Star Pupils

Meet 3 Astronaut Scholars Who Are Pushing the Frontiers of Science

Recipients of the prestigious Astronaut Scholarship represent some of the country’s best and brightest STEM students.

Anita Sengupta (Photo/ Noe Montes) Fast Lane

Train Travel at Supersonic Speed? A Trojan Alumna at Hyperloop Hopes to Make it Possible

USC Viterbi alumna Anita Sengupta works on a high-speed transportation system that’s like “a spacecraft flying on the ground.”

NASA has set a new launch opportunity, beginning May 5, 2018, for the InSight mission to Mars. InSight is the first mission dedicated to investigating the deep interior of Mars. (Image/Courtesy of NASA, JPL-Caltech) Out of This World

A Trojan Takes the Helm of the Mars InSight Lander Mission

Geophysicist W. Bruce Banerdt of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab embarks on a 300-million mile journey to uncover the secrets of Mars.

(Illustration/ Michael Greenwood) Decisions, Decisions

Are You Bad at Making Decisions? USC Experts Explain Why You’re Not Alone — and How to Get Better

The science of making up your mind is more complicated than you might think.

Ray Stevens, Provost Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry/ (Photo/ Gus Ruelas) The Miracle Mission

To Tackle Diabetes, a Global Research Team Turns to 3D Modeling

Diabetes affects 400 million people around the world. Scientists hope that their models of the cells behind the disease can unlock better treatment.

Brady Connolly lives with the condition known as phenylketonuria, or PKU. (Photo/Gus Ruelas) The Miracle Mission

Diagnosis of Rare Disorder Spurs Families to Turn to Researchers for Answers

After years with no therapies, patients with phenylketonuria, or PKU, now have an available drug and a second is awaiting approval. A USC alumnus and scientist helped make it happen.

(Illustration/ Amy Dixon) The Miracle Mission

Children’s Eye Cancer Treatment Takes Big Step Forward

Innovative research for retinoblastoma may help children preserve their vision — and avoid risky surgery.

Michelson Hall is set up with areas for careful lab work, while open spaces encourage researchers to meet and share ideas. (Photo/ Gus Ruelas) The Miracle Mission

The Race to Discover New Drugs Ramps Up at USC

Academic researchers, family members and industry join forces to fight serious diseases. It’s what can happen at a place like the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience.

Mira's augmented reality headset, Prism, retails for $99. (Photo/Mira) Reality Check

USC Iovine and Young Academy Students Launch Augmented Reality Startup

Trojan classmates-turned-entrepreneurs premiere a smartphone-powered headset.

Anti-Virus Software Tech Talk

3 Surprising Ways Trojans Changed High Tech

Your computer and smartphone wouldn’t be the same without these creations from USC faculty and alumni.

(Illustration/Chris Gash) Tried and True

Digital Tools Connect USC Patients to Clinical Trials That Make a Difference

Clinical trials need patients to advance medical knowledge, but it’s tough to recruit volunteers. Technology may have answers.

Mouse kidney image by Lori O'Brien/McMahon Lab Growing Hope

New Organs? Not Yet, But Stem Cell Research Is Getting Closer

USC scientists harness stem cells to develop potential treatments for everything from repairing kidney diseases to regrowing broken bones.

A zebrafish jaw joint holds lessons about stem cells and development. (Image by Amjad Askary/Crump Lab) Growing Hope

What Are Stem Cells, and How Does USC Use Them?

Stem cells hold the power to regenerate tissue, but how? Learn how stem cells work and the tools USC scientists have to harness them.

(Illustration/Chris Gash) Brain Builders

5 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Change the World by 2050

USC researchers weigh in on artificial intelligence’s future in entertainment, medicine and more.

(Illustration/Chris Gash) Brain Builders

The Future of Artificial Intelligence is Here — in Your Pocket and at USC

USC researchers hone artificial intelligence to thwart international criminals, instantly translate thousands of languages and more.

After a diagnosis of colon cancer, Ryan D'Cunha and his family tried an innovative treatment plan at Keck Medicine. (Photo Courtesy of Ryan D'Cunha) Cancer Quest

Turning the Immune System Against Colon Cancer

Patient Ryan D’Cunha was devastated when he learned a genetic mutation resulted in colon cancer. But he found hope at USC.

USC researchers created a way for lithium-sulfur batteries to hold charge for longer. | ILLUSTRATION BY DIANA MOLLEDA Power Up

The Secret to Better Rechargeable Batteries Is in Their Sandwich

The next wave of smartphone and car batteries could pack big power in a small size.

