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Pinchas Cohen (Photo courtesy of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology); featured image for Pinchas Cohen recognized as top influencer in aging field

Pinchas Cohen recognized as top influencer in aging field

A newly published list of 2017’s top 50 “Influencers in Aging” includes Pinchas Cohen, dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and principal investigator with USC Stem Cell. The list …

Nanoparticles vs. germs (Photo courtesy of @nanopeek); featured image for Peeking into the science world

Peeking into the science world

For adolescents, social media use is nearly inevitable. According to “Science Daily,” a website that circulates recently developed research news headlines, 76 percent of teenagers in the United States actively use Instagram …

From left, Rong Lu and Keyue Shen (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Can stem cells be tricked?

Can stem cells be tricked?

Riddle me this: how do you get stem cells to thrive outside of their natural environment? According to Keyue Shen, if all else fails, you can always trick them—with artificially engineered neighbor …

Eun Ji Chung (Photo by Michelle Henry); featured image for Eun Ji Chung receives 2017 AIChE 35 Under 35 Award

Eun Ji Chung receives 2017 AIChE 35 Under 35 Award

To describe Eun Ji Chung as “goal-oriented” might be the understatement of the year. Chung, a Gabilan Assistant Professor in the USC Viterbi Department of Biomedical Engineering and USC Stem Cell principal investigator, …

The protein TAZ (green) in the cytoplasm (the region outside of the nuclei, blue) promotes the self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells. (Image by Xingliang Zhou); featured image for The protein TAZ sends “mixed signals” to stem cells

The protein TAZ sends “mixed signals” to stem cells

Just as beauty exists in the eye of the beholder, a signal depends upon the interpretation of the receiver. According to new USC research published in Stem Cell Reports, a protein called …

From left, Qi-Long Ying, Min Zhou, and Ying Lab postdoc Shi (Steve) Yue (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Biotech entrepreneur Min Zhou supports scientific serendipity in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Qi-Long Ying

Biotech entrepreneur Min Zhou supports scientific serendipity in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Qi-Long Ying

“The most important discoveries that I’ve made have all come from nowhere,” said Qi-Long Ying, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at USC. “They could not be planned.” To …

Rat; featured image for USC Stem Cell researchers receive $3 million of NIH funding to produce sophisticated laboratory rats

USC Stem Cell researchers receive $3 million of NIH funding to produce sophisticated laboratory rats

USC Stem Cell principal investigator Qi-Long Ying and his team are pleased to introduce a new transgenic animal—the conditional and inducible gene knockout rat. Created using embryonic stem cell-based technology, these remarkable …

Rong Lu (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for New USC stem cell course teaches how to design an experiment

New USC stem cell course teaches how to design an experiment

For future scientists, few skills are more essential than the ability to design a good experiment. In a new spring 2018 course, SCRM 517 Historical and Contemporary Stem Cell Research, Professor Rong …

Heart muscle cells (red) with nuclei (blue). On the far right is a regenerative cell, which only has one nucleus, called a mononuclear diploid cardiomyocyte. (Image by Michaela Patterson); featured image for USC Stem Cell discovery refreshes the heart

USC Stem Cell discovery refreshes the heart

Some people are better than others at recovering from a wounded heart, according to a new USC Stem Cell study published in Nature Genetics. In the study, first author Michaela Patterson, a …

Human development (Image courtesy of Evseenko Lab); featured image for Whittier Foundation backs new group of research projects

Whittier Foundation backs new group of research projects

The L.K. Whittier Foundation has been a critical source of funding for cancer research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, supporting clinicians and …

Michaela Patterson (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Meet Postdoc Michaela Patterson, presenter at the ISSCR 2017 Annual Meeting

Meet Postdoc Michaela Patterson, presenter at the ISSCR 2017 Annual Meeting

What’s the cure for a broken heart? Ask Michaela Patterson, a postdoctoral scholar in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Henry Sucov. Patterson will deliver a presentation about heart regeneration at the …

Lisa Nguyen (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Meet PhD student Lisa Nguyen, presenter at the ISSCR 2017 Annual Meeting

Meet PhD student Lisa Nguyen, presenter at the ISSCR 2017 Annual Meeting

Ask Lisa Nguyen what gets her blood racing, and her answer will be hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs. She’ll be presenting about HSCs, which form the blood and immune systems, at the …

Clockwise from top left: Andy McMahon, Rohit Varma, Jonathan Samet and Donna Spruijt-Metz (Photos courtesy of USC); featured image for NIH funding helps Americans live longer and healthier

NIH funding helps Americans live longer and healthier

The nation’s medical research agency, the National Institutes of Health, funds research to help Americans live longer and healthier. Some 148 Nobel Prize winners have received support from the NIH, demonstrating how …

Kidney organoid (Image by Tracy Tran/McMcMahon Lab); featured image for USC’s stem cell scientists secure the dollars to fight disease

USC’s stem cell scientists secure the dollars to fight disease

The price of progress is not only the energy and talent of stem cell scientists, but also the research dollars that support their discoveries. In recent months, faculty members have secured numerous …

Barbara Kolo and Andy McMahon (Photo by Richard Carrasco); featured image for Artist plus researcher equals infinite inspiration at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Artist plus researcher equals infinite inspiration at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

What happens when you pair 14 artists with 14 USC biomedical researchers? The answer is currently on display at the Hoyt Gallery on the Health Sciences Campus of the Keck School of …

Megan McCain (Photo by Will Taylor); featured image for Megan McCain appointed to Chonette Early Career Chair

Megan McCain appointed to Chonette Early Career Chair

Megan McCain, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, has been honored with the Chonette Early Career Chair at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. As an …

Zea Borok (Photo by Ricardo Carrasco III); featured image for $6.9 million NIH award will promote lung cell regeneration research

$6.9 million NIH award will promote lung cell regeneration research

Zea Borok, professor of medicine, chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine and director of the Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research at the Keck School of Medicine of …

Leonardo Morsut (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for From professional volleyball to stem cell biology, Leonardo Morsut is at the top of his game

From professional volleyball to stem cell biology, Leonardo Morsut is at the top of his game

For USC Stem Cell researcher Leonardo Morsut, the word “set” refers to a collection of scientific data. “Set” is also the prelude to spiking a volleyball over the net—something he used to do for a living as a professional athlete in Italy.

Valter Longo (Photo by John Skalicky); featured image for Drugs widely used in cancer therapy increase toxicity of chemotherapy in mice

Drugs widely used in cancer therapy increase toxicity of chemotherapy in mice

A short-term fast appears to counteract increases in blood sugar caused by common cancer drugs and protect healthy cells in mice from becoming too vulnerable to chemotherapy, according to new research by …

From left, ChangHui Pak, Mayssa H. Mokalled, Naomi Habib, Frank Soldner and Alex J. Hughes (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Next-generation stem cell scientists evidence strong nerves at USC mini-symposium

Next-generation stem cell scientists evidence strong nerves at USC mini-symposium

Five next-generation scientists got everyone’s neurons firing at the Junior Faculty Candidate Mini-symposium, hosted by USC’s Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine on March 7.