{"id":22,"date":"2023-08-14T21:04:58","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T21:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/?page_id=22"},"modified":"2026-07-25T23:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T23:18:09","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--hero-primary horizontal-navigation\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--hero-primary\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper has-horizontal-nav\">\n\n          <div class=\"title-wrapper\">\n\n                  <div class=\"eyebrow-container\">\n                              \n<div class=\"f--field f--eyebrow\">\n\n    \n  <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/sample-page\/department-of-physiology-neuroscience\/\" >Physiology and Neuroscience<\/a>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n        \n                      \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title has-stripe\">\n\n    \n      <h1>Research<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        \n              <\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--link eyebrow-link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n\n<a\n  class=\"link \"\n  href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/training-education\/\"\n    >\n        Explore our Graduate Programs\n    <\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n    \n      \n              <div class=\"horizontal-nav\">\n                      <div class=\"horizontal-menu-container\">\n              <button class=\"expand-menu\">\n                                  In This Section\n                                <svg class=\"menu\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n                  y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" xml:space=\"preserve\">\n                  <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" d=\"M4,23h3v3H4V23z M4,16h3v3H4V16z M10,23\n                  h21v3H10V23z M10,16h21v3H10V16z M10,9h21v3H10V9z M4,9h3v3H4V9z\"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n\n                <svg class=\"close\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\"\n                  viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" xml:space=\"preserve\">\n                  <polygon fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" points=\"26,10.4 24.6,9 17.5,16.1 10.4,9 9,10.4 16.1,17.5\n                  9,24.6 10.4,26 17.5,18.9 24.6,26 26,24.6 18.9,17.5 \"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n              <\/button>\n\n              <nav\n  class=\"mc--menu mc--\"\n  >\n  <ul class=\"m--menu m--\">\n    \n    \n      <li class=\"has-submenu menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-26 menu-item-has-children\">\n      <div class=\"link-arrow-wrapper\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/\" >Physiology &#038; Neuroscience<\/a>\n\n      <button class=\"expand-children has-submenu arrow-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Display Submenu for Physiology &#038; Neuroscience\">\n        <svg height=\"35\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" width=\"35\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n          <path d=\"m17.5 20.2142857 6.2142857-6.2142857 1.2857143 1.2857143-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5 1.2857143-1.2857143z\" fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"\/>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"submenus-wrapper\">\n      <div class=\"submenus-wrapper-inner\">\n        <ul class=\"submenu\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-88\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/inclusive-excellence\/\" >Academic Excellence<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-27\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/research\/\" >Research<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-32\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/training-education\/\" >Training &amp; Education<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-38\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/faculty\/\" >Faculty<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-43\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/support\/\" >Support<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-42\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/contact\/\" >Contact<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <\/ul><!-- m--menu -->\n<\/nav>\n\n            <\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--spacer \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--spacer\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--featured-block image-left white\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--featured-block\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"text-image-container\">\n    <div class=\"text-container\">\n\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title has-stripe\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          #5 in NIH Research Funding\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description description-medium\">\n\n    \n  <p>The Department of Physiology and Neuroscience has a longstanding record of excellence in securing NIH funding, consistently ranking among the top 5 recipients. In federal fiscal year 2025, the department is ranked #5 nationally in NIH funding in its field according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Our esteemed faculty lead pioneering research in areas including Alzheimer\u2019s disease, neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, sensory systems and circuits, renal physiology, and the kidney-brain axis. Faculty members also actively mentor Master of Medical Physiology candidates as thesis advisors, fostering the next generation of scientific leaders in the field. This achievement contributes to the Keck School of Medicine of USC ranking #1 in NIH funding per investigator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n\n          <div class=\"image-container\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2026\/02\/KSOM_2026_NIH_Physiology-Neuroscience_1080x1080_Static-768x768.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2026\/02\/KSOM_2026_NIH_Physiology-Neuroscience_1080x1080_Static-1280x1280.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2026\/02\/KSOM_2026_NIH_Physiology-Neuroscience_1080x1080_Static-768x768.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 50vw, (min-width:768px) 100vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                alt=\"Graphic indicating the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience ranks #5 nationally in NIH funding in 2025, according to Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings.\"\n\n                \n        \n                \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n  <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--spacer \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--spacer\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n                \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--editorial-cards \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--editorial-cards\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                      \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Research Focuses\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"cards-container\">\n        \n          <div class=\"card\">\n\n            \n            <div class=\"text-container\">\n              \n                                              <span class=\"card-title\">\n                                          <a href=\"https:\/\/cobalab.usc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n                    \n                      Marcelo P. Coba, PharmD, MS (Biochemistry), PhD\n\n                                          <\/a>\n                                      <\/span>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Coba&#8217;s research focuses on investigating how candidate risk factors associated to schizophrenia and other developmental disorders work together in common signaling pathways, combining state-of-the-art mass spectrometry, proteomics, bioinformatics, mouse genetics and human stem cell methods. This strategy helps determine core signaling mechanisms and protein complexes, altered through development in schizophrenia, providing new molecular targets for treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n\n\n          <\/div>\n        \n          <div class=\"card\">\n\n            \n            <div class=\"text-container\">\n              \n                                              <span class=\"card-title\">\n                    \n                      Janos Peti-Peterdi, MD, PhD\n\n                                          <\/a>\n                                      <\/span>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Peti-Peterdi\u2019s research focuses on renal (patho)physiology, the role of kidneys in maintaining body fluid and electrolyte hemostasis and blood pressure in health and diseases, including chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy and hypertension; kidney tissue remodeling and nephron regeneration; function of macula densa cells of the juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA); and the role of podocytes in the maintenance and pathology of the glomerular filtration barrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n\n\n          <\/div>\n        \n          <div class=\"card\">\n\n            \n            <div class=\"text-container\">\n              \n                                              <span class=\"card-title\">\n                    \n                      Li Zhang, PhD\n\n                                          <\/a>\n                                      <\/span>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Zhang\u2019s research focuses on representation and processing in sensory cortex, development of cortical organizations, formation and plasticity of cortical microcircuitry and neural basis for cortical pathologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n\n\n          <\/div>\n        \n          <div class=\"card\">\n\n            \n            <div class=\"text-container\">\n              \n                                              <span class=\"card-title\">\n                    \n                      Berislav Zlokovic, MD, PhD\n\n                                          <\/a>\n                                      <\/span>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Zlokovic\u2019s laboratory focuses on the blood-brain barrier and neurovascular regulations, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, ALS and stroke. Using animal models and studying human brain, his laboratory has shown that dysfunction in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and brain microcirculation can accumulate before neuronal dysfunction and contribute to the onset and progression of different neurological phenotypes and symptoms including cognitive impairment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n\n\n          <\/div>\n              <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-22","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Research - Department of Physiology and Neuroscience<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/research\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Research\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/physiology-and-neuroscience\/research\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Department of Physiology and Neuroscience\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-25T23:18:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/physiology-and-neuroscience\\\/research\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/keck.usc.edu\\\/physiology-and-neuroscience\\\/research\\\/\",\"name\":\"Research - 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