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Stories
The Keck School of Medicine of USC celebrates the graduates of the master’s, doctoral, and nurse anesthesia programs
“I now declare commencement ceremonies for the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California open!” announced Francesca Mariani, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and integrative …
Stem cell faculty member Francesca Mariani wins USC’s highest honor for outstanding teaching
When Francesca Mariani learned that she would receive USC’s highest honor for outstanding teaching, a 2023 Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching, it took her by surprise. “Sometimes it feels mysterious as …
USC introduces an undergraduate minor in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine
Starting in Fall 2023, USC will offer one of the few undergraduate minors in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine in the U.S. “What we hope to do with the minor is …
Why does a leukemic mutation not always lead to leukemia? A new clue from a mouse study at USC
Why do some people with a genetic mutation associated with leukemia remain healthy, while others with the same mutation develop the blood cancer? In a new study published in Blood, scientists from …
How to assemble a complete jaw
A USC-led team of scientists has made a drool-worthy discovery about how tendons and salivary glands develop in the jaw. Their results are published in a new study in Developmental Cell. In …
For USC Stem Cell scientist Yulia Shwartz, science gives her goosebumps
When USC Stem Cell scientist Yulia Shwartz experiences the thrill of scientific discovery, she often thinks of a line that Charles Darwin wrote in The Voyage of the Beagle: “every traveller must …
USC Stem Cell-led studies point the way to broadly effective treatments for ALS
Each year in the U.S., 5,000 patients receive a diagnosis of ALS, an incurable neurodegenerative disease that will likely kill them within two to five years. In the quest to find a …
Why multipotent progenitor cells matter for patients receiving bone marrow transplants
When patients receive bone marrow transplants, they are infused with complex admixtures of many different cell types with the power to regenerate their blood and immune systems. In a new study in …
How to rewind the clock on arthritic cartilage … stat!
A new study in Aging Cell describes how a key protein, called Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3), might turn back the clock on aging cartilage that leads to osteoarthritis. …
Scholarships change lives in USC’s stem cell master’s program: Five students’ stories
For one scholarship recipient in the master’s program in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, USC is just close enough to his mother’s house to commute and save on rent. For another, …
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 …
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) …
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 …
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 …
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 …
USC Stem Cell scientist Min Yu brainstorms new ways to beat breast cancer
For USC cancer researcher Min Yu, starting her lab meant building a culture of like-minded scientists. When she first joined the university as an assistant professor of stem cell biology and regenerative …
USC Stem Cell scientists use mini-kidney models to identify potential drugs for polycystic kidney disease
In a new study in Cell Stem Cell, scientists from the USC laboratory of Andy McMahon generated simple kidney-like structures called organoids, and used them to identify potential drugs to treat adult-onset …
How did vertebrates first evolve jaws?
Five-hundred million years ago, it was relatively safe to go back in the water. That’s because creatures of the deep had not yet evolved jaws. In a new pair of studies in …
Where are they now? Stem cell master’s program alumna Tiffany Mays, a PhD student studying cancer biology at Northwestern University
In this series of alumni profiles, we highlight graduates of USC’s master of science program in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Our accomplished alumni have pursued many different paths—ranging from a …
Where are they now? Stem cell master’s program alumna Anika Gidwani, a law student at the University of California, Davis
In this series of alumni profiles, we highlight graduates of USC’s master of science program in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Our accomplished alumni have pursued many different paths—ranging from a …