Addiction to apps and social media could be rising. Digital Domain

Are Smartphones as Addictive as Drugs?

Since their introduction 10 years ago, smartphones have become a necessity many can’t live without.

(Photo/Brad Cracchiola) Speed Zone

The USC Viterbi Engineer Behind the World’s Fastest Wheelchairs

Reimagined wheelchairs revolutionize a Paralympic sport.

At Keck Medicine of USC, surgeons are pioneering technology once unimaginable. | Illustration by Chris Gash Super Surgeries

From Robots to Regrowing Bone, Physicians Take Surgery Where It’s Never Gone Before

At Keck Medicine of USC, surgical research leads to leaps in innovative care in operating rooms.

Once unable to walk or even sit upright, Rafael Hernandez now plays baseball. | PHOTO BY DANIEL DRUHORA Brain trust

For a Boy Locked in His Own Body, These Doctors Brought Hope

Children with dystonia get up and walk again through science, engineering and a brain implant procedure from a team at USC.

Jordon Bautista had to prop her head up with her knee to do homework as her dystonia progressed. DBS changed her life. | PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDON BAUTISTA Brain Trust

Deep Brain Stimulation and the Girl No One Believed

Wires implanted in her brain bring life back to a Southern California teen with dystonia.

Jan Berkeley | ILLLUSTRATION BY JACQUI OAKLEY Out of This World

USC Viterbi Alumna Shoots for the Stars as a NASA Engineer

For Jan Berkeley ’86, the sky’s not the limit. It’s just the beginning.

PET scans can show areas of the brain with decreased activity as well as accumulated plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Changing Minds

USC Researchers Race to Get Ahead of Alzheimer’s

Every 66 seconds someone’s loved one is diagnosed with the disease. Researchers want to know how it happens, and stop it.

Weird Science

4 Surprising Scientific Discoveries with Potential Health Benefits

USC researchers tackle topics from arthritic fish to the hive mind.

The house at 1175 29th St. in Los Angeles served as ground zero for scores of Chinese engineering students who came to USC seeking a better future. Trojans Worldwide

Chinese Tech Pioneers Look Back at Their USC Years

More than 30 years ago, a nondescript Craftsman near campus housed scores of students from China. Few could have predicted what it would launch.

Illustration by Joseph Smit Creature Feature

USC Biologists Search for the ‘Ultimate Pokémon’ in the Wild

The quest is on for an elusive squirrel species.

Block'Hood Photos Courtesy of USC School of Architecture Building Blocks

USC Professor Gamifies Urban Planning with Award-Winning Video Game

A city without waste? In this electronic game, it’s ecology and urban planning for the win.

3-D rendering by Stocktreck/Getty Images Cancer Quest

USC’s Cancer Revolution Calls for Computer Whizzes and Engineers

A $200 million gift from Larry Ellison and vital federal funds support USC’s research efforts.

Empty Chatter

Social Bots are Changing Who—and What—Gets Heard Online

It's a bot's world. We just live in it.

Fact or Fiction

Dispelling Dinosaur Movie Myths

An anatomy expert looks beyond Hollywood's depiction of prehistory's most popular creatures.

USC VIterbi’s Chris Kyriakakis and an international team of researchers studied Greek religious spaces | PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS KYRIAKAKIS Surround Sound

He Uses Sound to Travel Through Time

Chris Kyriakakis is on an acoustic journey for the ages. And there’s chanting…lots of chanting.

C. L. Max Nikias and Niki C. Nikias with Larry Ellison and Nikita Kahn President's Page

A New Beginning

The Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC opens a new chapter in cancer research.

Visual Cues

Truthiness: How Pictures Turn Fiction to Fact

People are more likely to believe a claim when it sounds familiar—especially if it has a photo that goes with it.

Visionary Science

A Bold Vision Comes Into Focus at USC Roski Eye Institute

The institute will change how we see the world—and the ways we can live better in it.

Photo by Ramtin Khah Immersive Environments

The Mind-Bending Works of Behnaz Farahi Give Tech New Life

A USC School of Cinematic Arts student redraws the boundaries between humans and technology.

Climate Talk

Turning Carbon Dioxide into Fuel

We’ll run out of oil and gas, but the sun will be there for another 5 billion years.

Budding engineers like Ruyan Chen ’16, left, benefit from the support of engineering professors like Maja Matarić, center, and Leana Golubchik. | PHOTO BY CODY PICKENS Diversity Matters

Women Engineers Thrive at USC Viterbi

Top-ranked USC Viterbi is one of the most female-friendly engineering schools in the country—and it’s no accident.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN MORTON/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES Global Security

Meet the Pacific Rim’s Disaster Patrol

Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Cybercrime. USC researchers seek out threats to public safety in the Pacific Rim.

