NOVEMBER 6 • 2015 PUBLISHED FOR THE USC HEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS COMMUNITY VOLUME 21 • NUMBER 202 Keck School welcomes parents, honors scholarship donors Symposium offers insight about med school Luncheon focuses on legacy of excellence By Melissa Masatani by the Parents Association By Melissa Masatani of my former students comes early 100 proud par- in Mayer Auditorium. mid a celebration of up and says, ‘I’m mentoring Nents got a glimpse of “Each of your children Asome of the best and this student, so this is your the daily lives of their sons is an individual to us,” said brightest at the Keck School grandchild.’ Just like we pass and daughters on Oct. 23 Raquel Arias, MD, who holds of Medicine of USC, Cheryl on our scientific knowledge, during an annual sympo- associate dean positions for Mae Craft, PhD, was thinking we need to pass on our pas- sium at the Keck School admissions and educational about her “grandchildren” sions and love for science.” of Medicine of USC. affairs and is an associate — the students of her former Craft was one of more than Family members toured professor of obstetrics and students, her legacy of physi- 150 people who gathered the Health Sciences Cam- gynecology. “Each of your cians and researchers from for the 10th annual Keck pus and heard from school children means something to years in the classroom. Scholarship Luncheon, held leaders, including Henri R. us, and we promise you we “I have a lot of adopted sci- Oct. 28 at the California Club Ford, MD, MFA, vice dean will give them the care we entific children,” said Craft, in Downtown Los Angeles. In

for medical education, as well would give to our own child.” Cohn Steve the Mary D. Allen Chair in addition to thanking donors as a panel of students during The symposium, formerly Scholarships helped 2015 graduate Vision Research. “And it just for their continued support, the afternoon event hosted See PARENTS, page 4 Allison Wu attain her medical degree. pleases me so much when one See SCHOLARSHIPS, page 4 Massry winners tell tales of discovery By Amanda Busick teria in order to protect the he unlikely sequence integrity of Danisco’s starter Tof discovery that turned cultures, which are integral a cheese-making innovation in the production of cheese, in Denmark into a precise yogurt and other foods. tool for genome-editing What Horvath discovered that has swept through is that bacteria are capable biomedical laboratories of defending themselves around the world was the against repeated infec- subject of the annual Massry tions by viruses known as Prize lecture on Oct. 29. bacteriophages, which are “Few discoveries trans- commonly found in milk and form a discipline overnight,” other raw food materials. Photos by Virginia Baca Virginia by Photos Doctors and their patients take the field at the Coliseum during the USC-Utah football game on Oct. 24. said Elizabeth Fini, PhD, di- “Because the fermenta- rector of the Institute for Ge- tions are done in conditions netic Medicine at the Keck that are not sterile, phages Cancer survivors and their doctors School of Medicine of USC, may be able to propagate in during her introduction of production settings,” Hor- two of the three winners of vath said about the problem take the field to raise awareness this year’s Meira and Shaul he was trying to solve. “If o mark Breast Cancer G. Massry Prize. “But biolo- the level of phages reaches a TAwareness Month, a gists can manipulate cells in high value, it can have a very team of physicians and staff ways never possible before” severe impact on fermenta- from Keck Medicine of USC thanks to a discovery about tion, which can lead to a joined cancer survivors on the bacterial immune system total fermentation failure.” the field during the Oct. 24 referred to as CRISPR (clus- The breakthrough? USC Trojan football game tered regularly interspaced Exposing bacteria to bac- against Utah. short palindromic repeats). teriophages actually made During the break at the The technology devel- them immune to future end of the first quarter of oped from efforts led by attacks, and Horvath and play, a video about breast one of the Massry Prize his team deduced that cancer was played on the recipients, Philippe Horvath, CRISPR sequences held giant video screen inside PhD, a senior scientist at the key. Then they mapped the Coliseum and the crowd the Denmark-based food out a method to protect recognized a group of nine company Danisco (later their prized cultures. doctors and patients on the acquired by DuPont). He Enter Emmanuelle field with a standing ovation. told a capacity crowd in Charpentier, PhD, the It was an “awesome Mayer Auditorium about director of the Max Plank moment,” said one of the Cancer survivor Jenna Kim and physician Darcy V. Spicer were among the origins of his team’s Institute for Infection See GAME, page 2 those on hand to raise awareness about breast cancer detection. research — studying bac- See MASSRY, page 4

