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
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.
Brady Connolly lives with the condition known as phenylketonuria, or PKU. (Photo/Gus Ruelas)
The Miracle Mission
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.
Ray Stevens, Provost Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry (Photo/Noé Montes)
The Miracle Mission
Diabetes affects 400 million people around the world. Scientists hope that their models of the cells behind the disease can unlock better treatment.
(Illustration/ Michael Greenwood)
Decisions, Decisions
The science of making up your mind is more complicated than you might think.
Star Pupils
Recipients of the prestigious Astronaut Scholarship represent some of the country’s best and brightest STEM students.
Anita Sengupta (Photo/ Noe Montes)
Fast Lane
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
Geophysicist W. Bruce Banerdt of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab embarks on a 300-million mile journey to uncover the secrets of Mars.
(Illustration/ Amy Dixon)
The Miracle Mission
Innovative research for retinoblastoma may help children preserve their vision — and avoid risky surgery.
Anti-Virus Software
Tech Talk
Your computer and smartphone wouldn’t be the same without these creations from USC faculty and alumni.
Mira's augmented reality headset, Prism, retails for $99. (Photo/Mira)
Reality Check
Trojan classmates-turned-entrepreneurs premiere a smartphone-powered headset.
Mouse kidney image by Lori O'Brien/McMahon Lab
Growing Hope
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
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)
Tried and True
Clinical trials need patients to advance medical knowledge, but it’s tough to recruit volunteers. Technology may have answers.
Addiction to apps and social media could be rising.
Digital Domain
Since their introduction 10 years ago, smartphones have become a necessity many can’t live without.
USC researchers created a way for lithium-sulfur batteries to hold charge for longer. | ILLUSTRATION BY DIANA MOLLEDA
Power Up
The next wave of smartphone and car batteries could pack big power in a small size.
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
Patient Ryan D’Cunha was devastated when he learned a genetic mutation resulted in colon cancer. But he found hope at USC.
(Illustration/Chris Gash)
Brain Builders
USC researchers weigh in on artificial intelligence’s future in entertainment, medicine and more.
(Illustration/Chris Gash)
Brain Builders
USC researchers hone artificial intelligence to thwart international criminals, instantly translate thousands of languages and more.
(Photo/Brad Cracchiola)
Speed Zone
Reimagined wheelchairs revolutionize a Paralympic sport.
Once unable to walk or even sit upright, Rafael Hernandez now plays baseball. | PHOTO BY DANIEL DRUHORA
Brain trust
Children with dystonia get up and walk again through science, engineering and a brain implant procedure from a team at USC.
At Keck Medicine of USC, surgeons are pioneering technology once unimaginable. | Illustration by Chris Gash
Super Surgeries
At Keck Medicine of USC, surgical research leads to leaps in innovative care in operating rooms.
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
Wires implanted in her brain bring life back to a Southern California teen with dystonia.
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
Every 66 seconds someone’s loved one is diagnosed with the disease. Researchers want to know how it happens, and stop it.
Jan Berkeley | ILLLUSTRATION BY JACQUI OAKLEY
Out of This World
For Jan Berkeley ’86, the sky’s not the limit. It’s just the beginning.
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
More than 30 years ago, a nondescript Craftsman near campus housed scores of students from China. Few could have predicted what it would launch.
Weird Science
USC researchers tackle topics from arthritic fish to the hive mind.
Block'Hood Photos Courtesy of USC School of Architecture
Building Blocks
A city without waste? In this electronic game, it’s ecology and urban planning for the win.
Empty Chatter
It's a bot's world. We just live in it.
3-D rendering by Stocktreck/Getty Images
Cancer Quest
A $200 million gift from Larry Ellison and vital federal funds support USC’s research efforts.
Illustration by Joseph Smit
Creature Feature
The quest is on for an elusive squirrel species.
Visual Cues
People are more likely to believe a claim when it sounds familiar—especially if it has a photo that goes with it.
USC VIterbi’s Chris Kyriakakis and an
international team of researchers studied Greek
religious spaces | PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS KYRIAKAKIS
Surround Sound
Chris Kyriakakis is on an acoustic journey for the ages. And there’s chanting…lots of chanting.
