USC rheumatology community seminar answers diagnosis, treatment questions on rheumatic diseases

By Amy E. Hamaker

Rheumatic diseases affect millions of people in the United States every year: Nearly 54 million have been diagnosed with arthritis; 1.5 million Americans have a form of lupus; fibromyalgia affects an estimated 5 million U.S. adults; and scleroderma impacts an estimated 300,000 Americans.

To learn more about these conditions and what can be done to treat them, 150 rheumatology patients and their families gathered at the recent USC Rheumatology 6th Annual Community Seminar. The April 27 event, sponsored by Amgen and Genentech and held at the Mayer Auditorium on USC’s Health Sciences campus, gave the attendees a chance to share their insights and experiences with rheumatic diseases and get information from physicians from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. … Read More »

July 26th, 2013|Announcements|

Ford honored for working with underrepresented minority students

By Josh Grossberg

He’s a respected researcher, prolific author, valued mentor, and selfless humanitarian.

For Henri Ford, professor of surgery, vice dean for medical education at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and vice president and chief of surgery at Keck School-affiliated Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, life’s journey has been one of learning, sharing and giving.

To honor his many contributions to healthcare, diversity and philanthropy, Ford was given the 2013 NMF Academic Medicine and Clinical Practice Award by National Medical Fellowships. The award was presented at the NMF Champions of Health Awards ceremony on June 26 in Los Angeles. … Read More »

July 25th, 2013|Announcements|

Keck student named to AAMC governing board

 

Mariya Kalashnikova Mariya Kalashnikova

By Jon Nalick

Keck School of Medicine of USC student Mariya Kalashnikova has been selected as the sole medical student representative to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) executive board.

The AAMC is governed by a 17-member board of directors, which manages the affairs of the association by providing strategic direction, fiduciary oversight and generative thinking.

Associate Dean for Student Affairs Donna Elliott said, “The Keck School of Medicine is honored to have one of our students, Mariya Kalashnikova, selected to serve … [she] will be the voice of all U.S. medical students and have a role in influencing medical education and health care policy on a national level.” … Read More »

July 25th, 2013|Announcements|

NEWMAKERS

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July 25th, 2013|Announcements|

Forum kicks off USC’s summer high school programs in stem cell research

By Cristy Lytal

More than 20 local students are enjoying a summer of hands-on experience in stem research laboratories, through the USC Early Investigator High School (EiHS) and the USC CIRM Science, Technology and Research (STAR) programs.

Darren Harris, a student at Lifeline Education Charter School, explained what the opportunity means to him at the USC Stem Cell Public Policy Education Forum, held in the Aresty Auditorium on July 12. … Read More »

July 25th, 2013|Announcements|

Interdisciplinary health team shows how collaboration bolsters care

By Kukla Vera

Ninety-one-year-old Filomena Flores recently welcomed a very special group of USC students into her home.

Although her visitors came from seven different professional programs spanning the university — dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant practice and social work—they arrived as a team.

This meeting, led by an accompanying faculty mentor, was the first of a series aimed at teaching students to work collaboratively in examining the health issues facing Flores and identifying ways to improve her care. … Read More »

July 25th, 2013|Announcements|

National ranking places USC hospitals among the best

Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital are once again ranked among the best hospitals in the United States in U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Hospitals” rankings. The hospitals have been included in the rankings since 2009, when the University of Southern California purchased the hospitals.

USC-affiliated Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, staffed exclusively by faculty physicians from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, also was named last month to U.S. News’ Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll, and ranked in the top five in the nation. … Read More »

July 25th, 2013|Announcements|

Hinton named associate dean for vision science

David R. Hinton, M.D., professor of pathology, neurological surgery and ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has been named the school’s inaugural associate dean for vision science. Hinton is a distinguished scientist and educator, and one of the world’s foremost experts on the biology of macular degeneration.