Surgeon who treated high-profile patients in Latin America joins USC Urology Institute By Les Dunseith presidential elections. of operations was in Caracas, he newest addition Rene Sotelo, MD, joined Venezuela, which is his Tto the urology staff at the USC staff on Aug. 3 as home country, but he had Keck Medicine of USC will professor of clinical urology at become known throughout fit right in working in a city the USC Institute of Urology, Latin America as a leader in noted for its celebrities — just a few days after perform- the use of robotic surgery to he’s been doing surgeries on ing a robotic prostatectomy in treat urologic cancers and high-profile patients in Latin Bogota, Colombia, on Oscar benign conditions. Sotelo has America for years. One of Iván Zuluaga, an economist published more than 50 peer his final cases before arriving who was the nominee of the reviewed scientific papers in Los Angeles, in fact, was Democratic Center political and 28 chapters in major urol-

a successful prostate cancer party in the 2014 presidential ogy books. Urfalian Van surgery on the runner-up election. So, when Zuluaga received Rene Sotelo is known throughout Latin America as a leader in the use in Colombia’s most recent At the time, Sotelo’s base See SOTELO, page 3 of robotic surgery to treat urologic cancers and benign conditions. NOVEMBER 6 • 2015 2 Breast, ovarian cancer risk may have association with sense of smell By Margaret Trtryan in the females. When the females that BRCA1 mutations do not only he association between men- were exposed to male bedding, those influence these tissues directly, but Tstrual cycle activity and breast with the BRCA1 mutation restarted also indirectly by changing how and ovarian cancer risk may have an estrous faster than the wild-type they communicate with other cells. unexpected intermediary — odors. mice. This research is one of several Keck Medicine of USC research- To confirm that the results were examples shown in my laboratory ers have discovered for the first time mediated by the ovary indepen- where BRCA1 controls how different that the estrous cycle (the equivalent dently of the nose, the scientists cells communicate from a distance. of human menstrual cycle) in mice transplanted ovaries from mice with If we can understand how disrup- carrying a mutation known to cause the BRCA1 mutation into wild-type tion in such communications leads familial predisposition to breast and mice and also transplanted ovaries to elevated cancer risk in BRCA1 ovarian cancer in humans is more from normal mice into the geneti- mutation carriers, we can develop readily stimulated by scent than in cally engineered mice carrying the therapies to control these cancers, normal mice. Even more surpris- Research author Louis Dubeau mutation. The wild-type mice with including perhaps therapies based on ing was the finding that the ovary, the BRCA1 mutation present in their smell.” independently of the nose, mediated which in turn is an established risk ovarian transplants responded more Other USC researchers who the olfactory signals. factor for breast and ovarian cancer.” quickly when introduced to the male contributed to the study include Ying “This research indicates that a The research was published Oct. scent than mutant mice with wild- Liu, Yuan Tang, Elena Enbom and better sense of smell may contribute 21 in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS type ovarian transplants carrying the Theresa Austria of the Department to the elevated cancer risk of women ONE. mutation in all tissues except the of Pathology, Vasu Punj of the USC with BRCA1 mutations,” said cor- Springing off the observation that ovary. Norris Comprehensive Cancer Cen- responding author Louis Dubeau, menstrual cycles often synchronize “We’ve known for a long time that ter Bioinformatics Core and Division MD, PhD, professor of pathology between