Igniting Discovery

Acclaimed higher-ed leader, researcher and neuroradiologist Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD, who leads the Keck School of Medicine of USC, takes on a governance role with California’s state stem cell agency.

In a proof-of-concept study, a research team based at the Keck School of Medicine of USC showed that functional ultrasound imaging can record brain activity through a transparent skull implant.

The study finds that a hormone produced by the fetus – and a mother’s sensitivity to the hormone – are the cause behind nausea and vomiting during pregnancy which, in its more extreme form, can put the mother and fetus at risk.

The Keck School of Medicine of USC Primary Care Initiative launched a new curriculum focused on nutrition and exercise for medical students in the primary care pipeline track. The training is designed to give medical students the tools they need to guide patients on dietary and exercise changes that would help them reach their target health goals.

In early 2024, ophthalmologists Sun Young Lee, MD, PhD, a retina specialist and Benjamin Xu, MD, PhD, a glaucoma specialist, celebrated a significant achievement – both were awarded their first R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Remarkably, Lee and Xu’s journeys began together over a decade ago when they started residency training at USC in 2013.

Iona Cheng, PhD, MPH, is co-leading a new study to uncover the causes of cancer in Asian Americans. Through a $12.45 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, she hopes to uncover the burden of cancer in this understudied group.

New research conducted at Keck Medicine suggests a new method using autofluorescence (AF) imaging to detect bacteria during wound debridement, which could significantly improve patient outcomes, particularly for those with diabetic foot wounds.

A study from the USC Head and Neck Center, part of Keck Medicine of USC and the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, suggests that cannabis, the most commonly used illicit substance worldwide, is associated with an increased occurrence of head and neck cancer.

A new study from Keck Medicine of USC discovers a startling disparity in the frequency of liver disease for transgender individuals and highlights the need for more specialized care.

The USC Street Medicine program hits multiple new milestones while also expanding from what was once a nascent program, with only one full-time employee, to one that now deploys five fully-staffed teams providing health care to people who are unhoused throughout the city of Los Angeles.

During her oral testimony, Soto, who identifies as Navajo and Jemez Pueblo, described the unique challenges and vulnerabilities that have contributed to the opioid crisis among American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

Life-altering opportunities are on the curriculum, alongside lab training, through the BRAIN program at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The USC Street Medicine program hits multiple new milestones while also expanding from what was once a nascent program, with only one full-time employee, to one that now deploys five fully-staffed teams providing health care to people who are unhoused throughout the city of Los Angeles.

During her oral testimony, Soto, who identifies as Navajo and Jemez Pueblo, described the unique challenges and vulnerabilities that have contributed to the opioid crisis among American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

When five USC health sciences schools were brought together under one umbrella, part of the university’s Transforming Health Sciences moonshot, a principal goal was to create a new, integrated and interprofessional approach to the education and practice of health care.