Hinton will spearhead the development of new vision science programs in education, training and research. He will also be responsible for coordinating vision research efforts that are located throughout Keck School departments, and between the Keck School and other departments and schools at USC. … Read More »

July 25th, 2013|Announcements|

Verdugo Hills Hospital joins the USC family

Len LaBella (left), CEO of Verdugo Hills Hospital and Tom Jackiewicz, CEO of USC Health, celebrate USC Verdugo Hills Hospital’s debut as the newest member of the Keck Medicine of USC family. They joined hospital employees at a July 24 celebration, featuring the USC Trojan Marching Band, a barbecue luncheon and decorations in cardinal and gold. Photo/Steve Cohn Len LaBella (left), CEO of Verdugo Hills Hospital and Tom Jackiewicz, CEO of USC Health, celebrate USC Verdugo Hills Hospital’s debut as the newest member of the Keck Medicine of USC family. They joined hospital employees at a July 24 celebration, featuring the USC Trojan Marching Band, a barbecue luncheon and decorations in cardinal and gold.
Photo/Steve Cohn

Cardinal and gold colors swept through the Foothill communities of Los Angeles in mid-July as the University of Southern California debuted its newest member of the Keck Medicine of USC family, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.

A kick-off celebration luncheon was held for employees under a tent on the grounds of the hospital, where employees were greeted by Tom Jackiewicz, CEO of USC Health, and Len LaBella, CEO of Verdugo Hills Hospital.

Amid red and yellow balloons and festooned tables, the newest members of the Trojan family took time out to enjoy a barbecue feast and a visit by the Trojan Marching Band.

“This is a wonderful change,” said nurse Maral Atashian of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital’s Med-Surg Unit. “The future looks great for us!”

The acquisition of this Foothill communities’ hospital, which boasts a 40-year legacy of delivering health care to residents in the area, was part of a larger strategy to address the challenges of a changing health care environment. Keck Medicine of USC offers the size and resources, as well as the innovation to improve care and reduce costs, needed by community hospitals to remain viable and competitive.

The addition of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital expands and improves Keck Medicine of USC’s ability to deliver community-based services. … Read More »

July 25th, 2013|Announcements|

Henri Ford honored for working with underrepresented minority students

By Josh Grossberg

Henri Ford (center) celebrates with Keck School National Medical Fellowship winners (from left) Ruth Montes, Miriam Lassiter, Dr. Ford, Maria Sandoval and Edwin Kulubya. Photo/BlankLogo Photography Henri Ford (center) celebrates with Keck School National Medical Fellowship winners (from left) Ruth Montes, Miriam Lassiter, Dr. Ford, Maria Sandoval and Edwin Kulubya.
Photo/BlankLogo Photography

 

He’s a respected researcher, prolific author, valued mentor and selfless humanitarian.

For Henri Ford, professor of surgery, vice dean for medical education at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and vice president and chief of surgery at Keck School-affiliated Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, life’s journey has been one of learning, sharing and giving.

In recognition of his many contributions to health care, diversity and philanthropy, Ford was recently honored with the 2013 Excellence in Academic Medicine and Clinical Practice Award from the National Medical Fellowships, presented at a ceremony on June 26.

The National Medical Fellowships is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships for underrepresented minorities entering the health professions. … Read More »

July 16th, 2013|Announcements|

Keck School of Medicine set to open Biosafety Level 3 lab

By Ina Fried

A new infectious diseases laboratory at the Keck School of Medicine of USC will allow researchers to study bacteria and viruses that threaten humans with serious airborne diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), SARS and pandemic influenza.

Now under construction on the top floor of the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, the lab is being built to the exacting requirements of a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) lab, a federal classification of a facility designed for the study of agents that can cause potentially severe or fatal illness as a result of exposure by inhalation. … Read More »

July 16th, 2013|Announcements|

Keck Medical Center hosts workshops for Latinas

Four staff members of Keck Medical Center of USC recently participated in a conference for Latina girls.