female college roommates, smell receptors are expressed in all of Hematology, Frank Z. Stanczyk, and medical director of molecular indicating some sort of communica- kinds of tissues, but we know very Yvonne G. Lin and Sara Mucowski pathology, USC Norris Comprehen- tion with environmental signals, the little about what these receptors do of the Department of Obstetrics and sive Cancer Center. “We found that scientists compared female mice outside of the nose,” Dubeau said. Gynecology and Nancy Wu, Hai- the presence of the mutation in the genetically engineered to carry the “Only certain tissues in the breast Yun Yen and Robert Maxson of the ovary mediated a stronger response BRCA1 mutation to normal, or wild- and reproductive organs have an Department of Biochemistry and to scent, implying that the mutation type mice. They isolated the females elevated cancer risk in women who Microbiology, USC Dornsife College may influence the menstrual cycle, from males, causing estrous to pause carry a BRCA1 mutation. We found of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

USC Norris receives grant from Riley Foundation By Carmy Peters has a causal link to pancre- The project will also seek three-year grant of atic and other cancers. This to quantify the frequency A$360,000 to fund pancre- knowledge allows family and risk of BAP1 and other atic cancer research has been members who may carry the genes linked to pancreatic given to the USC Norris gene to undergo screen- cancer in a diverse popula- Comprehensive Cancer ing to identify the risk of tion. The Gruber Lab hopes Center by the Susan E. fatal pancreatic cancer. But to revolutionize the course Riley Foundation. further analysis of patients is of treatment for pancreatic “The Riley Foundation required to fully understand cancer by translating genetic has generously supported the scope of BAP1-associat- analyses from the laboratory USC Norris’ pancreatic ed pancreatic cancer. to the clinic, a model that cancer research for several “In partnership with the has led to screening pro- years,” said Stephen B. Riley Foundation, it is our grams and targeted drugs for Gruber, MD, PhD, MPH, vision that everyone affected other cancers. the director of USC Norris. by pancreatic cancer will Susan E. Riley and her “We are especially grateful have hope, dignity and mother, Edna, both died of to the Riley Foundation support,” said Gruber, an pancreatic cancer. The foun- Virginia Baca Virginia board members for their oncologist and geneticist dation has been in existence Christy A. Russell, MD; Stephen F. Sener, MD; cancer survivor Ghecemy continued confidence in our who holds the H. Leslie and since 2012 and has been a Lopez; Louis Vendermolen, MD; survivor Jenna Kim; Julie Lang, MD; pancreatic cancer research Elaine S. Hoffman Cancer supporter of USC Norris for survivor Jennifer Teague; Maria Nelson, MD; and Darcy V. Spicer, MD. and one day finding a cure.” Research Chair at the Keck many years. and Steve Mason. The The grant will help sup- School of Medicine of USC. In the United States, GAME doctors spoke about breast port efforts to further the USC Norris is home to the pancreatic cancer is esti- Continued from page 1 cancer awareness, treatment understanding of inherited Cancer Surveillance Program mated to have claimed about organizers, Nick Cartan, and prevention options. susceptibility to pancreatic of Los Angeles County, and 40,000 lives in the past director of business In all, about 100 people cancer, a project headed by it has a diverse bio-repository two years. Most pancreatic development for USC Sports from USC showed their Gruber and Gregory E. Idos, of more than 1,000 pancre- cancer patients die within Properties. support during the event by MD, assistant professor of atic cancers from patients the first year of diagnosis, Earlier on game day, two wearing special black or pink clinical medicine at the Keck from many ethnic groups. and just 6 percent survive Keck Medicine of USC shirts adorned with the pink School of Medicine of USC. The Susan E. Riley Foun- five years because of a lack physicians, Stephen F. Sener ribbon logo that is associated In previous research pub- dation grant will allow the of early detection tools and and Christy A. Russell, were with the fight against breast lished in April 2014, Gruber genetic basis of each of these effective treatments. Inher- interviewed during a pre- cancer. The commemorative and Idos identified a gene pancreatic cancer patients to ited genetic factors play an game segment on ESPN710 t-shirts are available for sale known as BRCA 1 associ- be studied at the germline important role in pancreatic by announcers John Jackson at USC bookstores. ated protein-1, or BAP1, that and somatic levels. cancer risk. Calendar of Events Saturday, Nov. 7 required. Soto 1, outdoor area near ault, PhD, UCLA Orthopaedic Surgery. Eli 28th Senate District. Aresty Auditorium. 