Department of Surgery
Research

Innovation Hub

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Igniting Innovation

We believe that it’s crucial to keep improving every aspect of the health care journey. Through basic science, clinical trials, and the pursuit of educated hunches, our surgeons and researchers are moving the field of medicine forward.  Some of our most fertile collaborations have been with experts in other disciplines. Together, we can pioneer new treatments and technologies that improve patient care and offer more equitable health care to all.

Progress leaps forward when surgeons, medical doctors, and basic scientists can collaborate with innovators in other fields, bringing their specialized knowledge together to create new connections.

Brad Selby, CAO of the Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC
A group of medical professionals join hands. Some are in scrubs and some are in white coats.

Inspiration Made Real

The Department of Surgery has developed or had a hand in developing:

A patient recovering from surgery is surrounded by his family. They talk with a doctor and a nurse.
Patient Care

Negative pressure seals

These easy-to-use wound dressings can reduce post-surgical complications and may help promote wound healing. Dr. Sang W. Lee was the lead inventor.

A scientist holds a virtual image of medical and tech icons: A beaker, a syringe, a heart,, pills, lungs, and computers
Patient Care

Health AI Collaborative

USC’s Department of Surgery partners with Akido Labs on a series of programs designed to explore every facet of AI integration in healthcare with the goal of prioritizing the doctor-patient relationship and increasing health equity.

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Community

The Resilience Intelligence Network

The Keck School of Medicine of USC and Akido Labs, in partnership with the FDA and CDC, developed a data integration system to respond to public health emergencies and quickly coordinate resources.

T-cells attack small-cell lung cancer tumor microbiology 3d illustration top view
Research

Fighting small-cell lung cancer

Dr. Ite Offringe is studying how monoclonal antibodies can help fight small-cell lung cancer.

Drawings and designs for custom-made arterial stents
Patient Care

Bespoke aortic stents

No two anatomies are alike. Dr. Sugku Han, our Chief of Vascular Surgery, uses advanced imaging to hand-design aortic stents for his patients.

A patient lies on a table while a technologist gives her a liver ultrasound
Community

New standard screenings for liver disease

Dr. Rick Selby is researching the connections between hormonal birth control and rare benign liver tumors in the hopes of adding new standard screenings for young women.

A doctor looks at an augmented reality image of a liver
Research

Revolutionary transplant strategies

Dr. Linda Sher is addressing the critical shortage of organs by working to grow humanized livers in pigs.

An image of plaque cells on neurons inside the brain
Research

Delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Dr. Young-Kwon Hong and his team have developed a drug that helps the brain clear waste more quickly, potentially delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

A caregiver puts a remote monitoring smart watch on a patient's wrist
Patient Care

Remote patient monitoring

Mobile-connected remote monitoring of patients’ vital signs allows medical teams to spot potential issues early on and react swiftly.

A smart boot paired with remote monitoring technology
Community

Protecting mobility of patients with diabetes

Dr. David Armstrong and his team are developing several new technologies to help heal diabetic wounds and stop patients from getting them in the first place.

Dr. Vaughn Starnes, Dr. Ram Subramanyan, Dr. Pierre Wong, and Dr. Timothy Nelson pose with a model of a heart
Patient Care

Using Stem Cells to Treat a Rare Cardiac Defect

The USC Department of Surgery partnered with Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and other institutions across the country to see if stem cell therapy could prevent heart failure in children born with a rare heart condition.

Leadership Insights on Innovation

Brad Selby on the importance of supporting innovation

Brad Selby

Brad Selby is the CAO of the Department of Surgery and the Executive Administrator of the USC Cardiac and Vascular Institute. He first came to the Keck School of Medicine in 1997 to administer its then-new abdominal organ transplant program. His goal is to help improve the patient experience at every level by fostering a culture of innovation within the Department of Surgery and in partnerships across USC.

Brad credits Dr. Vaughn Starnes, Chairman of the Department of Surgery, with creating a culture of innovation within the Department that has helped groundbreaking research thrive.

 

Brad Selby, CAO of the Department of Surgery

Progress leaps forward when surgeons, medical doctors, and basic scientists can collaborate with innovators in other fields, bringing their specialized knowledge together to create new connections.

Vaughn Starnes, MD, Chairman of Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Vaughn A. Starnes, MD, Chief of the Department of Surgery

Training the next generation of innovators

Rising surgeon-scientists deserve the best in rigorous training and institutional support. If they are so inclined, our surgical residents can take up to two years to do pure research.

Learn more about our Residency and fellowship programs.

Training & Education