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Nanoparticles vs. germs (Photo courtesy of @nanopeek)

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 …

Eun Ji Chung (Photo by Michelle Henry)

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, …

Two types of progenitor cells from dissociated skin—epidermal (green) and dermal (red)—undergo a series of morphological transitions to form reconstituted skin. (Images by Mingxing Lei/Cheng-Ming Chuong Lab)

USC Stem Cell scientists obtain “how to” guide for producing hair follicles

How does the skin develop follicles and eventually sprout hair? A USC-led study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), addresses this question using insights gleaned from organoids, …

Joanna Smeeton with her husband Jeremy Morris and their twins Edie and Isaac (Photo by Sandra Kielback)

USC Stem Cell scientist Joanna Smeeton wins NIH Pathway to Independence Award

After her breakthrough discovery that zebrafish can be used to study arthritis, postdoctoral fellow Joanna Smeeton has received a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pathway to Independence Award. Known as the …

Rat

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 …

Pluripotency (Painting by Amanda Kwieraga)

USC alumna Amanda Kwieraga makes paintings from acrylic, wood and stem cell science

“Anyone who views something under a microscope or through a telescope will tell you that science is art, and that art is the perfect way to convey science,” said Amanda Kwieraga, an …

Natasha Natarajan (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

Trojan Natasha Natarajan looks to the future of stem cells

“Everyone in this audience right now, you all started out as a stem cell,” said Natasha Natarajan at the 2017 TEDxUSC conference. “And then your DNA came in, did all the work, …

Human development (Image courtesy of Evseenko Lab)

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 …

A window into the mammalian middle ear (Image by Camilla Teng/Crump Lab)

Researchers listen to zebrafish to understand human hearing loss

Can a fish with a malformed jaw tell us something about hearing loss in mice and humans? The answer is yes, according to a new publication in Scientific Reports.

Clockwise from top left: Andy McMahon, Rohit Varma, Jonathan Samet and Donna Spruijt-Metz (Photos courtesy of USC)

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)

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 …

Jay R. Lieberman (Photo by Les Dunseith)

Jay R. Lieberman receives $2.2 million NIH grant to fund research on healing difficult bone injuries

Jay R. Lieberman, chair and professor of orthopedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California has received a five-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes …

From left, D'Juan Farmer and Gage Crump (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

Stem cell scientist D’Juan Farmer named inaugural Choi Family Postdoctoral Fellow at USC

D’Juan Farmer grew up in a neighborhood where attending college—let alone pursuing a PhD or postdoctoral training—was not the expectation. Now, he’s earned the inaugural Choi Family Postdoctoral Fellowship, which provides support …

From left, Nelson Poliran Jr. and Charles Bramlett (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

Countdown to Commencement: Nelson Poliran Jr.—failure driven success

“Focus on one goal, be open minded and be persistent.” These are wise words from Nelson Poliran Jr., a standout scientist-in-training at USC. Poliran’s academic success hasn’t always come easily, though.

Barbara Kolo and Andy McMahon (Photo by Richard Carrasco)

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 …

Leonardo Morsut (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

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.

Newly regenerated muscle fibers (Image courtesy of Joseph T. Rodgers)

Alerting stem cells to hurry up and heal

Accelerated healing isn’t just for superheroes. A new study in Cell Reports suggests a way that mere mortals can potentially speed their recovery from a wide variety of injuries. “Our research shows …

Gage Crump

University honors Gage Crump and other faculty for mentorship

USC Stem Cell scientist Gage Crump is one of seven faculty members with ties to the Health Sciences Campus receiving USC Mentoring Awards. The awards recognize faculty who exemplify the best in …

Yang Chai (Photo courtesy of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC)

USC researchers close to identifying crucial gene for human cleft lip and palate

A group of researchers has found that three siblings born with cleft lip and palate share a common gene mutation associated with the birth defect. The gene intraflagellar transport 88 (IFT88) ensures …

Joanna Smeeton (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

Broad Fellow Joanna Smeeton fishes around for stem cell-based treatments for arthritis

USC Stem Cell scientist Joanna Smeeton knows what arthritis can do to people: she’s witnessed the annual exodus out of her native country of Canada during the winter months. As this year’s …