Gary Polakovic
Gary Polakovic is manager of research communications at USC University Communications.
Stories by Gary Polakovic:
Cellular mechanism for preventing genetic damage might make matters worse
The new lab study finds an unexpected glitch in a gene that supervises mitosis, one that has important implications for cancer treatment.
Coronavirus vaccines are coming, but when will they arrive?
Humanity has never seen a global research collaboration on this scale — but USC experts note that the vaccine development and approval process remains a long and laborious one.
President Folt’s first year brings renewed energy to USC sustainability
Since her zero-waste inauguration, the president — herself an environmental scientist — has positioned USC to become a leader in sustainable strategies like solar energy.
New flow battery could help unleash renewable energy
USC scientists may have solved the storage problem that has long slowed the spread of renewables.
Urban heat waves imperil L.A.’s most vulnerable communities
New USC research highlights the outsized risk for low-income communities as global warming raises temperatures and our cities become even more crowded.
Why nature, history and American culture all make social isolation difficult
USC experts explain why some people are suffering from extreme lockdown fatigue: it’s a mix of human nature and an American identity that chafes at being “controlled.”
A day in the COVID-19 life of a working mom and USC’s biology lab manager
Gorjana Bezmalinovic has to balance three classes, 20 teaching assistants, 800 students and a loving family. Somehow, she gets it all done.
Disease detectives investigate how COVID-19 spread from animals to humans
The coronavirus may have started with bats, but scientists at USC and beyond are researching how it ended up infecting humans.
Pandemic drives alcohol sales — and raises concerns about substance abuse
As people stay at home and alcohol sales skyrocket, USC experts examine the physical, emotional and mental risks of substance abuse amid the global outbreak.
USC’s creative makers mobilize garages and shops to protect doctors and nurses through 3D printing
Hundreds of faculty and staff members, students and volunteers are building face shields and respirator masks to answer the call from USC’s medical leaders.
Noted hangover remedy has added benefit of protecting the liver
According to a new USC study, dihydromyricetin — an over-the-counter herbal hangover cure — may also help people cope with alcoholism and liver damage.
How hardware store parts transformed into virus-destroying devices
A partnership between USC Viterbi and the Keck School of Medicine has produced a system — built from off-the-shelf items — that uses UV light to disinfect face shields.
To manage COVID-19 stress, develop healthy new habits and consume news in moderation
The societal disruptions caused by the coronavirus can take their toll on our mental health. USC experts offer insight into how to reduce stress during a global pandemic.
USC experts explore new technologies to combat COVID-19
From virtual reality and machine learning to smartphone apps and supercomputing power, researchers are determining which technologies will be the most useful in the battle against the coronavirus.
How does coronavirus affect young people’s psyches?
USC experts note that COVID-19 is the latest calamity for a generation that has experienced life-altering disruptions, from 9/11 to the Great Recession.
How will billions of marine microbes adapt to climate change? A new study investigates
USC scientists and their colleagues have developed a model that estimates two different ways microbes will respond to warming oceans.
From detecting lung cancer to spotting counterfeit money, this new imaging technology could have countless uses
The newly developed method is called SEER, which USC researchers say works up to 67 times faster and provides far greater definition than current techniques.
President Folt outlines her plan for a more sustainable USC
In a speech to environmentally friendly business and civic leaders, USC President Carol L. Folt described how USC plans to transform into a haven for sustainable strategies.
USC 2019 | Research that makes a difference in health, the environment and more
✌ Year in review: USC scientists are serious about changing the world. Take a look at some of this year’s discoveries that are already positively affecting people’s lives.
Germ warfare between bacteria and viruses is a standoff
USC marine biologists have found that the endless struggle between viruses and bacteria ends in a stalemate, scientific proof of the evolutionary principle known as the “Red Queen.”
Why do birds fly differently? New USC study examines the evolution of feathers
Researchers compared feathers from 21 bird species to learn from their biological architecture and potentially apply that knowledge to modern technology.
Four USC professors selected as fellows of renowned scientific society AAAS
The USC scientists join 36 other faculty members as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Searching for answers, students flock to class on the science behind climate change
Enrollment is up in Professor Lowell Stott’s general education class as USC students seek out the scientific underpinnings of our increasingly warming world.
USC stem cell scientists reveal key differences in male, female kidney
A new database that houses data on kidney cells will help researchers better understand how the organ differs across the sexes.