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.
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 …
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 …
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?
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 …
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 …
Physicians use gene therapy to restore patient’s vision
Surgeons of The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles completed a revolutionary gene replacement procedure at 9:20 a.m. March 20, to restore vision in a patient with retinal degeneration, using the …
At USC’s Junior Faculty Mini-Symposium, stem cell scientists build to understand
When physicist Richard Feynman died in 1988, he left a message scrawled across his chalkboard: “What I cannot create, I do not understand.” Twenty years later, scientists in a very different field …
Five ways to lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s
Retain a sharp, healthy brain and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by following five simple rules. Some of the tips are scientifically proven, while others show promise but require further investigation.
Paula Cannon and Elyn Sacks named Distinguished Professors
Paula Cannon, PhD, and Elyn Saks, PhD, JD, have been named Distinguished Professors by USC President C. L. Max Nikias. USC Provost Michael Quick, PhD, announced the appointments in a Feb. 13 …
The toxic relationship between ALS and frontotemporal dementia
ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two neurodegenerative diseases with a toxic relationship, according to a new USC Stem Cell study published in Nature Medicine.
Half of all dementias start with damaged “gatekeeper cells”
USC research sheds new light on how a breakdown in the brain’s vascular system predates the accumulation of toxic plaques and tangles in the brain that bring about Alzheimer’s disease. The research …
What to know about fasting, aging, the “longevity diet” and when you should eat
Biochemist Valter Longo has devoted decades to discovering connections between nutrition and successful aging. He runs the Longevity Institute at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, which aims to extend healthy …
Bérénice Benayoun studies possibility of rejuvenating genes
Bérénice Benayoun, assistant professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and principal investigator with USC Stem Cell, explores the role of epigenetics—the ways that genes turn “off” or “on”—in the …
Answers for diseases like schizophrenia may lie in how the brain maintains balance
Pop psychologists tout “balance” as key to mental health, and they may be more right than they realize. Neuroscientist Dion Dickman is gaining insight into how the brain maintains healthy balance on …
Broad Clinical Research Fellows use stem cells to build bone and combat cancer
This year’s Broad Clinical Research Fellows will apply stem cell-based approaches to two prevalent problems: non-healing bone injuries, which affect 5 million Americans each year; and neuroblastoma, which is the most common …
Broad Fellows look to stem cells to treat heart disease and hearing loss
When it came time to select this year’s Broad Fellow, the award committee couldn’t pick just one. Instead, they bestowed the honor on two talented postdoctoral researchers in USC Stem Cell laboratories: …
Subtle cues can dictate the fate of stem cells
If you’ve seen one GSK3 molecule, do not assume that you have seen them all. A new study in Developmental Cell reveals important differences in two similar forms of GSK3, which, in …
Ryk needs a chaperone
Ryk has made the headlines by requiring a chaperone. But don’t assume that Ryk is a badly behaved celebrity—it’s actually a protein featured in a new study in the Proceedings of the …
Countdown to Commencement: Gio Suh builds muscles without exercising
“I’ve always wanted to be in a textbook and impact the world,” said Gio Suh, who is graduating in December 2017 from the master of science program in stem cell biology and …