7:15 a.m. Department of Medicine Seeds. Info: Robert Vance III, (323) and Edythe Broad CIRM Center Audito- Info and RSVP: Irene Chen, (714) 343- and USC Office of Continuing Medi- 442-9915, [email protected] rium. Info: Cristy Lytal, [email protected] 8792, [email protected] cal Education. “Contemporary Topics in 8:30 a.m. Pulmonary, Critical Internal Medicine,” Jennifer R. Marks, 5:30 p.m. Ophthalmology Grand Thursday, Nov. 12 Care and Sleep Medicine Seminar. MD, and Ron Ben-Ari, MD, FACP. Westin Rounds. On-Tat Lee, MD, USC. HC4 6 p.m. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery “Translating Airway Gene Expression Pasadena, 191 N. Los Robles. Info: Anika Conference Room, 3rd Floor. Info: Grand Rounds. Richard Iorio, MD, NYU Into Biomarkers for Lung Cancer and Bobb, (323) 442-2547, [email protected] Tyaisha Christopher, (323) 409-5233, Langone Medical Center Hospital for Joint COPD,” Avrum Spira, MD, Boston [email protected] Diseases. Aresty Auditorium. University. IRD 734. Info: Elva Rubio, Monday, Nov. 9 (323) 226-7923, [email protected] 3:30 p.m. HEAL Lab Talk. “Acute Use 1:30 p.m. Keck Medicine of USC Stroke of Alcohol and Suicide: Lessons Learned Wednesday, Nov. 11 Support Group Meeting. “Stroke Recovery: from National Postmortem Data,” Mark Noon. ZNI Seminar Series. “Aggregating Physical Aspects and Mobility,” Cherise Wednesday, Nov. 18 Kaplan, USC. SSB II, Room 2905. Info: Genetic Variants and Mutations Using Net- Lathan, DPT, USC. Keck Hospital, 3 9 a.m. USC Stem Cell Workshop, Adam Leventhal, (323) 442-8222, adam. work Models of Cell Biology,” Trey Ideker, North, Day Room (3261A). Info: Ozzy Obi- “FlowJo Overview and Tutorials,” Jack [email protected], http://heal.usc.edu PhD, UCSD. Herklotz Seminar Room, wuru, (323) 442-0049, [email protected] Panopoulos of FlowJo. Eli and Edythe ZNI 112. Info: Emily Chu, (323) 442-3219, Broad CIRM Center (BCC) Auditorium Tuesday, Nov. 10 [email protected] Friday, Nov. 13 (9–10 a.m.), BCC 5th Floor Conference 11 a.m. Keck Medical Center of USC 8 a.m. USC School of Pharmacy Room (10 a.m.–noon). Info: Cristy Lytal, Employee Safety Fair. Hospital ID Noon. USC Stem Cell Seminar. Bruno Pé- Symposium. “Legislative Day,” Jeff Stone, (323) 442-2172, [email protected]

Notice: Calendar items are due at least 10 days before publication date. Timely submission does not guarantee publication in print. See more calendar entries at hscnews.usc.edu/calendar-of-events. Submit items at tinyurl.com/calendar-hsc. Include day, date, time, title of talk, first and last name of speaker, affiliation of speaker, location and a phone number/email address. 3 USC’s Big Data U will teach researchers to analyze biomedical information By Zen Vuong esearchers need guidance as they navigate Ra jungle of biomedical data in their search for therapies, prevention techniques and cures to diseases. To assist them, the National Institutes of Health Les Dunseith Inderbir S. Gill, MD, talks about a surgery he had just completed during a live surgical event broadcast from Keck Hospital. has awarded USC a three-year, $6.3 million grant to build Big Data U, the nation’s first so-called Training Coordination Center aimed at teaching Live robotic surgery at Keck is viewed worldwide people with different backgrounds how to translate wo surgeons from the USC robotic “zero-ischemia” partial surgeons narrated the proce- astronomical amounts of data into compatible and TInstitute of Urology were nephrectomy was broadcast live dures for viewers who watched comparable statistics. The goal is to find trends, among the principal featured from Operating Room 15-16 on via an online link, and they interesting relationships and clustering effects. participants in a worldwide 24- the fourth floor at Keck Hos- answered questions via Skype “A lot of the big data we are dealing with haven’t hour live robotic surgery event pital of USC. Gill is founding and on social media. even been collected yet,” said the