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The Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Symposium sparked collaborations. (Photo by Sergio Bianco); featured image for USC researchers converge at the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Symposium

USC researchers converge at the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Symposium

“The field of stem cell biology is one of our great convergence opportunities,” said USC Provost Michael Quick, addressing an audience of biologists, chemists, physicists, engineers, clinicians and many others. This diverse …

Valter Longo (USC Photo; Illustration by Time); featured image for TIME names Valter Longo one of the 50 Most Influential People in Health Care of 2018

TIME names Valter Longo one of the 50 Most Influential People in Health Care of 2018

USC Leonard Davis School Professor Valter Longo, director of the USC Longevity Institute and USC Stem Cell principal investigator, has been named one of TIME’s the 50 Most Influential People in Health …

Anna Kuehl (Photo by Tracy + David Stills and Motion); featured image for Out of the woods: USC alumna and nature lover Anna Kuehl finds hope to restore her vision

Out of the woods: USC alumna and nature lover Anna Kuehl finds hope to restore her vision

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Anna Kuehl who loved exploring the nature surrounding her home in the Bavarian Forest. Located northeast of Munich not far from the …

Andy McMahon (Photo by Phil Channing); featured image for USC Stem Cell scientist Andy McMahon and collaborators tune into the organ concert

USC Stem Cell scientist Andy McMahon and collaborators tune into the organ concert

Every minute of every day, your organs are using a complex language to communicate with each other about the basic physiological processes necessary for life—everything from blood pressure regulation to pH balance …

Developing retina (Image by Cobrinik Lab); featured image for CHLA team identifies developmental stage for eye tumor in children

CHLA team identifies developmental stage for eye tumor in children

Investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have been able to pinpoint the exact stage of development of the human retina, when cells can grow out of control and form cancer-like masses. The …

Human gametes (Image by Karl-Ludwig Poggemann); featured image for All about egg freezing: A Q&A with Dr. Richard J. Paulson, USC Fertility

All about egg freezing: A Q&A with Dr. Richard J. Paulson, USC Fertility

If you’re not going to complete your family by age 35, it’s time to freeze your eggs, according to Dr. Richard J. Paulson, director of USC Fertility. Egg freezing offers a shot …

Justin Ichida (Photo by Chris Shinn); featured image for The USC scientist who aims to beat ALS, and the patients cheering him on

The USC scientist who aims to beat ALS, and the patients cheering him on

Justin Ichida regularly gets emails from strangers asking an urgent question: Will your research on ALS be done in time to save my life? “I don’t really know them, but they tell …

From left, Neil Segil and Qi-Long Ying (Photos by Chris Shinn); featured image for USC Stem Cell scientists Neil Segil and Qi-Long Ying awarded NIH grants

USC Stem Cell scientists Neil Segil and Qi-Long Ying awarded NIH grants

Two USC Stem Cell scientists have received new research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Michael Bonaguidi (Photo by Chris Shinn); featured image for The Baxter Foundation awards grants to USC researchers Michael Bonaguidi and Sanda Win

The Baxter Foundation awards grants to USC researchers Michael Bonaguidi and Sanda Win

From the brain to the bile, the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation is supporting innovative medical research by granting $100,000 awards to two assistant professors: Michael Bonaguidi in the Department …

Justin Ichida (Photo by Ben Gibbs); featured image for AcuraStem, USC and Icagen to collaborate on fast track SBIR grant for the development of a novel small molecule therapy to treat ALS

AcuraStem, USC and Icagen to collaborate on fast track SBIR grant for the development of a novel small molecule therapy to treat ALS

AcuraStem, an early stage biotech company located in Los Angeles, and Justin Ichida at USC have been awarded a $3.7 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) FastTrack grant by the National Institute …

Pat Levitt (Photo courtesy of CHLA); featured image for Common psychiatric disorders share an overlapping genetic risk

Common psychiatric disorders share an overlapping genetic risk

Investigators found that many common psychiatric disorders are deeply connected on a genetic level, sharing specific genetic risk factors, underscoring the need to recognize shared dimensions of brain dysfunction, and develop new …

USC researchers have found 150 proteins that contribute to mental disorders. (Illustration/Evgeny Gromov, iStock); featured image for USC scientists discover schizophrenia gene roles in brain development

USC scientists discover schizophrenia gene roles in brain development

A USC research team identified 150 proteins affecting cell activity and brain development that contribute to mental disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar condition and depression. It’s the first time these molecules, which are …

Engineered mouse cells (Image courtesy of Leonardo Morsut); featured image for Synthetic “tissues” build themselves

Synthetic “tissues” build themselves

How do complex biological structures—an eye, a hand, a brain—emerge from a single fertilized egg? This is the fundamental question of developmental biology, and a mystery still being grappled with by scientists …

Pat Levitt (Photo courtesy of CHLA); featured image for Patt Levitt named inaugural Chief Scientific Officer at CHLA

Patt Levitt named inaugural Chief Scientific Officer at CHLA

Pat Levitt, PhD, has been named Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Director of The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

The gift from Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg will establish a research fund at the USC Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics. (Photo courtesy of Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg); featured image for Gift supports biomedical innovation at USC

Gift supports biomedical innovation at USC

A $10 million gift from Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg will provide critical funding for innovative research at USC into debilitating neurosensory diseases.

Kella Vangsness (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for USC’s Kella Vangsness paints stem cells as superheroes

USC’s Kella Vangsness paints stem cells as superheroes

With captions by Kella Vangsness “As an artist and scientist, I cannot help but imagine stem cells as ‘superheroes’ fighting against ‘villains’ of disease,” said Kella Vangsness, who is graduating from USC …

Synapses in the mammalian cochlea (Image courtesy of Juemei Wang); featured image for Simple treatment may minimize hearing loss triggered by loud noises

Simple treatment may minimize hearing loss triggered by loud noises

It’s well known that exposure to extremely loud noises — whether it’s an explosion, a firecracker or even a concert — can lead to permanent hearing loss. But knowing how to treat …

Tubular networks developing in a mammalian kidney (Image by Tracy Tran/Andy McMahon Lab); featured image for Growing hope: What are stem cells, and how does USC use them?

Growing hope: What are stem cells, and how does USC use them?

Stem cell therapies have accelerated at a promising pace, but how do they work? And what are stem cells?

Justin Ichida (Photo by Ben Gibbs); featured image for USC Stem Cell scientist Justin Ichida named inaugural Richard N. Merkin Scholar

USC Stem Cell scientist Justin Ichida named inaugural Richard N. Merkin Scholar

In USC’s Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, half of the faculty members are assistant professors, poised at the threshold of their careers in biomedical research. One of these promising …

Retinal pigment epithelial cells (Image courtesy of David Hinton); featured image for Researchers test stem cell–based retinal implant for common cause of vision loss with encouraging results

Researchers test stem cell–based retinal implant for common cause of vision loss with encouraging results

Physicians and researchers at the USC Roski Eye Institute have collaborated with other California institutions to show that a first-in-kind stem cell–based retinal implant is feasible for use in people with advanced …