Congratulations to Dr. Eda Atmaca on successfully defending her PhD dissertation! Her groundbreaking research on ZNF462 and human neurodevelopment advances our understanding of Weiss-Kruszka syndrome and lays the foundation for future discoveries in neurodevelopmental disorders.

USC Stem Cell scientists and Stanford collaborators have developed a renewable source of immune cells that could help advance cancer immunotherapies and treatments for other diseases. Learn more about this incredible study here: https://bit.ly/4vlxM5k.

Calling all PhD students in developmental biology, stem cell biology, & regenerative medicine! Applications are now open for the 2026 NIH T32 PhD Fellowships in Developmental Biology, Stem Cells, and Regeneration. Apply by July 3 for the 2026 fellowships. https://bit.ly/4a61DWS

2026 Call for Applications: NIH T32 PhD Fellowships in Developmental Biology, Stem Cells, and Regeneration

All PhD students who are conducting research related to developmental biology, stem cell biology, and/or regenerative medicine are encouraged to apply for a training fellowship. We have two slots avai...

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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: https://bit.ly/3QgHqXu

2026 BS in Human Development and Aging Grad Finds Belonging, Embraces Research and Leadership

A first-generation college student, BS in Human Development & Aging grad Tiffany Wang treasures the support she found at the USC Leonard Davis School.

gero.usc.edu

📢 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: https://bit.ly/3SjmbF6

2026 USC Stem Cell/SPARK at USC Innovation Catalyst Grant in Regenerative Medicine

The USC Stem Cell/SPARK at USC grant is focused on the support of regenerative medicine innovation (therapeutics or diagnostics). Integration of AI technology is highly encouraged.The new SPARK at USC...

stemcell.keck.usc.edu

Congrats to Keyue Shen, Assoc. Professor of Biomedical Engineering & USC Stem Cell affiliated faculty member, on being elected to the @aimbe-official.bsky.social College of Fellows. This honor recognizes Shen’s contributions to biomedical engineering & disease research. https://bit.ly/4uPLi0L

How Watching Living Cells Could Transform Disease Research and Treatment - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering

USC biomedical engineer Keyue Shen has been elected to the AIMBE College of Fellows for developing tools that measure how living cells signal and interact in real time - without destroying them.

viterbischool.usc.edu

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: https://bit.ly/4wNMa7G

How an unexpected finding turned into a kidney disease startup - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering

USC researcher Eunji Chung 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.

viterbischool.usc.edu

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. 📷 Amor Mathershed

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: https://bit.ly/49aVSXv

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.

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: https://bit.ly/4u2ifXB

USC Presidential Scholar Taylor Renneker studied stem cells at @keckschoolusc.bsky.social and trained at White Memorial Hospital through USC Dornsife’s Gateway Internship Program. She starts med school this summer and hopes to one day open her own clinic. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wbICvu

Health challenges fuel two graduating seniors’ passion for medicine

USC Dornsife graduates head to medical school, driven by research, service and their own experiences with childhood illness

dornsife.usc.edu

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, at USC Stem Cell

Congratulations to Dr. Qi-Long Ying, whose photo, highlighting GSK3α as a key checkpoint in stem cell fate, where its inhibition preserves self-renewal capacity, has been selected as the Biomedical Picture of the Day. https://bpod.org.uk/archive/2026/5/5

BPoD | Common Checkpoint

Common Checkpoint - Biomedical pictures for May 2026.

bpod.org.uk

Maui-raised Alara Berkmen, daughter of Turkish immigrant physicians, is graduating from USC Viterbi 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. https://bit.ly/4trw9S0.

From Maui to Medicine, Viterbi Helped Her Chart Her Own Path - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering

The daughter of Turkish immigrant physicians, Maui-raised Alara Berkmen is graduating from USC Viterbi with a bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track, a business club she built from ...

viterbischool.usc.edu

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.

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. https://bit.ly/4u188S7

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.

Keck School of Medicine of USC@keck.usc.edu · 4mo ago

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. https://bit.ly/4cfZLuT 📷 Duo Wang/Ying Lab/USC Stem Cell

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: https://bit.ly/4drAGiX.

Congratulations to Dr. Mohamed Abou-el-Enein who named Outstanding New Investigator by @asgct.bsky.social! 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: https://bit.ly/4bQN9LK

Meet USC's stem cell master's program scholarship recipients, Dean's Fellow Erik Gutierrez and Cardinal & Dhablania-Kim Fellows Logan Beharry, Ken Furuichi, and Brian Rubio: combining medicine with mentorship, science with service. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4s1sPfz @keckschoolusc.bsky.social

The heat was ON! On March 13th, USC Stem Cell hosted its first-ever Spice Competition, inviting team members to showcase their culinary creativity through one shared passion, bold, spicy flavors. Congratulations to all who participated and made this first competition a memorable success.

Parkinson’s disease affects more than one million Americans. No cure or therapy slows progression, but Keck Medicine of USC is testing stem cells to replace damaged brain cells in an early clinical trial. Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/4sQ5EW9.

New stem cell treatment may offer hope for Parkinson’s disease

LOS ANGELES — Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than one million people in the United States, with approximately 90,000 new cases diagnosed each year. A...

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Dr. Yang Chai's path to USC from China led the clinician-scientist through resilience and growth, and now the Ostrow Dean will nurture learning, patient care and research into the future. Read the full feature story here: https://dentistry.usc.edu/growing-a-garden-of-academic-excellence/

Congratulations to Dr. Giorgia Quadrato on her @isscr.org Early Career Award Honorable Mention! A global leader in human brain organoid research, she's driving breakthroughs in neuroscience, developmental biology & regenerative medicine. So well deserved! https://bit.ly/40RFE0B

We are thrilled to congratulate Dr. Ksenia Gnedeva on receiving the 2026 Geraldine Dietz Fox Young Investigator Award from the Association for Research in Otolaryngology (@aro-mwm.bsky.social) for her work in understanding the development and regeneration of the inner ear's sensory hearing cells.

Take a journey into the world of stem cell biology with our Masters program at USC! Our application portal is open! If you would like to learn more, please register for our INFO SESSION on Feb. 20, by clicking here: bit.ly/3JqJJUu.

USC is launching the new Center for Stem Cell Engineering, a collaboration between @keckschoolusc.bsky.social and USC Viterbi. The center will bring together biologists, engineers, and physicians to translate discoveries into therapies. https://bit.ly/4qnDd1e

USC launches a new Center for Stem Cell Engineering on the Health Sciences Campus

A stem cell is not only a biological mystery, but also an engineering challenge—a structure to shape, a system to measure, and a dataset to decode. To meet this challenge, USC is launching the new Cen...

stemcell.keck.usc.edu

USC biomedical engineers have found a way to make a solid tumor paint a target on its own back in order to train the body’s immune system to find and destroy it. Learn more: https://viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2025/11/tricking-tumors-into-marking-themselves-for-destruction/

Tricking Tumors into Marking Themselves for Destruction - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering

New research from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering harnesses focused ultrasound to reprogram solid tumors, making them more effective targets for immune cells.

viterbischool.usc.edu