project’s lead held Oct. 26 at Keck Medical executive director of the USC Later that evening, a four- investigator, John Van Horn, PhD, associate profes- Center of USC and at 11 other Institute of Urology and chair- hour studio session was held in sor of neurology and education, and director of the leading robotic centers on every man and professor, Catherine Aresty Auditorium to further new Master of Science program in neuroimaging continent except Antarctica. and Joseph Aresty Depart- discuss robotic surgeries. The and informatics at the Keck School of Medicine of In all, more than 2,000 view- ment of Urology at the Keck studio session featured lectures USC. “It’s still off in the future. What we do now and ers from about 60 countries School of Medicine of USC. by Gill, Desai and by Andrew how we train people registered to participate in the Later that morning, Mihir Hung, assistant professor of to be able to deal with ‘What we do event, which included surger- Desai, MD, performed a robotic clinical urology, as well as Andre that will prepare us for ies performed in countries that radical cystectomy with intra- Abreu, a clinical fellow in urol- the time when getting now … will also included Sweden, Belgium, corporeal orthotopic neobladder. ogy. Professor of Clinical Urol- many terabytes worth Italy, France, Great Britain, Desai is professor of urology ogy Rene Sotelo presented his of data is considered prepare us for Egypt, Brazil, India, South and director of urological robotic session via Skype while traveling trivial — a relatively the time when Korea and Australia. surgery at the Keck School. to Miami. small or even ‘cute’ At USC, the first surgery For both procedures, the USC Organizers included Microsoft little study.” getting many was performed by Inderbir S. robotics team has the world’s and the European Association of Big data science has Gill, MD, whose pioneering preeminent experience. The Urology. moved away from a terabytes traditional reductionist worth of data model, where a hypoth- esis is formed and test- is considered SOTELO: New surgeon to build on success in Latin America ed by including a single trivial — a Continued from page 1 variable in a controlled his diagnosis of prostate cancer, the political leader’s experiment. relatively advisers sought out the top surgeon in that part of Disorders such as the world, which quickly led them to Sotelo. Alzheimer’s disease in- small or even “I had been traveling to Colombia and training volve intricate compo- ‘cute’ little surgeons in Colombia for many years,” Sotelo noted. nents. Isolating a single The surgery, which took place in July 2015, was variable when it comes study.’ particularly newsworthy in the Spanish-speaking to conditions involving — John Van Horn world, and was covered by many news outlets, the brain may provide including an appearance by Sotelo on the Spanish- one answer, but not necessarily the complete one, language edition of CNN. said Arthur Toga, PhD, a provost professor with joint The surgery’s result? “Now three months later, appointments at the Keck School of Medicine and the cancer is completely extracted and Zuluaga is the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. doing great.,” Sotelo said during an Oct. 13 inter- “We’re letting the data lead us to the discovery. view in his new office at USC. “Just three or four It’s kind of an upside down way of thinking about weeks afterward, he was already back out doing things,” he said. “Big data allows us to look at all campaign work [in his role as party chairman.]” these variables simultaneously and put together a Although Sotelo now has a new base of opera- comprehensive picture. Only in concert do they pro- tions, he will continue to be a major medical pres- duce the function and structure that you’re trying to ence in Latin America, serving as an ambassador for Rene Sotelo joins a team of robotic surgery experts at the understand. If you study only one variable at a time, the USC Institute of Urology and Keck Medicine USC Institute of Urology led by Inderbir S. Gill, right. you may never fully understand how it works.” of USC overall. His passion for surgical innovation, Big Data U, tentatively set to launch in the spring advancing the field, and his worldwide teaching ex- to observe and learn, and also to share his knowl- of next year, will be a hybrid of massive open online perience coincides with and further strengthens the