By Ryan Ball

The Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Surgery was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to join the Cardiothoracic Surgery Trials Network. The consortium of sites throughout the United States and Canada has been charged with the mission to develop, coordinate and conduct collaborative, proof-of-concept studies and interventional protocols to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes.

The grant money will provide infrastructure support over a five-year period as USC operates as one of the core sites in the network. Michael Bowdish, MD, assistant professor of surgery and director of the Keck School’s mechanical circulatory support program, serves as the principal investigator for the USC site. Bowdish will work with the other nine centers’ steering committees to decide which trials will be performed. The centers will then conduct the same four or five trials, working collaboratively from design to analysis of results and the publishing of papers. … Read More »

The Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC has launched the new division of oral and maxillofacial surgery, which will provide students, residents and faculty of the Ostrow School access to unique educational, clinical and research opportunities in the field.

Announced by Ostrow School Dean Avishai Sadan, DMD, in November 2013, the division will encompass educational activities related to the Ostrow Advanced Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, located at the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, and the Oral Surgery Clinic, located in the Norris Dental Science Center. … Read More »

USC names Jonathan Samet USC President C. L. Max Nikias has named Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, the Flora L. Thornton Distinguished Chair of Preventive Medicine and chair and professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, … Read More »

By Leslie Ridgeway

New research to slow vision loss for macular degeneration patients has been funded at Keck Medicine of USC as part of the third round of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine’s (CIRM) Disease Team awards.

The nearly $19 … Read More »

By Jen Waters

Occupational therapy student Donna Ozawa runs a circular saw to construct a wheelchair ramp for a classmate.
Photo/Photo/Courtesy Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

To many, do-it-yourself renovation projects can be a costly headache waiting to happen. But for occupational therapy student Donna Ozawa, it’s a real passion.

Ozawa has two decades of experience in disciplines including sculpture, design and wheelchair engineering. She received an executive certificate in home modification from the USC Davis School of Gerontology in 2012, and has worked with several professional and volunteer organizations to adapt home spaces to better fit residents’ needs.

Now a student in USC’s occupational therapy master’s class of 2015, Ozawa is pursuing a career that will allow her to seamlessly combine her experiences and interests to help people lead healthier, happier lives in their residences.

The purpose of home modification projects — such as placing non-slip backing under floor rugs, installing grab bars for easy shower entry and exit, or retrofitting entire houses to be wheelchair accessible — is to make tasks easier, reduce in-home accidents and support independent living. … Read More »