Scholars and students share their own stories
A volunteer from the USC Joint Education Project teaches elementary school students about DNA using licorice and gumdrops.
Innovators across USC make news every day for their discoveries and their commitment to transform health. Get an inside look at their latest work below.
Keck Medicine of USC honored at Los Angeles health care awards
The health system takes home three top honors and three finalist awards.
Despite relaxed prescribing rules, opioid addiction treatment is still hard to find at pharmacies
Only 4 in 10 U.S. retail pharmacies carry buprenorphine, USC research finds, with access even more limited in Black and Latino communities.
Study reveals how HPV reprograms immune cells to help cancer grow
STORY AND VIDEO: By uncovering how cervical and throat cancers linked to HPV evade the immune system, USC researchers open the door to new treatment strategies.
USC Bovard Scholars gain hands-on health care training at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
The medical center’s Healthcare Day of Discovery offered participants personalized career exploration opportunities.
Teens with higher blood levels of ‘forever chemicals’ regain more weight after bariatric surgery
USC researchers found that PFAS were linked to greater weight regain and increased waist circumference up to five years after surgery.
New treatment eliminates bladder cancer in 82% of patients
Slow drug-release system found highly effective in treating certain patients with bladder cancer whose tumors were previously unresponsive to cancer therapy.
Breakthrough research reveals new insights into the human gut microbiome
Doctoral student Nicolaus Jakowec helps uncover new insights into the microscopic life that drives human health.
New discovery reveals the spinal cord’s role in bladder control
A first-of-its-kind study offers hope for future treatments of urinary incontinence caused by neurological disorders, aging and other conditions.
Innovative imaging tool could improve diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss
USC researchers have adapted a low-cost imaging method developed for ophthalmology and used it to visualize tiny structures in the human inner ear.
USC researchers pioneer lifesaving cancer breakthroughs
From research lab to hospital bedside, USC’s culture of innovation fosters groundbreaking approaches to the detection, treatment and prevention of cancer.
Gut health affects your mood, energy, well-being and more
The gut-brain connection and trillions of microbes in your digestive system impact mental health, immunity and well-being. USC Dornsife’s Steven Finkel explains.
How the brain learns to care
USC Dornsife psychologists show that empathy can be conditioned through emotional rewards — revealing a surprising path to compassion.
What happens when society stops expecting you to work?
A USC Dornsife study finds that for unemployed men, mental health improves significantly after 50 — not because of aging or more leisure time, but because retirement becomes socially acceptable.
Cancer as a journey, not a battle: How we frame the illness may influence outcomes
USC Dornsife’s Norbert Schwarz discusses how the warrior mindset may actually have a negative effect on patients.
Alcohol-related liver disease has more than doubled in the last 20 years
Four groups — women, adults 45 and older, those living in poverty and people with metabolic syndrome — are possibly driving this increase, a USC study finds.
New wearable sensor made at USC could help bipolar patients track medication levels through sweat
The sensor, believed to be first of its kind, could vastly improve treatment and drug safety for millions of patients who take lithium for bipolar disorder.
USC Leonard Davis School faculty honored for research, mentorship
Dean Pinchas Cohen and Vice Dean Sean Curran are recognized for extraordinary work in aging by the Gerontological Society of America.
Mission: Possible
USC is a top destination for students, faculty and staff seeking purpose-driven work, collaborative learning and innovative discovery — all because the university prioritized health, computing,
How USC uses state stem cell funding to train biotech leaders
More than 100 experts credit their training to a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Scholars program at USC.
Cancer-fighting herpes virus shown to be effective treatment for some advanced melanoma
A genetically engineered herpes simplex virus, when combined with immunotherapy, reduces or eliminates tumors in one-third of clinical trial patients.
Mindfulness meditation can sharpen attention in adults of all ages
In a USC study, 30 days of app-guided meditation were linked to improvements in how quickly and accurately participants directed their focus.
USC cancer survivorship programs help patients thrive post-diagnosis
Cancer treatments are saving and extending more lives than ever. USC practitioners are guiding patients from diagnosis to treatment to facing their post-care future by connecting them with
USC cancer survivorship: A multidisciplinary effort
Teams of USC practitioners offer a broad range of support in areas including mental health, nutritional guidance, physical therapy, stress management and chronic pain.
Common medication for lung cancer symptoms found to limit effectiveness of immunotherapies
High doses of corticosteroids, prescribed to manage cancer-related symptoms or treatment side effects, are the most significant factor in why some immunotherapies don’t work.
Hearing devices improve more than just hearing — they significantly improve wearers’ social lives
A USC study shows hearing aids and cochlear implants make people more sociable and confident, improving overall well-being.
