USC Stem Cell unites 100 research faculty members from all disciplines across the university. These researchers collaborate to translate discoveries into cures.
When Tiffany Wang arrived at USC as a first-generation student, she was searching for belonging. Four years later, she's graduating as an award-winning researcher, student leader, COMPASS Fellow, and QuestBridge Scholar.
Read more here: bit.ly/3QgHqXu
📢 USC Stem Cell and SPARK at USC have launched the Innovation Catalyst Grant in Regenerative Medicine, supporting innovative therapeutics, diagnostics, and AI-enabled technologies. Applications due June 30, 2026.
Learn more and apply: stemcell.keck.usc.edu/2026-u…
Congrats to Keyue Shen, Assoc. Professor of Biomedical Engineering & USC Stem Cell affiliated faculty member, on being elected to the AIMBE College of Fellows. This honor recognizes Shen’s contributions to biomedical engineering & disease research.
viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2…
USC researcher and USC Stem Cell affiliate PI Eunji Chung, PhD, spent over a decade learning to steer nanoparticles through the body. Now she’s using that knowledge to take on one of the most common inherited kidney disorders.
Read the full article here: viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2…
USC undergraduates took center stage at USC CIRM COMPASS Scholars Program symposium, presenting stem cell research that’s shaping the future of regenerative medicine. Through mentorship and hands-on lab experience, USC is helping train the next generation of stem cell scientists.
ALT A group of people wearing white outfits and red stoles sit and stand around a wooden bench outdoors. They appear to be celebrating a graduation event. Trees and a building are visible in the background.
Every sound you've ever heard passed through these tiny structures. This fluorescent microscopic image of the inner ear shows green auditory hair cells, the sensory receptors that detect sound, surrounded by red supporting cells that help them function.
📸 Ksenia Gnedeva, PhD
A team led by USC Stem Cell scientist Zhongwei Li, PhD, has launched a study of the most complex lab-grown kidney structures developed by USC researchers.
Learn more about this incredible work here: stemcell.keck.usc.edu/usc-re…
The Artist and Researcher exhibit series celebrates the shared curiosity behind art and science, connecting creativity, discovery, and new ways of seeing the world. 🎨🔬
Proud to see USC Stem Cell members featured in this collaboration.
ALT A person is speaking into a microphone while holding a phone. They are standing in front of a poster with the word "SynNotch" and a circuit design in blue.
ALT A person holds a microphone and points at a translucent model of a fish skeleton on display. The model includes labeled sections for cartilage, bone, and gene expression. A sign with color-coded diagrams is on the wall behind the model.
ALT Two people are standing in front of posters on a wall. One holds a microphone and faces a colorful poster titled "Genomics: SNP Mapping." The other person is smiling and looking at the speaker. Another poster titled "Luminous Motion" is partially visible in the background.
ALT Two people are viewed from behind, looking at a colorful art piece on a wall. The artwork features vibrant colors and abstract shapes on a black background.
Join us May 20 (9AM–5PM) at USC Health Sciences Campus for the “Directing Stem Cell Science Toward Clinical Solutions” symposium.
Hear from leading experts and explore how stem cell research is advancing toward real-world clinical impact.
Register here: bit.ly/4u2ifXB
ALT This is a flyer for the USC Stem Cell T32 & CIRM Training Program event titled "Directing Stem Cell Science Toward Clinical Solutions." It features a list of speakers with their topics, including Nidhi Bhutani, Jennifer Davis, Rebekah Crosbie, Thomas Rando, and Katie Hixon. The event is on May 20, 2026, from 9 am to 5 pm at the Aresty Auditorium, USC Health Sciences Campus. A QR code and event registration information are included. Logos for T32, CIRM, and USC Stem Cell are also displayed.
USC Presidential Scholar Taylor Renneker studied stem cells at @KECKSchool_USC and trained at White Memorial Hospital through @USCDornsife’s Gateway Internship Program. She starts med school this summer and hopes to one day open her own clinic.
dornsife.usc.edu/news/storie…
This is what a kidney filter looks like the moment it’s born: 🔵 stem cells (nephron progenitors) awaiting signals, 🟣 a forming filter already transforming, ⬜ the collecting duct directing the process.
Microscopic video courtesy of Nils Lindström, PhD, @USCStemCell
GSK3α enzyme identified as a checkpoint in stem cell fate – when inhibited self-renewal capacity is maintained
đź“· Duo Wang & Xiukun Wang et al Ying Lab @KECKSchool_USC & National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in @cell_res
➡️ bpod.org.uk/archive/2026/5/5 with @rooph
Maui-raised Alara Berkmen, daughter of Turkish immigrant physicians, is graduating from @USCViterbi in Biomedical Engineering (pre-med). A CIRM Compass Scholar at USC Stem Cell, she’s spent 2 years in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.
viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2….