James Dolan was part of the team that identified what may be LA’s gravest seismic threat: the Puente Hills blind thrust fault. | PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS Faults in Our Midst

‘Geologic Detective’ Unearths L.A.’s Seismic Secrets

The Southland is being torn apart in ways we are only beginning to understand. Just ask James Dolan.

Start Me Up

5 Trojan Startups Acquired by Major Tech Companies

These unique ventures from USC alumni caught the attention of major tech companies.

Illustration by Lincoln Agnew Start Me Up

Blendspace Founder Talks About Her Road to Success

A startup founder finds her footing in Silicon Valley

ILLUSTRATION BY LINCOLN AGNEW Start Me Up

The Life of a Student Entrepreneur

Startup-minded students explore, learn, network and, if they’re lucky, launch the Next Big Thing.

Password Protection

To Create Stronger Passwords, Use Poetry

Leave it to USC researchers to find a better way to log on safely—using poetry.

Photography by Cody Pickens Start Me Up

Trojan Tech Talk

Four Trojan entrepreneurs share their advice, experience and hope for the future of innovation.

Andrea Belz, director of Innovation Node–Los Angeles. Illustration by Lincoln Agnew. Start Me Up

Guiding the Next Big Idea From Lab to Marketplace

A national investment aims to propel technologies from top U.S. universities into your own hands and homes.

Think Thanks

Neuroscientists Track the Power of Gratitude

The testimonies of Holocaust survivors help scientists map the brain circuitry of their subjects.

Illustration courtesy of USC institute of Creative Technologies Future Forward

3 Advances in Computer Simulation from Army Research at USC

Next-generation computer simulations have grown out of Army research at ICT.

Photo courtesy of the USC Freehand Project Life in 3-D

USC Students Create Prosthetics with 3-D Printers

USC students create hand prosthetics for children in war-torn areas.

Illustration by Lincoln Agnew Start Me Up

The Rise of LA’s Startup Ecosystem

Los Angeles may not be the first name that jumps to mind when it comes to tech startups. But Silicon Beach is flourishing, and USC plays a starring role.

Ashish Soni is founding director of the USC Viterbi Startup Garage and the Viterbi Student Institute for Innovation. Photo by Gus Ruelas Start me up

Q&A: Teaching Entrepreneurship in the Digital Age

Ashish Soni preaches the benefits of hunger, heightened awareness and, yes, failure.

Illustration by Lincoln Agnew Start Me Up

The Future of Virtual Reality Takes Shape in LA

LA’s artistic and technical talents support the growing VR industry.

President Nikias at the Los Angeles Biotech Summit with (from left) community partner Ruth Rios, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis and Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar. President's Page

Bold Plans for a Biotech Park

“We plan to establish a vibrant hub that will dramatically bolster an entirely new industry in Los Angeles: biotechnology.”

Illustration by Chris Gash Master of Mind Games

The Science Behind Our Habits

A USC psychology researcher delves into the surprising ways your subconscious mind affects your actions.

Barbara and Malcolm Currie recently donated $10 million toward the endowment of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and construction of the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. Photo courtesy of USC Libraries Powering Change

Building Bioscience at USC

Through generous gifts and visionary leadership, engineering and health initiatives take shape across the university.

The Next MacGyver

Holding Out for a Hero(ine)

Which one the five finalists in ‘The Next MacGyver’ competition do you want to see on TV?

PHOTO BY MICHELA RAVASIO/STOCKSY Elder-Care Apps

Tech-Savvy Trojan Creates Apps for Seniors

A gerontologist brings tech to an overlooked demographic: seniors.

The Sarcos humanoid robot has helped USC researchers test an artificial spinal cord model | PHOTO BY LUKE FISHER The Robot Revolution

Developing Machines to Promote Human Health

Visionary engineers launch a promising new era for robot-assisted health care.

Ocean Views

USC Wrigley Center Celebrates 50 Years

Four facts you might not know about the environmental research facility

A cochlear implant means Shane Lundie can now hear his mother’s voice. Photo by Steve Cohen. Hear, and Now

Restoring Sound Perception After Hearing Loss

The newly named USC Tina and Rick Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery helps children and adults experience the world of sound.

Diverse Voices

Helping Women Gamers Reach the Next Level

The USC School of Cinematic Arts wants women to make their mark on the video game design industry.

