USC Stem Cell

04/21/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Andy McMahon who was the recipient of the 2026 USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award. As a pioneer in developmental biology and founder of USC Stem Cell, the award recognizes McMahon’s career advancing developmental biology and building scientific communities, including USC Stem Cell. Dr. McMahon is an University Professor Emeritus in the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Biological Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Full story available in the comments.

04/16/2026

Congratulations Dr. Andy McMahon! Such a well deserved recognition!

04/15/2026

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.

Stem cell identity may be controlled by a shared biological checkpoint, offering new insight into regenerative medicine and cancer research.

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the National Institutes of Health identified 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.

The findings could improve how stem cells are grown in the lab and support advances in disease modeling, drug development, and tissue regeneration.

📷 Red indicates mouse embryonic stem cells and green indicates mouse epiblast stem cells. The two cell types were co-cultured under GSK3α inhibition and maintained their distinct identities. (Image by Duo Wang/Ying Lab/USC Stem Cell)

04/15/2026

Dean’s POV 📸 Still reflecting on an incredible tour and conversation about regenerative medicine with President Kim and Chuck Murry, director of USC Stem Cell. Led by Chuck Murry, MD, PhD, researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC are unlocking how the body builds and renews itself, developing new cell, gene and regenerative therapies to repair tissues and organs. From treating Parkinson's and ALS to repairing heart tissue, USC is the incubator for 21st century medicine.

04/08/2026

Couldn't be more deserved, congratulations to all our faculty!

04/03/2026

Teens from L.A.-area high schools visit USC's Health Sciences Campus for Stem Cell Day, an event organized by USC Stem Cell with support from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Students toured research labs, built hands-on lab skills, and competed in Stem Cell Jeopardy, getting an up-close look at biomedical research and the career possibilities in regenerative medicine.

Full story available in the comments.

03/27/2026

Meet the four scholarship recipients in USC’s stem cell master’s program that are combining medicine with mentorship and science with service. This year’s recipients are Dean’s Fellow Erik Gutierrez and Cardinal and Dhablania-Kim Fellows Logan Beharry, Ken Furuichi and Brian Rubio.

From authoring a bilingual STEM coloring book to mentoring biotechnology students at Los Angeles Mission College, this year’s scholarship recipients in USC’s stem cell master’s program are using science to innovate and uplift others.

Supported by the Office of the Dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the Dhablania-Kim family and an anonymous donor who established the Cardinal Fellowship, the scholarships recognize students who not only succeed academically, but also drive innovation and expand opportunities for others.

03/26/2026

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.

Participants brought their finest spiced dishes, each competing for the distinguished title of Spice Crown Champion. Pictured here are highlights from the event, with a special feature on our inaugural winners! Congratulations to all who participated and made this first competition a memorable success. We look forward to making this a cherished tradition.

03/25/2026

"Often, by the time people show significant symptoms, today's interventions offer limited help," Wynnie Nguyen said. "We want to fill that gap in interventions for Alzheimer's."

Wynnie Nguyen, a USC Stem Cell PhD student, was awarded a $115,000 grant from the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund for research aimed at reversing the course of dementia by stimulating the growth of new brain cells. Her team identified a gene linked to neural stem cell function in the brain, one that, when it declines with age, disrupts the production of new neurons critical for learning and memory. Through drug treatment or gene therapy, they hope to restore that gene's activity and renew the brain's regenerative capacity. The Cure Alzheimer’s Fund recognized her work alongside mentor Michael Bonaguidi, PhD, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, gerontology, biomedical engineering, and neurological surgery, and assistant director of the USC Neurorestoration Center.

Full article available in the comments.

03/19/2026

Parkinson’s disease affects more than one million people in the United States, with approximately 90,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Although available treatments can help manage symptoms, there is currently no cure or therapy proven to slow the progression of the disease, but researchers at Keck Medicine are working to change that.

Keck Medicine of USC is conducting an early-phase clinical trial investigating the safety and effectiveness of implanting specialized stem cells into the brain that have been programmed to replace damaged brain cells and produce dopamine.

Link to the full article in the comments.

03/10/2026

Yang Chai, dean of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC and University Professor of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine and Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at the Keck School, is a Beijing-born clinician-scientist whose early fascination with faces became a lifelong focus on understanding and treating craniofacial birth defects. Growing up in China in a family of medical professionals, his path has led him to a distinguished, family-rooted career at USC, where he now advances research, education, patient care and interdisciplinary collaboration while cultivating a culture of excellence and resilience.

His 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.

03/05/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Giorgia Quadrato, who was awarded an honorable mention for the International Society for Stem Cell Research Early Career Award for her extraordinary scientific achievements and leadership that is advancing stem cell research across neuroscience, developmental biology, organoid systems, and regenerative medicine. Dr. Quadrato is a global leader in human brain organoid research whose work focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular basis of human brain development and disease.

Read the full article in the comments