Zen Vuong
Zen Vuong is a USC media relations writer who covers health and medical research. Before joining USC, she was a science writer at the Pasadena Star-News.
Stories by Zen Vuong:
Schizophrenia disrupts the brain’s entire communication system, researchers say
Wiring is frayed in more than just one region, according to a new international study — the largest analysis of white matter to date — by USC and other institutions.
USC team discovers how liver cancer cells survive
The discovery by Keck School of Medicine researchers could ultimately lead to new therapies for the cancer, for which incidence rates have been rising steadily.
USC scientists put the cancer patient at the center of scientific discovery
Peter Kuhn travels to Vietnam, where he explains the university’s personalized approach to treatment and research.
The next decade could bring a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s research, USC expert says
Renowned researcher Paul Aisen predicts science may be close to slowing and eventually preventing the disease.
1 in 5 children in the U.S. enter school overweight or obese, researchers find
As National Childhood Obesity Month begins, USC experts talk healthy habits and explain how sugar intake and diet affect the brain.
Genetics put some older women at higher risk than men for Alzheimer’s
Women genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s are more susceptible than men between ages 65 and 75, researchers discover.
USC researcher identifies a new potential way to treat HIV
Targeting human proteins may be a more effective treatment than using “HIV cocktails” to maintain health.
Zika virus may harm baby by stifling pregnant women’s weakened immune system
Pregnant women and their unborn babies are most vulnerable to the Asian Zika virus during their first and second trimesters, USC researchers say.
Health expert uses an unlikely source — pop culture — to learn what matters to you
Jon-Patrick Allem uses information from Google searches and social media posts to generate research that brings about change.
New map may lead to drug development for complex brain disorders
A study of protein interactions could be the first step to finding treatments that focus on problematic pathways, USC researcher says.
Drinking coffee could lead to a longer life
Whether it’s caffeinated or decaffeinated, coffee is associated with lower mortality, which suggests the association is not tied to caffeine.
Tiny fossils reveal backstory of the most mysterious amphibian alive today
The discovery fills a significant gap in the evolutionary history of frogs, toads and other amphibians.
Happy 10th birthday, iPhone: You’ve changed the world in addictive ways
Our love of smartphones shows no sign of stopping a decade after Apple released its first one.
Researchers discover what may be earliest stage of Alzheimer’s
Clusters of a sticky protein — amyloid plaque — found in the brain signal mental decline years before symptoms appear, a new study finds.
Overweight children are excluded from friendships and disliked by peers, USC study finds
Negative social interactions can increase the kids’ risk of loneliness, depression, poor eating habits and illness.
Every 66 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s
Marking Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, USC researchers analyze big data, help caregivers and create preventive medication to discover factors that protect us as we age.
Science without borders is needed to solve the mystery of Alzheimer’s disease
Renowned scientists share recent findings at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute in a collaborative effort to streamline unpublished research findings toward possible solutions.
Opioid epidemic may be driving illicit drug users to use needles sooner, USC study finds
Injection comes more quickly to those born in the ’80s and ’90s, increasing their risk of HIV, mental health disorders, overdose and early death.
With Earth Day, USC experts consider climate change and pro-EPA protests
Environmentalists, scientists and citizens concerned about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will take to the streets in the #MarchForScience.
The close-to-home reason this USC brain scientist is trying to figure out Alzheimer’s
Arthur Toga saw the disease ravage his family, so he’s worked to transform what scientists know and think about the memory-erasing illness that affects 1 in 3 seniors.
Cracking the brain’s genetic code to prevent neurological and psychiatric diseases
Through crowdsourcing, researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have aggregated some of the largest brain scan data sets for certain neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Childhood head injuries appear to cause structural changes in brain
The speed of information traveling within a child’s brain may signal who needs the most help after a head injury.
Newfound primate teeth fill a gap in the evolutionary tree of life
The species of primate from India is distantly related to the lemurs of Madagascar.
From mother to baby: ‘Secondhand sugars’ can pass through breast milk
Even a small amount of fructose in breast milk is associated with increases in a baby’s body weight.