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The Grikscheit Lab (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Researchers grow functional intestine from human cells

Researchers grow functional intestine from human cells

A new study by researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has shown that small intestine grown from human cells replicates key aspects of a functioning human intestine. The small intestine they developed …

Circulating tumor cells (Image courtesy of Min Yu); featured image for Min Yu and Heinz-Josef Lenz seek to stop cancer in its tracks

Min Yu and Heinz-Josef Lenz seek to stop cancer in its tracks

Heinz-Josef Lenz and Min Yu both know that a cancer cell in motion doesn’t stay in motion. It comes to rest and spreads cancer. After detaching from the primary tumor and traveling …

Michael Bonaguidi (Photo by Joseph Shin); featured image for Michael Bonaguidi contributes brain power to stem cell research at USC

Michael Bonaguidi contributes brain power to stem cell research at USC

Video by Alric Devotta As a child, Michael Bonaguidi dreamed of shaping cities as an architect or engineer. Now, he dreams of shaping brains as the newest principal investigator to join USC’s …

Neil Segil (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Neil Segil uses stem cells to seek treatments for hearing loss

Neil Segil uses stem cells to seek treatments for hearing loss

During most of his twenties, Neil Segil couldn’t really imagine pursuing a career in science and being a professor. Now he’s doing both — as a principal investigator with USC Stem Cell …

Cheng-Ming Chuong (Photo courtesy of Cheng-Ming Chuong); featured image for USC Stem Cell researcher Cheng-Ming Chuong named fellow of national science association

USC Stem Cell researcher Cheng-Ming Chuong named fellow of national science association

Keck School of Medicine of USC scientist Cheng-Ming Chuong has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Chuong, professor of pathology at the Keck School …

Korean health care leader Kwang Yul Cha speaks at Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer Series. (Photo courtesy of HSC News); featured image for Lecture on global health care stresses personalized medicine

Lecture on global health care stresses personalized medicine

Kwang Yul Cha, founder of the Korean health-care enterprise CHA Health Systems, was the presenter at last month’s Dean’s Distinguished Lecturer Series. Cha’s vision for optimal global health care is to cure …

Stem cells won the heart of clinical trial participant Fred Lesikar. (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for USC hosts California stem cell agency’s tenth birthday bash

USC hosts California stem cell agency’s tenth birthday bash

Few 10 year olds have brought 10 potential medical treatments into clinical trials. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), however, is a truly exceptional 10 year old. In 2004, the people …

Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC (Photo by Chris Shinn); featured image for USC Stem Cell recruits nearly 20 new Ambassadors

USC Stem Cell recruits nearly 20 new Ambassadors

In 2014, USC Stem Cell recruited nearly 20 Ambassadors for Stem Cell Research at USC. The Ambassadors hail from everywhere — San Diego to San Francisco, Hawaii to Beijing — and include …

“Tin Woman” Michaela Patterson, a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Henry Sucov, studies heart regeneration — with no help from the Wizard of Oz. (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Halloween retreat showcases USC’s “scary smart” stem cell researchers

Halloween retreat showcases USC’s “scary smart” stem cell researchers

It was no tricks and all treats at the seventh annual retreat for the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, held at the university’s …

Stem cells in a mouse nail (Image courtesy of the Krzysztof Kobielak lab); featured image for Nail stem cells prove more versatile than press ons

Nail stem cells prove more versatile than press ons

A team of USC Stem Cell researchers led by principal investigator Krzysztof Kobielak and co-first authors Yvonne Leung and Eve Kandyba has identified a new population of nail stem cells, which have …

De Novo (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for The helix of hearing

The helix of hearing

Doctor of Pharmacy candidate Loranna Grigoryan and undergraduate biological sciences major Jonathan Lee fashioned a series of human ears attached to a two-and-a-half foot structure evoking DNA’s double helix. The work of …

Justin Ichida, PhD (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Justin Ichida screens potential therapies for Lou Gehrig’s disease

Justin Ichida screens potential therapies for Lou Gehrig’s disease

Justin Ichida started young on his path to becoming a scientist. He was in seventh grade when he discovered his passion for genetics through the pages of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. “It’s …

Graduate student Kimberley Babos explains how research at the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC may help find effective drugs to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Military veterans are more likely than civilians to suffer from the devastating disease. (Photo by Steve Cohn); featured image for General David H. Petraeus gets a four-star tour of HSC

General David H. Petraeus gets a four-star tour of HSC

Petraeus—who also serves as the Judge Widney Professor at USC and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute—started his morning with a glimpse into the human brain. Faculty and students from the USC …

Lori O'Brien (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

USC stem cell researcher Lori O’Brien receives the first Broad Fellowship

What makes stem cells develop into kidneys? Lori O’Brien, a postdoctoral research associate in the laboratory of Andy McMahon, has received the first Broad Fellowship to help answer this question. O’Brien is …

Leukemic cells (Image courtesy of Fatih Uckun); featured image for Researchers engineer a “smart bomb” to attack childhood leukemia

Researchers engineer a “smart bomb” to attack childhood leukemia

Fatih Uckun, Jianjun Cheng and their colleagues have taken the first steps towards developing a so-called “smart bomb” to attack the most common and deadly form of childhood cancer—called B-lineage acute lymphoblastic …

The labs of Raymond C. Stevens, right, and Peter Kuhn will bring a cohort of approximately 50 researchers to USC. Their labs will be housed in the new USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. (Photo by Ryan Young); featured image for USC recruits renowned leaders in molecular research

USC recruits renowned leaders in molecular research

Raymond C. Stevens and Peter Kuhn have been named Provost Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Dean’s Professor of Biological Sciences, respectively. The announcements were made by Provost Elizabeth Garrett and …

Jon-Paul Pepper (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Jon-Paul Pepper is a surgeon, scientist, student and award-winner

Jon-Paul Pepper is a surgeon, scientist, student and award-winner

Video by Alric Devotta USC’s Jon-Paul Pepper is not the average award winner. He’s also not the average facial plastic surgeon, faculty researcher or master’s student — in part, because he’s currently all …

"Stem cell research is important because it's cool to be a stem cell scientist!!!"

USC rolls out the cardinal carpet on Stem Cell Awareness Day

When asked why stem cell research matters, guests at this year’s Stem Cell Awareness Day gave many creative answers. “Because it has unlimited potential to treat human diseases.” “Because every part of …

Megan McCain (Photo by Michelle Henry); featured image for Megan McCain wears her heart on a chip

Megan McCain wears her heart on a chip

Video by Elizabeth Bayne Megan McCain first saw a real human heart her junior year of college. She held it in her hands – dark red, squishy, the size of a fist. …

Gage Crump; featured image for New stem cell course brings together science and fiction

New stem cell course brings together science and fiction

Video by Alric Devotta USC will be offering a new two-unit class next spring, MEDS 380 Stem Cells: Fact and Fiction, which will explore contemporary topics in stem cell biology and innovative …