Two individuals stand side by side, smiling, with one holding a framed certificate titled "University of Southern California" and mentioning "Andrew McMahon." Both are dressed in formal attire, and one person is wearing medals on their jacket. A golden curtain serves as the backdrop.

Three individuals posing for a photo at a formal sit down dinner banquet hall. The individual in the middle is wearing a medal on their jacket.

A group of people posing together in front of a brick building with large windows. One person in the front row is wearing a medal.

A group of four people in a lab, all wearing white coats, stand around a lab bench with various scientific equipment and supplies on shelves. One member is holding a document, which they are all looking at. The setting is a typical research laboratory, with bright lighting and ample workspace.

Congratulations to Dr. Andy McMahon on receiving the 2026 USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring a pioneering career in developmental biology, building scientific communities, and the founding of USC Stem Cell.

https://bit.ly/4u188S7

Amazing work coming from the lab of Dr. Qi-Long Ying, identifying GSK3α as a “stemness checkpoint” that regulates differentiation across multiple stem cell types and species. This discovery introduces a unifying framework for understanding how stem cells maintain their identity.

In a laboratory setting, individuals wearing white lab coats work at a lab bench surrounded by scientific equipment. Supplies from Thermo Fisher Scientific are visible.

Three individuals in lab coats work in a laboratory setting. One person is seated, conducting an experiment inside a biosafety cabinet, while the other two observe closely. There is lab equipment and a waste bin nearby.

Two people in a laboratory setting are working under a fume hood. They are wearing protective clothing, including gloves and lab coats. One person is using a pipette to transfer liquid into small vials on a tray, while various lab equipment and containers are visible on the surface.

A person is presenting a slide in a lecture room. The slide title is "Stem Cell Basics: 400" and it reads, "These adult stem cells are found in the bone marrow."

LA teens visited USC's Health Sciences Campus for Stem Cell Day, touring labs, building hands-on skills & competing in Stem Cell Jeopardy. A front-row look at biomedical research & careers in regenerative medicine. Read more: https://bit.ly/4drAGiX

Photo of Mohamed Abou-el-Enein and Amaia Cadinanos-Garai posing for the camera with the Keck School of Medicine logo on a building in the background. (Photo by Anson Cheung)

Congratulations to Dr. Mohamed Abou-el-Enein who named Outstanding New Investigator by @asgct.bsky.social! He & Amaia Cadinanos-Garai also won Best of Molecular Therapy for their paper on identifying the most effective CAR T cells against cancer.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4bQN9LK

Headshot of Erik Gutierrez.

Headshot of Logan Beharry.

Headshot of Ken Furuichi.

Headshot of Brian Rubio.

Meet USC's stem cell master's program scholarship recipients, Dean's Fellow Erik Gutierrez and Cardinal & Dhablania-Kim Fellows Logan Beharry, Ken Furuichi, and Brian Rubio: combining medicine with mentorship, science with service.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4s1sPfz

@keckschoolusc.bsky.social

A group of four people standing in front of a whiteboard. They are each holding a wooden spoon and small trophy. The atmosphere is casual and cheerful.

A group of people are gathered around a long conference table with various food items placed on it. There are decorative lights shaped like chili peppers along the middle of the table. The atmosphere appears casual and social.

A group of people gathered around a conference table with various dishes for a meal. The room is decorated with colorful string lights. A large TV screen displays a person's image. The atmosphere appears casual and social.

The heat was ON! On March 13th, USC Stem Cell hosted its first-ever Spice Competition, inviting team members to showcase their culinary creativity through one shared passion, bold, spicy flavors. Congratulations to all who participated and made this first competition a memorable success.

New stem cell treatment may offer hope for Parkinson’s disease LOS ANGELES — Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than one million people in the United States, with approximately 90,000 new cases diagnosed each year. A...

Parkinson’s disease affects more than one million Americans.

No cure or therapy slows progression, but Keck Medicine of USC is testing stem cells to replace damaged brain cells in an early clinical trial.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4sQ5EW9

Headshot of Dr. Yang Chai, dean of the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. The headshot takes place at the main campus of the University of Southern California

Dr. Yang Chai's path to USC from China led the clinician-scientist through resilience and growth, and now the Ostrow Dean will nurture learning, patient care and research into the future.

Read the full feature story here: dentistry.usc.edu/growing-a-garden-of-acad...

Dr. Georgia Quadrato in a laboratory coat and gloves is placing or retrieving a container from an incubator filled with similar jars. They are standing in a lab environment, focusing on their task.

Congratulations to Dr. Giorgia Quadrato on her @isscr.org Early Career Award Honorable Mention! A global leader in human brain organoid research, she's driving breakthroughs in neuroscience, developmental biology & regenerative medicine. So well deserved!

https://bit.ly/40RFE0B

Headshot of Ksenia Geneva, PhD, in front of a building surrounded by greenery.

We are thrilled to congratulate Dr. Ksenia Gnedeva on receiving the 2026 Geraldine Dietz Fox Young Investigator Award from the Association for Research in Otolaryngology (@aro-mwm.bsky.social) for her work in understanding the development and regeneration of the inner ear's sensory hearing cells.

The image is an advertisement for the Keck School of Medicine of USC, promoting its Master of Science in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. It highlights features such as nationally recognized faculty, hands-on experience, and optional second year with thesis. A colorful cellular image is displayed on the right side, alongside a QR code for registration. Text at the top mentions current application acceptance and an information session on Zoom scheduled for February 20th at 1 pm.

Take a journey into the world of stem cell biology with our Masters program at USC! Our application portal is open! If you would like to learn more, please register for our INFO SESSION on Feb. 20, by clicking here: bit.ly/3JqJJUu.

