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 …
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 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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
How does air pollution influence Alzheimer’s risk?
Higher exposure to air pollution is strongly associated with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, especially for people with certain genetic risk factors for the disease. Exactly how pollution interacts with these genes …
USC Stem Cell: An incubator for medicine of the 21st century
Just over a decade ago, USC was a university with a few scattered stem cell biologists, and a vision for total transformation. The university was committed to designing a unique “incubator” for …
Cycles of a fasting-mimicking diet help mice live longer, healthier
While many diets have been studied for effectiveness in preventing obesity and heart disease in both mice and humans, research on the effects and benefits of short, periodic cycles of fasting on obesity and heart health are lacking. In a new USC study on the health effects of a low-calorie diet that mimics …
Aided by stem cells, a lizard regenerates a perfect tail for the first time in 250 million years
Lizards can regrow severed tails, making them the closest relative to humans that can regenerate a lost appendage. But in lieu of the original tail that includes a spinal column and nerves, …
Bérénice Benayoun receives prestigious investigator-focused grant
The Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award directly supports scientists, providing stability, flexibility and more opportunities for breakthroughs. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded an R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) …
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles awarded $6.8 million five-year grant to help lead national consortium on healthy brain development
Groundbreaking 25-site study will follow thousands of children from multiple demographics before birth through early childhood. When children are sick, clinicians can consult a known standard for how their heart, lungs and …
Skeletal muscle grown in a dish offers new insight for neuromuscular diseases
Neuromuscular diseases are debilitating and mostly incurable, affecting 160 out of every 100,000 people worldwide. Disorders such as ALS and multiple sclerosis impact the function of muscles, causing muscle wastage and loss …
Study of skull birth defect takes it from the top
Contrary to the popular song, the neck bone is actually connected to one of 22 separate head bones that make up the human skull. These plate-like bones intersect at specialized joints called …
USC Stem Cell scientists explore the latent regenerative potential of the inner ear
Scientists from the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Neil Segil have identified a natural barrier to the regeneration of the inner ear’s sensory cells, which are lost in hearing and balance disorders. …
Jian Xu investigates environmental pollution’s contribution to birth defects
Jian Xu hopes to better understand the mechanisms behind environmental toxins increasing the occurrence of birth defects in order to develop new treatments or even prevent craniofacial birth defects. Nearly 120,000 babies …
Top scientists and research institutions propose improvements to cell- and gene-based therapy development
Led by a USC cell and gene therapy researcher, an international coalition calls for more transparency and reproducibility in research and development of breakthrough treatments. Scientists around the world are achieving significant …