edge. courses (MOOCs) and YouTube video tutorials. It’s overall philosophy of the Keck School of Medicine Gill’s pioneering work in robotic surgery for a free resource for anyone who wants a self-guided of USC and its Department of Urology. cancer has been a big part of what Sotelo refers to as or semi-structured study of topics relevant to “Dr. Sotelo is the premier robotic and laparoscop- his “learning network” ever since Gill was a visiting biomedical science. Social media tools will provide ic surgeon in Latin America,” said Inderbir S. Gill, professor in Venezuela 18 years ago. Thereafter, ratings for course content and guide the selection of MD, chairman and professor, Catherine and Joseph Sotelo would observe Gill’s surgeries in person, if relevant training media. Aresty Department of Urology, and executive direc- possible, but mostly he watched them on video to “We will promote opportunities for big data tor, USC Institute of Urology at the Keck School of help himself learn. research rotations, host ‘innovation labs’ for new Medicine of USC. Sotelo would pass along what he had learned grant proposal development, develop hackathons “And we have tasked him with further increasing about Gill’s techniques to others in Latin America. and other training activities,” Van Horn said. “Some his existing partnerships in Latin America to en- Over time, the relationship became increasingly of these activities will be up to the user to complete, hance USC’s reputation as a world-class medical en- reciprocal — Sotelo pioneered some techniques of but others will have an expectation of required terprise,” Gill said. “In the two short months he has his own and exchanged those discoveries with Gill. completion and will entail a report or tangible been here at USC, we have already seen a dramatic For Sotelo, coming to the United States repre- product.” increase in the number of Latin American patients sents a chance to work not just with Gill but with The Training Coordination Center is a part of the flying to USC Urology for advanced surgeries.” many of the best surgeons anywhere. NIH’s Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative, Sotelo is excited to spread the word in Latin “USC has the best urologic team in the world,” launched in 2012 to transform how science is done. America about USC, but he also is looking forward Sotelo exclaimed. “They are always thinking of BD2K has 11 Centers of Excellence for Big Data to engaging with his new colleagues in Los Angeles. new things — 30-plus surgeons, all the best in their Computing, two of which are at USC: the Big Data Sotelo is a pioneer in robotic surgery for complex specialty. It’s a unique opportunity.” for Discovery Science Center with Toga as principal urinary fistulae in females and males, for example, It’s also an opportunity with fewer logistical and investigator and ENIGMA Consortium with Paul as well as treatment of benign prostate enlargement economic limitations. Soon after arriving at USC, Thompson, PhD, as principal investigator. Stanford and inguinal lymph node dissection for cancer. Sotelo and Gill performed a complex robotic surgery University, Harvard University Medical School and “Over time, I got a lot of experience in repairing together. In South America, Sotelo had been using UCLA also host Centers of Excellence. all kinds of fistulas, which are abnormal communi- an older generation of the robotic instruments. While each Center of Excellence has its own cations between different organs and the urinary “Here, it’s the latest technology,” Sotelo said. “To training responsibilities, Big Data U at USC is the system,” Sotelo explained. Prior to joining the Keck me, it’s like a dream. As Dr. Gill told me, ‘Rene, only center tasked with harmonizing these efforts Medicine staff, he had occasionally traveled to USC welcome to America!’” into a concerted action. NOVEMBER 6 • 2015 4 MASSRY: Scientists tell of breakthrough HSC Newsmakers Continued from page 1 that have been extremely the story of this landmark Biology in Berlin. She and useful in molecular biology research during a presenta- A roundup of news items related to Keck Medicine of USC, which the third Massry Prize and genetics,” Charpen- tion at the Keck School of may include philanthropic donations, research grants, publication in recipient, Jennifer Doudna, tier told the audience. Medicine in December. academic journals and mentions in the news media: