A group of top government science and technology officials from Vietnam visited USC on Sept. 17, touring the Health Sciences Campus and meeting with researchers.

(Photo/Jon Nalick)

Frank Markland (back row, third from left), PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, hosted the visit, which also featured discussion of his collaboration with researchers at the Research Institute for Rural Technology and Hanoi Medical University, both in Vietnam. Their research seeks ways to use snake venom peptides as chemical weapons against breast and prostate cancers. Mai Ha (front row, center) of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, led the delegation. Steve Swenson, PhD, assistant professor of research biochemistry and molecular biology (back row, second from right), and David Baron, DO, MSEd, assistant dean for global initiatives (back row, center), helped facilitate the visit.