Fact or Fiction
An anatomy expert looks beyond Hollywood's depiction of prehistory's most popular creatures.
C. L. Max Nikias and Niki C. Nikias with Larry Ellison and Nikita Kahn
President's Page
The Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC opens a new chapter in cancer research.
Visionary Science
The institute will change how we see the world—and the ways we can live better in it.
Photo by Ramtin Khah
Immersive Environments
A USC School of Cinematic Arts student redraws the boundaries between humans and technology.
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
The Southland is being torn apart in ways we are only beginning to understand. Just ask James Dolan.
PHOTO BY STEPHEN MORTON/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES
Global Security
Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Cybercrime. USC researchers seek out threats to public safety in the Pacific Rim.
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
Top-ranked USC Viterbi is one of the most female-friendly engineering schools in the country—and it’s no accident.
Climate Talk
We’ll run out of oil and gas, but the sun will be there for another 5 billion years.
Illustration by Lincoln Agnew
Start Me Up
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.
Start Me Up
These unique ventures from USC alumni caught the attention of major tech companies.
Illustration by Lincoln Agnew
Start Me Up
A startup founder finds her footing in Silicon Valley
ILLUSTRATION BY LINCOLN AGNEW
Start Me Up
Startup-minded students explore, learn, network and, if they’re lucky, launch the Next Big Thing.
Andrea Belz, director of Innovation Node–Los Angeles. Illustration by Lincoln Agnew.
Start Me Up
A national investment aims to propel technologies from top U.S. universities into your own hands and homes.
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
Ashish Soni preaches the benefits of hunger, heightened awareness and, yes, failure.
Illustration by Lincoln Agnew
Start Me Up
LA’s artistic and technical talents support the growing VR industry.
Photo courtesy of the USC Freehand Project
Life in 3-D
USC students create hand prosthetics for children in war-torn areas.
Illustration courtesy of USC institute of Creative Technologies
Future Forward
Next-generation computer simulations have grown out of Army research at ICT.
Think Thanks
The testimonies of Holocaust survivors help scientists map the brain circuitry of their subjects.
Photography by Cody Pickens
Start Me Up
Four Trojan entrepreneurs share their advice, experience and hope for the future of innovation.
Password Protection
Leave it to USC researchers to find a better way to log on safely—using poetry.
PHOTO BY MICHELA RAVASIO/STOCKSY
Elder-Care Apps
A gerontologist brings tech to an overlooked demographic: seniors.
The Next MacGyver
Which one the five finalists in ‘The Next MacGyver’ competition do you want to see on TV?
The Sarcos humanoid robot has helped USC researchers test an artificial spinal cord model | PHOTO BY LUKE FISHER
The Robot Revolution
Visionary engineers launch a promising new era for robot-assisted health care.
Illustration by Chris Gash
Master of Mind Games
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
Through generous gifts and visionary leadership, engineering and health initiatives take shape across the university.
Ocean Views
Four facts you might not know about the environmental research facility
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
“We plan to establish a vibrant hub that will dramatically bolster an entirely new industry in Los Angeles: biotechnology.”
Annette Kim mapped
Beijing’s underground
housing by sifting
through thousands of
apartment ads online.
Mind the Map
USC spatial scientists create innovative experimental maps to understand our world—and better it.
Diverse Voices
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
Digital imaging could revolutionize how we detect and treat dementia and neurologic diseases.
A cochlear implant means Shane Lundie can now hear his mother’s voice. Photo by Steve Cohen.
Hear, and Now
The newly named USC Tina and Rick Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery helps children and adults experience the world of sound.
Scientists are just starting to understand the tiny particles in air pollution and how they damage the body.
Clear the Air
USC researchers help Angelenos breathe a little easier—and healthier.
Digital Detective
Thanks to a USC Viterbi alumnus, it’s game over for slot machine scammers.
Pillow Talk
Too little snoozing takes a toll on our well-being, but USC doctors and scientists have some tips for getting more ZZZs.
