Research

About Our Research Programs

The Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology is ranked #2 in research funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and has ranked in the top 2 over the past two years. “Alongside our clinical excellence, reflected by ‘Top 10’ rankings in U.S. News & World Report (2018-202), this NIH recognition for research excellence attests to the all-around stature of our team,”  said Inderbir Gill, MD, Chair and Distinguished Professor of Urology, Shirley and Donald Skinner Chair in Urologic Cancer Surgery and associate dean for clinical innovation.

“We attribute this research success to USC Urology’s inherently innovative mindset, which is strongly rooted in clinical-translational excellence. Our focus is on advancing the science, thereby improving the outcomes and lives of our patients,”  said Gill.

“More specifically, this ranking reflects our scientific innovations in epigenetics, robotic simulation, and stem cell & regenerative medicine, as well as our deep collaborations with inspiring colleagues in translational genomics, single cell genomics, drug development for novel therapeutic targets, and engineering & AI.”

The department includes four full-time Ph.D. basic scientists and four medical oncologists who have active laboratory programs focused on various aspects of urologic oncology. Each has a dedicated fully-equipped laboratory with technical staff support. The laboratories are located in either the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center or the adjacent Harlyne J. Norris Research Tower.

In addition to individual laboratory equipment, the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center has 12 laboratory cores with technical staff and equipment available to cancer center laboratories. These include DNA sequencing, genomics, microarrays, cell culture, cell and tissue imaging, small animal imaging, pharmacoanalytical core, transgenic mouse modeling, translational pathology, biostatistics and informatics.