Runners raced out of the starting gate at the 4th Annual LA Prostate Cancer 5K, held on Sept. 15 on the University Park Campus. Dubbed the “‘Stash Dash,” the event was held to raise money to help turn the page on the fight against prostate cancer. … Read More »
By Leslie Ridgeway
Despite decades of efforts to control its use, tobacco continues to be the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. USC is one of 14 academic institutions designated to receive significant funding to contribute to a new, first-of-its-kind regulatory science tobacco program intended to support tobacco product regulations.
The Keck School of Medicine of USC Department of Preventive Medicine will receive $20 million over five years, establishing one of 14 Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science (TCORS) in Los Angeles. … Read More »
By Sara Reeve
When NBA center Jason Collins came out as a gay man on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, he became a cultural icon — the first openly gay athlete playing a major American team sport.
During the first of the Dean’s Distinguished Lecture series, Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA, interviews NBA player Jason Collins on his coming out as an openly gay athlete.
(Photo/Steve Cohn)
“I am definitely not alone,” said Collins. “Statistically speaking, there are [gay athletes] in all sports.”
In a wide-ranging discussion with Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA. Collins discussed his coming out process, a phone call with President Barack Obama, on being a role model and his future in the NBA. … Read More »
By Leslie Ridgeway
Keck School Board of Overseers member Deborah Lanni is a presenting sponsor at the 40th year celebration gala for the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Philanthropist and Pasadena resident Deborah Lanni has pledged $250,000 as a presenting sponsor to support the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, which is celebrating its 40th year with a gala celebration this fall.
The event, titled “40 Years of Progress — Discovering New Cures” will take place Friday, Oct. 11, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Westin Bonaventure hotel. Award-winning comedian and actor Martin Short will emcee, and there will be special musical entertainment.
The goal of the event is to raise more than $1 million for cancer research at USC Norris while looking back on breakthroughs and successes and looking forward to the future of cancer research. … Read More »
Young adults are the future of health care, and nowhere is that more evident than on USC’s Health Sciences Campus. … Read More »
By Jon Nalick
As any courier knows, delivering a package on time is just part of the equation. But it also has to be delivered to the right place.
The same is even more true inside a human cell, where timely, accurate deliveries of chemical messages, proteins and fuel mean the difference between life and death for the cell—and between health and disease for the body as a whole. … Read More »
By Alison Trinidad
USC has recruited renowned spine surgeon Jeffrey C. Wang, MD, to join its faculty as co-director of the USC Spine Center, a multidisciplinary program offering comprehensive services for spinal disorders.
An international leader in spine care with expertise in the surgical treatment of all neck and back disorders, Wang joined Keck Medicine of USC on Sept. 1 as chief of orthopaedic spine surgery at the Keck Medical Center and professor of orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. … Read More »
By Alison Trinidad
USC has recruited four physicians specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders that affect hearing, balance, speech, swallowing, sleep and facial function to join its faculty physician practice. … Read More »
By Amy E. Hamaker
Early childhood is a time for discovery, playing with friends and learning more about the world. But for Jacob Landis, it was also a time for that world to go silent.
Two-year-old Landis took his first hearing test when his mother felt that his speech development was slower than normal. Landis’ hearing was compromised, and over the next three years, his hearing continued to deteriorate — he was fitted with his first hearing aids in kindergarten. By fourth grade, Landis had lost his hearing entirely.
After more than 600 appointments with otolaryngology doctors, audiologists and other specialists, Landis was finally referred to John Niparko, MD. In June 1999, Niparko performed cochlear implant surgery on Landis, who was just 10 years old. … Read More »
William J. Mack, MD, was named to the board of directors of the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) at the group’s Annual Meeting. In this position, Mack, an assistant professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, will play a leading role with the society in continuing initiatives to resource, train and support veteran and new practitioners to bring advanced treatment approaches to neurovascular conditions. … Read More »
By Amy E. Hamaker
Bernice Christenson has a long history with USC, beginning with her time studying for her master’s degree in education in 1955. She was a founding member of the Keck Hospital of USC Hospital Guild, and president in 1995; she received the Widney Alumni House Award in 1997 for outstanding leadership, volunteerism and loyalty to the university.
Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital CEO, Scott Evans, PharmD, and Luanda Grazette (right), MD, MPH, associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of USC, celebrate the gift of a Cheetah NICOM monitor from Bernice Christenson (left) at a special luncheon in Christenson’s honor.
(Photo/Amy E. Hamaker)
At 95 years old, Christenson continues her support of USC through the gift to Keck Hospital of USC of $15,000 for a noninvasive monitor that will help physicians to better evaluate cardiac conditions with less discomfort to patients.
The USC School of Pharmacy, the USC Center for Excellence in Research and the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC have collaborated to present a Careers in Science lecture.
The lecture will be held on Friday, Sept. 13, from 3-6 p.m. in the conference room (BCC 101) at the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research building at USC. … Read More »
The Roxanna Todd Hodges Stroke Foundation will be holding a Stroke Awareness & Prevention seminar at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital on Thursday, Sept. 5, from noon to 2 p.m. The guest speaker will be Nerses Sanossian, MD, assistant professor of neurology and associate director of the Neurocritical Care/Stroke Section at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. … Read More »
By Josh Grossberg
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have found a way to identify patients who may be susceptible to certain complications while recovering from large wounds and complicated reconstructive surgeries. The team’s findings have been published in August in the Public Library of Science’s online publication PLOS ONE.
The team, led by Alex Wong, MD, assistant professor of clinical surgery at the Keck School, discovered five genetic biomarkers that can identify patients who could be susceptible to vein failure after receiving “flaps.” Flaps are tissues that are teeming with tiny blood vessels, which can be moved from one part of the body to another to help the healing process. … Read More »
It’s the start of the fall semester, and Keck School of Medicine of USC students are back on the Health Sciences Campus! … Read More »
The second annual Roxanna Todd Hodges Visiting Lectureship in Stroke Prevention and Education was awarded to Cheryl Bushnell, MD, MHS, associate professor of neurology at Wake Forest School of Medicine. Bushnell is director of the Wake Forest Baptist Stroke Center and a thought leader in issues regarding women’s health and stroke, and performing community interventions for reducing stroke risk.
Bushnell’s lecture, “21st Century Stroke Prevention: What will it look like?” was presented at Neurology Grand Rounds held the morning of Aug. 6 at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, part of the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
By Cristy Lytal
Chinese businessman Yong Chen has pledged $1 million to USC stem cell researcher Qi-Long Ying to support his future “eureka moments.”
“When I talked to Mr. Chen, I told him that groundbreaking discoveries often come from unexpected directions,” said Ying, PhD, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. “You suddenly have a very creative and unusual idea, and you test it. And it works.” … Read More »
By Ryan Ball
Moving beyond the metropolis of Panama City and into the rural provinces, Keck School of Medicine of USC student Javier Sotelo was struck by the disparity in health-care accessibility he witnessed. He was surprised to find himself handing out emergency kits to midwives and educators, who provide primary care in areas where physician visits involve traveling several hours over dirt roads.
Sotelo was one of 32 students who studied abroad last semester as part of USC’s Master of Science in Global Medicine program. He and some classmates recently participated in the inaugural Global Citizenship Roundtable, where they shared their experiences and encouraged Keck School of Medicine of USC students to broaden their perspective.
In addition to Panama, students visited Taiwan, Honduras and India. … Read More »
Two new leaders will take on the management of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. Debbie Walsh, RN, MSN, has been appointed the new CEO of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, succeeding former CEO Len LaBella who is retiring after 12 years at Verdugo Hills Hospital.
In addition, Donald Larsen, MD, MBA, has been appointed chief medical officer for USC Verdugo. The announcements come on the heels of a hospital-wide celebration event and the transformation of Verdugo Hills Hospital as a part of Keck Medicine of USC. … Read More »
In a memo sent out recently to academic deans, faculty and staff, USC Provost Elizabeth Garrett, JD, announced the creation of a new program to enhance the “success and effectiveness of tomorrow’s health-care professionals.”
Garrett stated that she and Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA, worked together to create the Provost’s Postdoctoral Scholars Program for Clinical Residents and Fellows. Beginning in fall 2013, this new signature program will award qualifying senior residents and fellows at Keck Hospital of USC, LAC+USC Medical Center and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles the rights and privileges of a postdoctoral scholar at USC. Those privileges include up to 20 units of graduate tuition funding to support their education and full access to library material and facilities for their study or work. … Read More »