Test Drive
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.
Reverse osmosis filters used in water treatment plants. Photo by Denguy/Getty Images
Climate Talk
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.
Photo by Gus Ruelas
Their Own Devices
The Nadershahi brothers combine their backgrounds in biology, medicine, business and law to launch biomedical devices, especially in women’s health.
Illustration by Viktor Koen
Health Monitor
Your smartphone could become as instrumental to your health as your prescriptions, and the USC Center for Body Computing is making it happen.
USC Dornsife's Josh West, left, and Sarah Feakins sample water for analysis. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Feakins)
Lady in the Lake
To dig up history on climate change and drought, Sarah Feakins studies the sediment on lake bottoms.
Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award honoree Mark Stevens, left, and USC President C. L. Max Nikias. Photo by Ron Murray
Risk Taker
Mark Stevens ’81, MS ’84 adds the 2015 Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award to his portfolio.
Robo Bee by Polly Becker
Swarm Theory
A USC Viterbi scientist wants to create tiny robotic insects that could yield big scientific benefits.
Photo courtesy of USC Viterbi
Tech Legacy
From startups to cybersecurity, USC Viterbi School of Engineering has had a memorable decade since its landmark naming gift.
Tech Time
The USC Fight Online app keeps Trojans connected with each other and their alma mater.
USC Institute for Creative Technology's light domes enable researchers to create photorealistic digital faces. (Photo by Chris Shinn)
Future Forward
Get a glimpse at five ways USC researchers will change the way you live.
Movers and Shakers
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
“The field of neuroscience represents the next great frontier of medical research in the 21st century,” Mark Stevens says.
Small But Mighty
Get to know the tiny beings that live all around us—and how USC researchers are understanding and harnessing their powers.
Visionary Science
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
A specialist in fluid dynamics teams with pro-surfer Kelly Slater to create endless, perfect waves for surfers.
Andrea Armani is a professor in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Photo by Gus Ruelas.
Come Together
They tackle problems from different directions, but their work shows the promise of convergent bioscience.
Photos by John Livzey
Come Together
At USC, philanthropist Gary Michelson just put scientists’ and engineers’ efforts into overdrive.
Imaging by David Koos
Come Together
Convergence melds life science, physical sciences and engineering to find answers to perplexing problems in health.
Illustration by Brian Stauffer
Setting standards
As educators across the country prepare for new inquiry-based teaching standards, a USC professor helps them think outside the textbook.
Photo by Al Seib / Los Angeles Times
Trojan Trailblazers
USC researcher Mark Bolas pushes the boundaries of human-computer interaction with immersive technologies.
PHOTO COURTESY OF USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS
The Ultimate Playground
USC students create the digital future in a new interactive building.
Climate Talk
USC chemists receive a first-ever $1 million prize for their innovative research on alternative fuels.
© NASA
To The Moon
USC Viterbi researchers aim to spread their 3-D printing technology throughout our world—and beyond.
Photo by Noé Montez
Screen Science
USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Hao Li wants to create your future.
From left, Matthew Dunn, Inderbir Gill, Monish Aron, Mihir
Desai and Chester Koh (Photo by Philip Channing)
Life, Rebooted
Robotic surgery uses high tech to restore fatherhood and fitness to a man whose life was threatened by kidney cancer.
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 groundbreaking lab at USC School of Cinematic Arts will test the latest virtual reality technology.
Photo by Max S. Gerber
Witness Protection
An interactive 3-D program allows students to engage firsthand with a Holocaust witness.
Illustrations by Lorenzo Petrantoni
Dr. Discovery
Physician-scientist Berislav Zlokovic searches for better treatments for dementia with a drive to make a difference now.
Image Conscious
“You will remember some things about this conversation, and that will change your brain.”
Growth Mode
Keck Medicine of USC reaches across Southern California
Photo by David Zentz
Cultivating Creativity
Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young (Dr. Dre) invest $70 million to prepare USC students who’ll shape the future.
The Investor
USC Trustee Daniel Tsai invests in a potential anticancer strategy that unites U.S. and Taiwanese scientists.