Throwing it back to a visit we won't forget. 🙌 Grateful for the time President Kim spent with us exploring the future of regenerative medicine.
ALT A group of people engaged in a meeting around a large conference table. A person at the head of the table appears to be speaking. A large monitor is mounted on the wall in the background. The setting suggests a professional environment.
ALT A group of people are engaged in a discussion in a laboratory setting, surrounded by scientific equipment.
ALT A group of people are in a laboratory setting. One person is wearing a lab coat, and two others are in business attire, shaking hands with another individual in a casual jacket. Lab equipment and shelves are visible in the background.
Dr. Heinz-Josef Lenz has been appointed University Professor for his interdisciplinary breakthroughs in precision oncology. This is awarded based on multidisciplinary interests and significant accomplishments in several disciplines & is one of @USC’s highest academic honors.
ALT Two individuals in formal attire are holding a framed document from the University of Southern California, which names Heinz Josef Lenz as a University Professor. One individual is wearing a medal. They are standing in front of a gold curtain.
ALT Three researchers in lab coats work in a laboratory. Two are examining a transparent sheet with data, while the third operates equipment at a bench. A clock and various lab instruments are visible in the room.
ALT A group of three people in a laboratory setting, wearing white lab coats, engage in discussion around a table with scientific equipment and containers. The background shows shelves stocked with various lab supplies.
Congratulations to Dr. Andy McMahon on receiving the 2026 @USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring a pioneering career in developmental biology, building scientific communities, and the founding of USC Stem Cell.
stemcell.keck.usc.edu/usc-ho…@KECKSchool_USC
ALT Two individuals stand side by side, smiling, with one holding a framed certificate titled "University of Southern California" and mentioning "Andrew McMahon." Both are dressed in formal attire, and one person is wearing medals on their jacket. A golden curtain serves as the backdrop.
ALT Three individuals posing for a photo at a formal sit down dinner banquet hall. The individual in the middle is wearing a medal on their jacket.
ALT A group of people posing together in front of a brick building with large windows. One person in the front row is wearing a medal.
ALT A group of four people in a lab, all wearing white coats, stand around a lab bench with various scientific equipment and supplies on shelves. One member is holding a document, which they are all looking at. The setting is a typical research laboratory, with bright lighting and ample workspace.
Amazing work coming from the lab of Dr. Qi-Long Ying, identifying GSK3α as a “stemness checkpoint” that regulates differentiation across multiple stem cell types and species. This discovery introduces a unifying framework for understanding how stem cells maintain their identity.
Stem cell identity may be controlled by a shared checkpoint. Keck School of Medicine of USC and NIH researchers identify GSK3α as a regulator of differentiation, advancing regenerative medicine and cancer research. bit.ly/4cfZLuT
đź“· Duo Wang/Ying Lab/@USCStemCell
ALT red indicates mouse embryonic stem cells and green indicates mouse epiblast stem cells. The two cell types were co-cultured under GSK3α inhibition and maintained their distinct identities.
LA teens visited USC's Health Sciences Campus for Stem Cell Day, touring labs, building hands-on skills & competing in Stem Cell Jeopardy. A front-row look at biomedical research & careers in regenerative medicine. Read more: stemcell.keck.usc.edu/stem-c….
@KECKSchool_USC
ALT In a laboratory setting, individuals wearing white lab coats work at a lab bench surrounded by scientific equipment. Supplies from Thermo Fisher Scientific are visible.
ALT Three individuals in lab coats work in a laboratory setting. One person is seated, conducting an experiment inside a biosafety cabinet, while the other two observe closely. There is lab equipment and a waste bin nearby.
ALT Two people in a laboratory setting are working under a fume hood. They are wearing protective clothing, including gloves and lab coats. One person is using a pipette to transfer liquid into small vials on a tray, while various lab equipment and containers are visible on the surface.
ALT A person is presenting a slide in a lecture room. The slide title is "Stem Cell Basics: 400" and it reads, "These adult stem cells are found in the bone marrow."
Congratulations to Dr. Mohamed Abou-el-Enein who was named Outstanding New Investigator by @ASGCTherapy! He & Amaia Cadinanos-Garai also won Best of Molecular Therapy for their paper on identifying the most effective CAR T cells against cancer.
Read more: stemcell.keck.usc.edu/usc-ph…
ALT Photo of Mohamed Abou-el-Enein and Amaia Cadinanos-Garai posing for the camera with the Keck School of Medicine logo on a building in the background. (Photo by Anson Cheung)