Wildfire smoke exposure, heat stress linked to adverse birth outcomes
Women in climate-vulnerable neighborhoods were especially affected, according to a recent study led by a USC postdoctoral researcher.
Wireless implant is game-changer for personalized chronic pain relief
USC researchers have developed a groundbreaking ultrasound device that could reduce our reliance on addictive painkillers.
Could electric fields supercharge immune attack on the deadliest form of brain cancer?
USC-led research finds that an electric field device placed on the scalp, along with immunotherapy and chemotherapy, may help patients with glioblastoma live longer.
Iron plays major role in Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s, USC study finds
Research indicates how iron-related oxidative damage and cell death may hasten the development of Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome.
How much of aging is a really just a roll of the dice?
“Biological stochasticity” — random events at the molecular and cellular level — might be one of the biggest, most overlooked drivers of differences in how we age, a USC gerontology expert says.
Most Medicare beneficiaries may pay more for drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act
Part D plans are accelerating cost-shifting to beneficiaries, many of whom won’t reach the law’s new spending cap, a USC Schaeffer Center white paper reports.
Why doctors choose to start their careers where they do
A new study from researchers at USC’s Viterbi Information Sciences Institute takes a data-driven look at geographic health care inequities.
Brain cell discovery may explain excessive hunger
Researchers identify “meal memory” neurons in laboratory rats that could explain why forgetting lunch leads to overeating.
USC Dornsife study reveals how protein droplets help cells master difficult DNA repair
Research uncovers a mechanism that protects the genome by avoiding catastrophic errors when repairing breaks in tightly packed DNA, a finding with implications for cancer and aging.
USC doctors are leading treatment of the post-COVID rise in alcohol-related liver disease
Alcohol-related liver disease has quietly surged to become the leading cause of alcohol-related deaths. USC is leading the charge to change that.
Solving a Silent Crisis
USC doctors are leading treatment of the post-covid rise in alcohol-related liver disease.
Quick thinking, preparation help save USC swimmer’s smile after accident
When a collision with a bus led to Pickles’ front tooth being knocked out, a campus awareness program — and save-a-tooth kits in the hands of DPS officers — made all the difference.
Quick thinking, preparation help save USC swimmer’s tooth after frightening accident
After a collision with a bus, a campus awareness program — and save-a-tooth kits in the hands of DPS officers — program helped save Evan Pickles’ smile.
Graduates apply a social work lens to a variety of disciplines
COMMENCEMENT: USC’s Social Work and Juvenile Justice undergraduate minor combines students’ passion for social advocacy with greater understanding of its impact on youngsters.
Even weak tropical cyclones raise infant mortality in poorer countries
A USC-led study finds that even storms below hurricane strength significantly increase infant deaths in low- and middle-income countries, and not just for the reasons experts expected.
Quest to become a nurse practitioner proves to be test of resiliency
COMMENCEMENT: Nicole Carson was determined to complete her Master of Science in Nursing degree from USC despite an unexpected move to Guam and multiple obstacles.
USC researchers develop low-cost blood test for early Alzheimer’s detection
In a proof-of-concept study, the test detected five key biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease — more than current commercially available blood tests can measure.
Study reveals link between Type 2 diabetes, brain health in older adults from various populations
Neuroimaging-based research reveals diabetes-related brain atrophy in older adults from different backgrounds.
Arts and Healthy Aging Center Fund launched with $2.5M gift, $1M matching opportunity
Gift and matching challenge from the Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund supports the study of artistic engagement and the aging process.
Changes in BMI during adolescence may explain link between pollution exposure, insulin resistance
The USC-led study’s findings uncover how the harmful effects of air pollution may contribute to long-term metabolic problems.
Uncovering a mental health crisis affecting American journalists
COMMENCEMENT: Henrick Karoliszyn created The Freelance Frontier intervention in USC’s Doctor of Social Work program to address a growing issue among journalists who cover traumatic events.
$10 million gift to launch longevity research accelerator at Keck School of Medicine of USC
The donation from R. Rex Parris and his wife, Carrol, will enable collaboration among experts in engineering, gerontology and stem cell research to find treatments for age-related conditions.
Empowering young athletes through social work
COMMENCEMENT: Allison Chapman is positively affecting the mental health development of youth in sports through the principles of social work.
USC, UCLA team up for the world’s first-in-human bladder transplant
The historic surgery — the result of years of research at Keck Medicine of USC and UCLA Health — opens the door for improved treatment of non-functioning bladders.
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Joel Smith
Senior Associate Vice President
USC Health Sciences Advancement