Photos courtesy of USC's Space Engineering Research Center
Fly to the Sky
In Los Angeles, the aerospace industry gets a boost from USC grads with hands-on experience.
At the formal announcement ceremony in January. (Photo by Steve Cohn)
President's Page
Gary Michelson advances the university’s efforts to fast-track detection and treatment of diseases.
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
The National Medal of Science recognizes Solomon Golomb’s many contributions to communications technology.
Gurita-Hitam/Stock
Cancer Quest
Targeted therapies and other advances create new hope for lung cancer patients.
PHOTO BY LUKE FISHER
The Robot Revolution
Children with autism relate to Maja Matarić’s ’bots
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
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
Right Brain, this is Left Brain. Scott Fraser’s happy to make the introduction.
©Blake Little/Getty Images
Mind Over Matter
Students, alumni and faculty on the autism spectrum show they have a place in the university.
Photo / Getty Images
Endangered Species
USC biologist Craig Stanford wants to keep the great apes from vanishing from the face of the earth.
From top right, clockwise: Tim Greer, Shrikanth Narayanan, Ben Ma. (Photo/Haotian Mai)
Are You Listening?
USC artificial intelligence experts took a closer look at how our brains, bodies and emotions react to music.
The Launch Pad
USC alumni and researchers build on the region’s legacy in aerospace and aviation to push the next generation of spaceflight
(Illustration/David Plunkert / the iSpot)
Winner’s Circle
Nineteen recipients of USC’s Massry Prize have gone on to win science’s biggest honor.
Bistra Dilkina (Illustration/Israel G. Vargas)
Math on a Mission
These everyday heroes use math and networks to make a difference in the world.
(Photo/Cody Pickens)
The Science of Sport
Wearable devices track athletes’ every move, helping them train smarter and recover from injury faster.
(Photograph/Darren Braun)
(Re)New and Improved
Waste salvaged from dumpsters, airplane graveyards and more finds a sustainable second life thanks to some creative ideas.
Bright Mind
A USC chemist looks to nanomaterials to help us unlock the power of the sun.
(Illustration/Jaclyn Pittman)
In My Lab
A USC Earth science doctoral candidate goes deep to see how oceans are reacting to climate change.
Smart Surroundings
Workspaces will listen to people, talk with them and keep them safe. What’s next? USC experts are working on it.
Go Fish!
The killifish are coming to USC, and they might just have the answers to holding back aging.
(Photo/iStock)
Life Aquatic
In oceans and lakes across the country, tiny organisms create big problems.
(Illustration/Brian Stauffer)
Future Forward
USC researchers say confronting reality and taking local action may help humanity cope — and even spur economies and innovation.
(Photo/iStock)
Fueling Change
Is hydrogen the answer to our energy needs? An aerospace and mechanical engineer explains how to bring this fuel down to Earth.
(Photo/Elias Marcou)
Lives, Not Grades
Students get creative with solutions as migrants flee regions in turmoil around the world.
(Photo/iStock)
Power Up
As the world’s energy demands grow, batteries could be key to storing sustainable energy.
Clifford Johnson (Photo/Cody Pickens)
Popular Science
USC Dornsife scientist Clifford Johnson hopes to make science part of our everyday literacy.
Research assistant professor / principal investigator, Marientina Gotsis left and graduate student Christine Lelon have developed a project called Skyfarer an interactive device that helps people in wheelchairs with their physical training.(Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Game Therapy
Mixed-reality experiences use immersive technology to help humans deal conditions ranging from injuries to PTSD.
Blue Iris by Qa International / Science Photo Library
See the Light
A clinical trial tests engineered stem cells in the fight against macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of blindness.
Brain scan of a patient with Parkinson‘s disease on a CT (Image / Zephyr / Science Photo Library)
Unraveling Parkinson's
After undergoing deep brain stimulation, Robert Warner can once again drive, type and work out.
(Illustration/Scott Bakal)
Going Viral
Neeraj Sood drew headlines for studies testing for coronavirus antibodies. The health economist is just getting started.
