Potential Thesis Mentors
The faculty listed below have appointments in the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience. Please realize any faculty member in the Keck School of Medicine is a potential mentor. If an applicant is interested in the research efforts of a faculty member not listed below the applicant should contact the Medical Physiology Program (physiology@usc.edu) to determine if that faculty member could serve as the mentor of the applicant.
| Investigator | Research Profile | Research Interests |
| Bienkowski, Michael | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/michael.bienkowski | Alzheimer’s Disease, Retinal Degenerative Diseases, Connectomics |
| Bonaguidi, Michael | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/michael.bonaguidi | Alzheimer’s Disease, Neural Stem Cells, Regeneration, Aging, Epilepsy |
| Bonnin, Alexander | Brain Development – Fetal Programming of Diseases, Blood Brain Barrier Formation, Inflammation | |
| Chang, Karen | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/karen.chang | Synaptic Vesicle Recycling, Structural Plasticity, Neurodevelopment, Down’s Syndrome, Autism |
| Chen, Jeannie | Retinal Degeneration, Neurodegeneration, Amyloid Diseases, Photoreceptor Cell Function, Retinal Circuitry | |
| Coba, Marcelo | Synaptic Signaling, Systems Biology, Neurodevelopment, Neurodegeneration, Human Models of Disease | |
| Jacobs, Russell | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/russell.jacobs | MRI Development, Translational Imaging |
| Kaslow, Harvey | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/harvey.kaslow | Cancer Immunotherapy, Regulation of Immune System |
| Langen, Ralf | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/ralf.langen | Alzheimer’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Protein Misfolding |
| Lyden, Patrick | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/patrick.lyden | Stroke, Thrombin Cytotoxicity, Astrocyte Biology |
| McDonough, Alicia | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/alicia.mcdonough | Cardiorenal Physiology, Hypertension |
| Peti-Peterdi, Janos | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/janos.petipeterdi | Kidney Disease, Neuronal Networks, Tissue Regeneration |
| Richey, Joyce | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/joyce.richey | Type 2 Diabetes, Vascular Reactivity |
| Sagare, Abhay | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/abhay.sagare | Neurodegenerative Disorders, Blood-Brain Barrier, Biomarkers |
| Sieburth, Derek | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/derek.sieburth | Circuits and Behavior, Parkinson’s Disease, C. elegans |
| Siemer, Ansgar | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/ansgar.siemer | Neurodegenerative Diseases, NMR on Protein Aggregates and Disorders |
| Sta Maria, Naomi | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/naomi.stamaria | Alzheimer’s Disease, Blood-Brain Barrier, CAR-T Immunotherapy |
| Tao, Huizhong (Whit) | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/huizhong.tao | Sensory Information Processing, Visual Cortex, Visual Thalamus, Sensory Evoked Behavior, Emotional Processing |
| Ulmer, Tobias | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/tobias.ulmer | Alzheimer’s Disease, Structural Biology |
| Varkey, Jobin | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/jobin.varkey | Amyloid Proteins, Protein-Membrane Interactions, Protein Structure |
| Youn, Jang-Hyun | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/jang-hyun.youn | Obesity and Diabetes, Lipid Signaling, Potassium Homeostasis |
| Zhang, Li I. | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/li.zhang | Neural Circuitry, Emotion and Behaviors, Sensory Processing Disorders |
| Zhao, Zhen | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/zhen.zhao | Alzheimer’s Disease, Traumatic Brain Injury, CNS Infection |
| Zlokovic, Berislav | https://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/berislav.zlokovic | Alzheimer’s Disease, Blood-Brain Barrier, Stroke |