Colors in this brain MRI show the direction of fiber tracks within the hippocampus of a patient with Alzheimer’s disease. Courtesy of Kristi Clark, Carol Miller and The Laboratory of Neuro Imaging Image Conscious

Will Big Data Finally Demystify the Brain and Alzheimer’s?

Digital imaging could revolutionize how we detect and treat dementia and neurologic diseases.

Annette Kim mapped Beijing’s underground housing by sifting through thousands of apartment ads online. Mind the Map

Next-Generation Maps

USC spatial scientists create innovative experimental maps to understand our world—and better it.

Test Drive

Pollution Prescription on Your Morning Freeway Commute

You can get as much as a half of your daily air pollution exposure on your drive. Scott Fruin criss-crosses the Southland to learn more.

Scientists are just starting to understand the tiny particles in air pollution and how they damage the body. Clear the Air

Saving Kids’ Health Through Smog Science

USC researchers help Angelenos breathe a little easier—and healthier.

Digital Detective

Fighting Crime in Las Vegas—with Engineering Skills

Thanks to a USC Viterbi alumnus, it’s game over for slot machine scammers.

Pillow Talk

The Science of Sleep

Too little snoozing takes a toll on our well-being, but USC doctors and scientists have some tips for getting more ZZZs.

USC Dornsife's Josh West, left, and Sarah Feakins sample water for analysis. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Feakins) Lady in the Lake

Drought Answers Buried in the Mud

To dig up history on climate change and drought, Sarah Feakins studies the sediment on lake bottoms.

Reverse osmosis filters used in water treatment plants. Photo by Denguy/Getty Images Climate Talk

Can Technology Beat the California Drought?

With California wilting during a drought that could last 20 years or longer, USC researchers wade through ways LA might tap a sustainable water supply.

Illustration by Viktor Koen Health Monitor

The Future of Digital Health Starts Here

Your smartphone could become as instrumental to your health as your prescriptions, and the USC Center for Body Computing is making it happen.

Photo by Gus Ruelas Their Own Devices

Biotech Brothers Bring Innovations to the Market

The Nadershahi brothers combine their backgrounds in biology, medicine, business and law to launch biomedical devices, especially in women’s health.

Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award honoree Mark Stevens, left, and USC President C. L. Max Nikias. Photo by Ron Murray Risk Taker

A Venture Capitalist’s Rules for Success

Mark Stevens ’81, MS ’84 adds the 2015 Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award to his portfolio.

Photo courtesy of USC Viterbi Tech Legacy

10 Milestones of USC Viterbi

From startups to cybersecurity, USC Viterbi School of Engineering has had a memorable decade since its landmark naming gift.

Robo Bee by Polly Becker Swarm Theory

Robo Beekeeper Thinks Small to Mimic Collective Intelligence

A USC Viterbi scientist wants to create tiny robotic insects that could yield big scientific benefits.

USC Institute for Creative Technology's light domes enable researchers to create photorealistic digital faces. (Photo by Chris Shinn) Future Forward

Meet Your Tech Future

Get a glimpse at five ways USC researchers will change the way you live.

Tech Time

A New App Brings the Trojan Family Together

The USC Fight Online app keeps Trojans connected with each other and their alma mater.

Movers and Shakers

USC Iovine and Young’s Inaugural Class

The USC Iovine and Young Academy welcomes its first class of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs.

Mary and Mark Stevens. Photo by Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times Powering Change

Behind the USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute

“The field of neuroscience represents the next great frontier of medical research in the 21st century,” Mark Stevens says.

Small But Mighty

The Secret Life of Bacteria

Get to know the tiny beings that live all around us—and how USC researchers are understanding and harnessing their powers.

Visionary Science

Restoring Sight to the Blind

At USC Eye Institute, stem cells, wearable computers and biomedical implants are doing what was once impossible—restoring lost sight.

Rendering courtesy of Kelly Slater Wave Company Dawn Patrol

USC Researcher Engineers Perfect Man-Made Waves

A specialist in fluid dynamics teams with pro-surfer Kelly Slater to create endless, perfect waves for surfers.

Photos by John Livzey Come Together

Gary Michelson: Man with a Plan

At USC, philanthropist Gary Michelson just put scientists’ and engineers’ efforts into overdrive.

Photo by Al Seib / Los Angeles Times Trojan Trailblazers

Redefining Reality

USC researcher Mark Bolas pushes the boundaries of human-computer interaction with immersive technologies.

Illustration by Brian Stauffer Setting standards

Teaching Those Who Teach the Next Generation of Science

As educators across the country prepare for new inquiry-based teaching standards, a USC professor helps them think outside the textbook.