PhD, built on Horvath’s “CRISPR-Cas9 is a tool that The Meira and Shaul G. research by figuring out is quite easy to harness for Massry Foundation founded that two pieces of RNA Sign up for benefits during open precise genetic surgery the international Massry join with protein made by enrollment through Nov. 15 the bacteria, called Cas9, to … in any cell or organism.” Prize in 1996 to recognize cut the DNA at a specific The lecture by Horvath contributions to the biomedi- It’s open enrollment time again, the only chance each and Charpentier preceded cal sciences and the advance- year when USC employees may change their medical, vi- spot. And they realized this an awards ceremony that ment of health. Shaul sion and dental plans. Among the changes for 2016: The mechanism could be used took place two days later in Massry, MD, is professor VSP vision plan is not part of the Keck Medicine of USC for more than just combating Beverly Hills, and it will be emeritus of medicine at the health plan and requires a separate enrollment. For other bacterial viruses — it could changes and additional details, go to http://benefits.usc. be used to edit genomes. followed by a trip to USC for Keck School. The founda- edu. Even if you’re not changing any benefits, employees “Research on bacteria has Doudna, professor of chem- tion promotes education are encouraged to log into Workday to check their personal led to the identification of istry and cell biology at UC and research in nephrology, information. Make sure dependents are listed correctly, for a large number of enzymes Berkeley, who will continue physiology and related fields. example, and ensure that benefit coverage aligns properly. (For instance, if you’re no longer married, you should not be paying for “employee + spouse” level benefits). Updates of PARENTS: Symposium offers insight into med school this information can be made directly in Workday. Continued from page 1 I was really impressed that from your first week in med known as the Mini-Medical everyone was so happy.” school, you can reach out School, included an over- In addition to the school’s to a physician or a potential view of the anatomy course efforts to provide a bal- mentor and say, ‘Hey, I’m taught by Mikel Snow, anced academic experience, interested in surgery, can PhD, department chair of students discussed the I shadow you?’ Getting the Department of Cell and benefits and challenges that experience early will Neurobiology and a profes- of medical school. help guide your path.” sor of cell and neurobiology. “It’s the third year of Parents said they enjoyed “Our goal is to try and medical school where you go the preview of what their prepare students to do through the major rotations children should expect over really well in the third and you actually get to expe- the next few years. The year,” Snow said. “We rience a day in the life of the symposium was one of sev- have the students engaged hospital,” Swetha Ramach- eral events that have made heavily in the dissection andran, a third-year student, the students’ transition process, so for us, anatomy said. “It’s really gratifying to into medical school easier. Les Dunseith is a very active process.” see a patient and know that “USC has made it very Speaker Martin Kast, left, pauses before the USC Norris Ambas- Six students talked about I really did learn something comfortable for my daugh- sadors lecture with hosts Stephen B. Gruber and Art Ulene. their experiences, and a in the first two years.” ter to be here and for us recent Keck School gradu- The med students had as parents,” said Jaye Jo USC Norris Ambassadors gather to ate gave his perspective on some recommendations Cooperman, whose daughter life as a medical resident. for first-year students. Jolie is a first-year student. hear about rare disease research Second-year student “Coming into medi- “Teachers know her name, The USC Norris Ambassadors learned of the unique Franco Pillsbury said, cal school, it’s easy to be care about her progress. research being done by Martin Kast, PhD, and his lab “Life at Keck is why I intimidated,” Ramachandran She has great friends during a Friends and Family Luncheon on Oct. 22. really wanted to come here; said. “But I think starting here and she’s happy.” Hosting the event was Stephen B. Gruber, MD, PhD, MPH, director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Art Ulene, MD, a longtime broadcast media SCHOLARSHIPS: Luncheon