reach 1,000-dataset milestone

USC collaboration helps FaceBase reach 1,000-dataset milestone

The data repository allows craniofacial scientists to share data, which could ultimately lead to improved care for patients with craniofacial developmental disorders. Rapid technological development in the past decade has allowed scientists …

Aswathy Ammothumkandy and her family; featured image for USC Stem Cell postdoc Aswathy Ammothumkandy recognized by the American Epilepsy Society

USC Stem Cell postdoc Aswathy Ammothumkandy recognized by the American Epilepsy Society

USC Stem Cell postdoctoral trainee Aswathy Ammothumkandy vividly recalls when the tour guide shared the story of Dolly the cloned sheep during her ninth-grade field trip to the regional science center in …

Ear exam; featured image for Study reveals common loud noises cause fluid buildup in the inner ear and suggests simple possible cure for noise-induced hearing loss

Study reveals common loud noises cause fluid buildup in the inner ear and suggests simple possible cure for noise-induced hearing loss

Exposure to loud noise, such as a firecracker or an ear-splitting concert, is the most common preventable cause of hearing loss. Research suggests that 12% or more of the world population is …