Imaging by David Koos Come Together

To Get Treatments to Patients Faster, Make Worlds Collide

Convergence melds life science, physical sciences and engineering to find answers to perplexing problems in health.

Andrea Armani is a professor in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Photo by Gus Ruelas. Come Together

When Physicians, Scientists and Engineers Come Together

They tackle problems from different directions, but their work shows the promise of convergent bioscience.

Photo by Noé Montez Screen Science

Q&A: Meet Hao Li, Computer Scientist with a Flair for Cinematic Effects

USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Hao Li wants to create your future.

PHOTO COURTESY OF USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS The Ultimate Playground

USC’s Interactive Media Building Rewrites the Future of Storytelling

USC students create the digital future in a new interactive building.

Photo by Max S. Gerber Witness Protection

Holocaust Survivor’s 3-D Projection Keeps History Alive

An interactive 3-D program allows students to engage firsthand with a Holocaust witness.

© NASA To The Moon

3-D Printing Takes Engineers Out of This World

USC Viterbi researchers aim to spread their 3-D printing technology throughout our world—and beyond.

Group Think: Students and faculty members work together in spaces throughout the Interactive Media Building to explore the potential of media. (Photo courtesy of USC School of Cinematic Arts) The Future Lives Here

The Mixed Reality Studio is the Newest “Virtual Reality Factory” at USC

The groundbreaking lab at USC School of Cinematic Arts will test the latest virtual reality technology.

Climate Talk

Fuel for Thought: Methanol

USC chemists receive a first-ever $1 million prize for their innovative research on alternative fuels.

From left, Matthew Dunn, Inderbir Gill, Monish Aron, Mihir Desai and Chester Koh (Photo by Philip Channing) Life, Rebooted

Groundbreaking Robot-Assisted Surgery Marks New Chapter for High-Tech Precision

Robotic surgery uses high tech to restore fatherhood and fitness to a man whose life was threatened by kidney cancer.

Image Conscious

Two Leading ‘Mapmakers of the Brain’ are Revolutionizing Neuroimaging

“You will remember some things about this conversation, and that will change your brain.”

Growth Mode

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Expands Keck Medicine Care

Keck Medicine of USC reaches across Southern California

Illustrations by Lorenzo Petrantoni Dr. Discovery

A Scientist is on a Mission to Demystify Dementia

Physician-scientist Berislav Zlokovic searches for better treatments for dementia with a drive to make a difference now.

The Investor

Can Depression Drugs Fight Cancer? USC Aims to Find Out

USC Trustee Daniel Tsai invests in a potential anticancer strategy that unites U.S. and Taiwanese scientists.

Photo by David Zentz Cultivating Creativity

A Degree in Disruption

Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young (Dr. Dre) invest $70 million to prepare USC students who’ll shape the future.

At the formal announcement ceremony in January. (Photo by Steve Cohn) President's Page

Great Minds Converge on Our Biggest Biomedical Problems

Gary Michelson advances the university’s efforts to fast-track detection and treatment of diseases.

Photos courtesy of USC's Space Engineering Research Center Fly to the Sky

Shooting Rockets into Space? There’s a School for That

In Los Angeles, the aerospace industry gets a boost from USC grads with hands-on experience.

Gurita-Hitam/Stock Cancer Quest

Fresh Air

Targeted therapies and other advances create new hope for lung cancer patients.

PHOTO BY LUKE FISHER The Robot Revolution

I, Robot

Children with autism relate to Maja Matarić’s ’bots

President Barack Obama presents Solomon Golomb with the National Medal of Science at an awards ceremony held at the White House. Photo by Ryan K. Morris, National Science & Technology Medals Foundation Medal Man

Busy Signals

The National Medal of Science recognizes Solomon Golomb’s many contributions to communications technology.

Society’s most prominent public figures, such as Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, can now take their unfiltered messages directly to the people through Twitter, leaving mainstream media to play catch-up. Illustration by Dongyi Wu Data Download

Number Crunchers

Ninety percent of the world’s data was created in the last two years. What we do with it will change the future.

©Gary Waters/Ikon Images/Corbis Brain Builders

Meeting of the Minds

Right Brain, this is Left Brain. Scott Fraser’s happy to make the introduction.

©Blake Little/Getty Images Mind Over Matter

Neurodiversity and the University

Students, alumni and faculty on the autism spectrum show they have a place in the university.

Photo / Getty Images Endangered Species

Planet Without Apes

USC biologist Craig Stanford wants to keep the great apes from vanishing from the face of the earth.

Bright Mind

Meet the Man Who Might Have the Key to Cost-Effective Solar Energy

A USC chemist looks to nanomaterials to help us unlock the power of the sun.