USC launches a new Center for Stem Cell Engineering on the Health Sciences Campus A stem cell is not only a biological mystery, but also an engineering challenge—a structure to shape, a system to measure, and a dataset to decode. To meet this challenge, USC is launching the new Cen...

USC is launching the new Center for Stem Cell Engineering, a collaboration between @keckschoolusc.bsky.social and USC Viterbi. The center will bring together biologists, engineers, and physicians to translate discoveries into therapies.

https://bit.ly/4qnDd1e

Tricking Tumors into Marking Themselves for Destruction - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering New research from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering harnesses focused ultrasound to reprogram solid tumors, making them more effective targets for immune cells.

USC biomedical engineers have found a way to make a solid tumor paint a target on its own back in order to train the body’s immune system to find and destroy it. Learn more: viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2025/11/tricking-tu...

Take a journey into the world of stem cell biology with our Masters program at USC! Our application portal is open! If you would like to learn more, please register for our INFO SESSIONS Jan.9 and Feb. 20, HERE: bit.ly/3JqJJUu

Can stem cells rebuild skeletal muscle? Albert Almada, PhD, from USC Stem Cell explains.

Did you know that your body makes about 2 million blood cells every second? Dr. Rong Lu’s lab studies how hematopoietic regeneration is regulated and how we could improve bone marrow transplantation to help patients with blood disorders such as leukemia, anemia, and immune deficiencies.

From left: Chuck Murry, MD, PhD; Summer Decker, PhD; Hussein Yassine, MD (Photo/Steve Cohn, Eden Dozier, Richard Carrasco)

At @keckschoolusc.bsky.social, trailblazing researchers are redefining what’s possible in medicine. Visionaries Drs. Chuck Murry, Summer Decker, and Hussein Yassine are leading breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s prevention, medical 3D printing and cardiac regeneration. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3MwWaj2

Group of people smiling at a potluck in an office, holding plates of food with a variety of dishes and snacks on the table in front of them.

Group of people seated at a table enjoying a meal together in a well-lit room.

Four people sitting at a table enjoying a meal together in a cafeteria-style setting, with beverages and food plates visible.

Three individuals seated at a table inside a room enjoying a meal together.

Happy Thanksgiving from our department! 🍂

Our department gathered to celebrate the season and we are grateful for the community that makes our work meaningful. Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make the event special. We are grateful for this community today and always.

What can we learn from people who live for 30-40 years with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons. The Ichida Lab is doing research in ALS to find out.

What can lizard tail regrowth teach us about regeneration?

Tom Lozito, PhD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, breaks down the science, and how these insights could push his research forward.

Discovery May Point to Cell of Origin for Ewing Sarcoma CHLA researchers have uncovered a likely cell of origin for Ewing sarcoma, offering new insight into how this childhood cancer begins.

A new CHLA and @keckschoolusc.bsky.social study reveals that neural crest cells can be reprogrammed into tumor-forming cells—offering fresh insight into the origins of Ewing sarcoma.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4nNGGEU

Take a journey into the world of stem cell biology with our USC Stem Cell master's program @keckschoolusc.bsky.social! Our info session will take place on Nov. 20, and the application portal is open at https://gradadm.usc.edu

Did you know zebrafish share many of the same genes as humans?

Gage Crump, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at USC Stem Cell, explains how this tiny fish is helping advance human health research.

@keckschoolusc.bsky.social

Promotional graphic for Keck School of Medicine of USC, featuring an overview of their Master of Science in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine program. Highlights include hands-on experience, nationally recognized faculty, and a growing field. A QR code for registering to a Zoom information session on November 20th is displayed alongside an image of cells under a microscope.

Take a journey into the world of stem cell biology with our USC Stem Cell master's program @keckschoolusc.bsky.social! Our info session will take place on Nov. 20, and the application portal is open at https://gradadm.usc.edu

USC physician-scientists Denis Evseenko and Toby Maher win $3.2 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to develop regenerative drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis It might start with a shortness of breath that’s easily dismissed as getting older or needing more exercise. But for the nearly 3 million patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), this subtle...

USC’s Drs. Denis Evseenko and Toby Maher earned a $3.2M NIH grant to develop a regenerative drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, advancing hope for lung regeneration and recovery. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4o3hOss

Exciting breakthrough: USC Stem Cell researchers create genuine embryonic stem cells from birds using egg yolk! Discover more: stemcell.keck.usc.edu/study-genera....

USC Viterbi Student Wins Prestigious Astronaut Scholarship - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering Alara Berkmen, a biomedical engineering student, is recognized for leadership and dedication to cancer research.

Congratulations to USC COMPASS student Alara Berkmen for winning the Astronaut Scholarship award for her research on pediatric cancer. viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2025/09...

USC Stem Cell students and trainees win $15,000 collaborative research grants When learning to become a great scientist, the most important lesson might be how to collaborate. To encourage this essential skill, for the past decade, USC Stem Cell has awarded one-year challenge g...

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Broad Collaborative Challenge Grants for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows at USC Stem Cell! stemcell.keck.usc.edu/students-and...

USC Stem Cell PhD student Shuwan Liu receives award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Which signals drive cells to heal large-scale bone injuries? For her research into this question, USC Stem Cell PhD student Shuwan Liu has won a 2025 Young Investigator Award from the American Society...

Which signals drive cells to heal large-scale bone injuries? For exploring this question, USC Stem Cell PhD student Shuwan Liu won a 2025 Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. stemcell.keck.usc.edu/phd-student-...

Lab-grown kidney assembloid

In a Cell Stem Cell paper, a team led by Zhongwei Li at USC Stem Cell combines kidney filtering and urine-concentrating components to make “assembloids,” the most mature and complex kidney structures ever grown in a lab and a tool for developing new therapies. stemcell.keck.usc.edu/team-makes-m...