celebrates legacy of success medical expert. The luncheon was attended by USC Norris Ambassadors and USC Associates, who promote Continued from page 1 biliary disorders of infants. ARCS Foundation for allow- and share the cancer center’s mission. Among the topics of Craft was recognized for She was an ARCS Founda- ing me to pursue research Kast’s presentation was his work into genetic variations that her role as president of the tion Scholar and recipient of through medical school,” result in uncontrolled infection and proliferation of warts Achievement Rewards for the Robert Fraser California Wu said. “I’m hoping to con- caused by the human papillomavirus within Indonesian College Scientists (ARCS) Community Foundation tinue that research through “Treemen.” Foundation, Los Angeles scholarship. residency and in my medical Founder Chapter. “I’m very grateful for the career.” Premier academic body in Europe “I stand here today as another ARCS success selects USC’s Zlokovic as fellow story,” said Kristin Rand, USC Health Sciences Non-Profit Organization Public Relations and Marketing U.S. POSTAGE PAID Berislav Zlokovic, MD, PhD, MPH, a postdoctoral PhD, director of the Zilkha research fellow in preventive 2011 N Soto Street - SST-2830 Industry CA Neurogenetic Institute and medicine. “Without the sup- Los Angeles, CA 90032 Permit 4029 professor and chair of the port of the local foundation, Department of Physiology and and especially the generosity Biophysics, has been elected of Cheryl Craft, I wouldn’t as a Fellow of the Academy of have been able to dedicate Europe (Academia Europaea), the last three years of my the premier academic body of life to the identification of the entire European continent. genetic mutations leading to Membership in the Academy is prostate cancer and multiple limited to only 2,600 scholars, 54 myeloma.” Barislav Zlokovic, MD, The scholarship program of which are current Nobel Prize PhD winners. is one of the many ways the Keck School helps its students succeed, said Henri Factors in breast milk may play a Ford, MD, MHA, vice dean HSC News role in transmission of obesity of educational affairs. “When you get good HSC News is published for the faculty, staff, The road to obesity may be paved with non-nutritious students, you expect great students, volunteers and visitors in the University carbohydrates in breast milk, shifting popular notions about outcomes,” Ford said. “Our of Southern California’s Health Sciences Campus how and why children grow to become overweight adults, philosophy is that if they community. It is produced by the Health Sciences a new study suggests. Previous research has shown that don’t succeed, we are failing Public Relations and Marketing staff. Permission to maternal obesity strongly affects a baby’s risk of becoming as educators. So we take this reprint articles is available upon request. No artwork may be reproduced without the creator’s consent. overweight, but scientists are unsure how fatness is trans- very seriously and we ensure mitted, said Michael Goran, the study’s corresponding au- that they are equipped with Editor: Les Dunseith thor and director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center the necessary tools for suc- at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Now Goran and his cess.” Director, Internal Communications: Virginia Baca collaborators have found that variations in complex carbohy- Dozens of students Contributors: Andrea Aldana, Meg Aldrich, Amanda Busick, Louise drates found in breast milk called human milk oligosaccha- receive scholarships each Cobb, Cristy Lytal, Hope Hamashige, Melissa Masatani, Carol Matthieu, rides (HMOs) are associated with variations in infant growth year, including Allison Wu, Douglas Morino, Sara Reeve, Leslie Ridgeway, Sherri Snelling, Carol and obesity. The study, published online in the American MD, a 2015 graduate of the Sussman and L. Alexis Young Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is the first to identify variations Keck School who is now a in HMOs as a possible protective or risk factor for obesity, pediatrics resident at Mattel Phone: (323) 442-2830 Fax: (323) 442-2832 Next Issue: said Tanya Alderete, PhD, lead author and a postdoctoral Children’s Hospital UCLA Email: [email protected] Nov. 20 research scholar at USC. — Zen Vuong with a research interest in Web: hscnews.usc.edu | kecknet.usc.edu gastrointestinal and hepato-