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Kuo-Chang (Ted) Tseng from the Crump Lab and Michelle Hung from the Ichida Lab enjoy a beachside brainstorm.; featured image for Scientists feel the sand between their toes at the retreat for USC’s stem cell department

Scientists feel the sand between their toes at the retreat for USC’s stem cell department

A pair of young scientists picked up a piece of driftwood and thoughtfully traced a series of letters in the wet sand of Ventura Beach. The word “microglia”—referring to the immune cells …

cancerous cell; Image courtesy of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC; featured image for Mini organs pave the way for understanding gastroesophageal cancer

Mini organs pave the way for understanding gastroesophageal cancer

USC researcher Dechen Lin has created miniature organs — with the hope of fighting a rare type of cancer. CANCERS THAT IMPACT THE JUNCTION of the esophagus and the stomach are rare …

Jean Chen Shih’s areas of expertise include brain development, autism spectrum disorder and repurposing antidepressants for brain cancer and prostate cancer. (Photo/Courtesy of the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences); featured image for Pioneering pharmacy professor learned early to work hard and help others

Pioneering pharmacy professor learned early to work hard and help others

Editor’s note: Title IX — the landmark legislation that prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funding — was signed into law on June 23, 1972. In recognition of this anniversary, we’ll …

Left to right: Roger De Filippo, MD, Stefano Da Sacco, PhD, Laura Perin, PhD; featured image for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles receives NIH awards for research into combating childhood kidney failure

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles receives NIH awards for research into combating childhood kidney failure

In children with progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD), loss of kidney function is mostly irreversible. The GOFARR Laboratory for Organ Regenerative Research and Cell Therapeutics in Urology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles …

nurse visits with a patient; featured image for USC and CHLA awarded $8 million to expand access to cell and gene therapy clinical trials

USC and CHLA awarded $8 million to expand access to cell and gene therapy clinical trials

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state’s stem cell agency, has awarded a five-year, $8 million grant to the Keck School of Medicine of USC and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). …

USC VITERBI’S RECENTLY NAMED ALFRED E. MANN DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING IS HOME TO 75 PRIMARY AND AFFILIATED FACULTY, DRIVING CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH FROM BIOMEDICAL DEVICES TO NEURAL ENGINEERING TO MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING.; featured image for $35 million gift: Era of the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering begins

$35 million gift: Era of the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering begins

In 1976, the United States celebrated its’ 200th birthday, and USC’s department of biomedical engineering was born. Nearly 50 years later, that department has a name: the Alfred E. Mann Department of …

Albert Almada; featured image for USC Stem Cell scientist Albert Almada receives a grant from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and Glenn Foundation for Medical Research

USC Stem Cell scientist Albert Almada receives a grant from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) and Glenn Foundation for Medical Research

Most senior citizens don’t have bulging biceps. USC Stem Cell scientist Albert Almada is uncovering the reasons why with support from a $125,000 grant from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) …

At the lab bench (Photo by Chris Shinn); featured image for Call for Applications: CIRM Training Fellowships in Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Regeneration at USC

Call for Applications: CIRM Training Fellowships in Stem Cell Biology and Tissue Regeneration at USC

We have several positions open for USC PhD students and postdocs who are conducting research related to developmental biology, stem cell biology, and/or regenerative medicine. Fellowships are open to all regardless of …

Tianli "Sheldon" Ding

USC stem cell master’s program alumnus Tianli “Sheldon” Ding: Science saved his life at 21, and now this Trojan is on a mission

If Tianli Ding needed any confirmation that he was on the right path in life, he got in the form of a diagnosis: leukemia. When Ding was an undergraduate in college, stem …

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 …

Students in the teaching lab at USC's stem cell research center (Photo by Chris Shinn)

USC COMPASS undergraduate program points the way to stem cell careers

To promote inclusive excellence in science, USC will be offering a new program for undergraduates from historically underrepresented backgrounds with an interest in studying stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Known as …

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 …

Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC; featured image for Request for Proposals: Eli and Edythe Broad Innovation Awards in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine—Path to Public Funding

Request for Proposals: Eli and Edythe Broad Innovation Awards in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine—Path to Public Funding

Through the generous support of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, we are pleased to announce a new research initiative supporting a Path to Public Funding. This may include NIH, CIRM, DOD …

Image courtesy of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC; featured image for Figuring out how teeth are built, one cell at a time

Figuring out how teeth are built, one cell at a time

USC researchers look inside teeth to figure out how we might regenerate teeth in the future. TEETH ARE MARVELOUSLY  COMPLICATED structures — and the way they develop is also complex. The majority …

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 …

Los Angeles skyline in cardinal and gold; featured image for Request for Applications: USC Stem Cell Postdoctoral Fellows Program

Request for Applications: USC Stem Cell Postdoctoral Fellows Program

Objective The goal of the USC Stem Cell Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is to provide postdoctoral scholars with a structured mentoring plan to pursue cross-cutting stem cell research in preparation for scientific careers …

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 …

A neutrophil expels chromatin to ensnare and destroy a pathogen (Ryan Lu/Benayoun Lab); featured image for Study of mouse immune cells highlights differences between males and females

Study of mouse immune cells highlights differences between males and females

A new data set collected by USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology researchers provides an important new resource for studying differences in immune system function by age and sex. The study, published …