Keck Medical Center hosted two workshops at the 19th annual Adelante Mujer Latina Teen Conference on May 11.  The conference is designed to educate and inspire Latina girls, while providing them with professional role models and plans for their future. … Read More »

July 12th, 2013|Announcements|

Better patient care? Yes, there’s app for that

By Josh Grossberg

Thanks to some cutting-edge technology, inpatient nurses and Keck Medical Center of USC will soon be able to connect with patients and other nurses and receive critical alarms just by reaching into their pockets.

In August, the center will receive 300 specialty iPhones that will enable inpatient nursing staff to work faster, smarter and easier.

“This will become their communication device,” said Keith Paul, chief technology officer for USC Health Sciences. “The idea is to give them one device to do everything.” … Read More »

July 12th, 2013|Announcements|

SAFETY FIRST

The Injury Prevention Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles hosted a free car seat check for families at the USC Child Care Center on June 21, as part of an effort to reduce the potential for accidental injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, three of four car seats are installed incorrectly, so CHLA certified safety technicians checked car seats and reinstalled them to assure best placement — and also provided new ones when needed. … Read More »

July 12th, 2013|Announcements|

USC study sheds light on stem cell reprogramming

By Josh Grossberg

Researchers are learning how to turn regular cells into stem cells, a process called reprogramming. However, some of the mechanisms of the process remain unknown, such as why only a small proportion of the cells can be reprogrammed. Researchers have at least part of the answer: the structure of genes.

“Nobody knows anything about how the 3-D genome structure is reorganized during reprogramming,” said Wange Lu, associate professor at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “But we found out that it is a very important process. If the structure is not established correctly, the cells may cause diseases when they are used later in clinical applications.”

Lu and his team have made a series of discoveries that shed light on the process. Their findings have been published in the July issue of Cell Stem Cell. … Read More »

July 12th, 2013|Announcements|

NEWSMAKERS

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July 12th, 2013|Announcements|

PhD student’s research featured on journal cover

djs_blood_121_22_cover-sample1.inddZhengfei Lu, a PhD candidate in the lab of Michael Lieber, the Rita and Edward Polusky Professor in Basic Research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, is the first author of a research study featured on the cover of the May 30 issue of Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology.  The paper is titled “BCL6 breaks occur at different AID sequence motifs in Ig–BCL6 and non-Ig–BCL6 rearrangements.”

According to Lu, “chromosomal rearrangements are common in human cancer.  By analyzing chromosomal break sequences collected from patients, we have discovered the fingerprints left by the process that caused the lymphoma. … Read More »

July 12th, 2013|Announcements|

USC research IDs potential treatment for deadly, HIV-related blood cancer

By Alison Trinidad

Researchers at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a promising new way to treat a rare and aggressive blood cancer most commonly found in people infected with HIV.

The USC team shows that a class of drugs called BET bromodomain inhibitors effectively targets primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a type of cancer for which those drugs were not expected to be effective. … Read More »

July 12th, 2013|Announcements|

It’s never to early to learn about fire safety

From left, Robert Vance, emergency management officer at Keck Medical Center, and Jim Buck, program coordinator for the Rapid Response Team, deliver advice about household fire safety to children from the USC Child Care Center. Photo/Jon Nalick From left, Robert Vance, emergency management officer at Keck Medical Center, and Jim Buck, program coordinator for the Rapid Response Team, deliver advice about household fire safety to children from the USC Child Care Center.
Photo/Jon Nalick

By Josh Grossberg

About 40 preschoolers from the USC Child Care Program at the Health Sciences Campus attended a June 26 presentation, where they learned tools to keep safe if they encounter a dangerous situation.

Meeting in the cafeteria at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, the tots learned such safety rules as what to do if they find matches (don’t play with them) and what to do if a fire alarm goes off (find a safe place). … Read More »

July 12th, 2013|Announcements|