Dean's Report
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issue no. 19, march 2012 KECK SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF USC DEAN’S REPORT Published by the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California Boldy Transforming the Future of Medicine Harvard Scientist Recruited to Lead USC’s Broad Center continued from page 1 for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine he University of Southern California has announced a major marks a significant scientific recruitment to the Keck School of Medicine of milestone in these efforts, TUSC, one that will have a transformative effect on the medical and will dramatically and biological sciences across the university’s campuses and in the bolster the medical and regenerative medicine and biology communities. biological sciences at the Andrew P. McMahon, Ph.D., will leave Harvard University to join university, elevating our the university on July 1, 2012, as a Provost Professor and the inaugural programs to an entirely holder of the W. M. Keck Professorship of Stem Cell Biology and new level.” Regenerative Medicine. He also will hold an appointment in the McMahon is currently Philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, whose Department of Biological Sciences in the USC Dornsife College of the Frank B. Baird, Jr. foundation helped fund construction of the Letters, Arts and Sciences. In addition, he will chair the newly created Professor of Science in Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the the Faculty of Arts and Keck School and serve as director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center Sciences at Harvard ones. They provide insight into the way that for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. University and is on the human cells develop normally, and what “As USC advances its ambitious fundraising campaign, we will Executive Committee of happens when they go awry. USC’s stem cell continue to make bold investments in recruiting world-class faculty,” said the Harvard Stem Cell center boasts a cadre of scientists from around USC President C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D. “Dr. McMahon’s appointment Institute. In 1993, he the globe working to translate their discoveries continued on page 2 Andrew P. McMahon, Ph.D. into novel therapeutics used at the patient The visually striking building was the first on the Health Sciences bedside. campus to receive a gold LEED designation recognizing its unique A good example is development of PRI-724, a promising new eco-friendly features. drug that appears to isolate cancer stem cells and prevent them from growing. Another is the design of a stem cell-based treatment The five-story, 80,000-square-foot building — named the Boldy Transforming the Future of Medicine for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and loss and blindness among the elderly. And yet another example is a Stem Cell Research — opened in October 2010 to house 11 research he Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and From left, Keck School of multidisciplinary effort to use stem cells to heal chronic skin wounds teams and four core laboratories. Featuring architecture and interior TStem Cell Research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC was Medicine Dean Carmen A. founded in February 2006 with a $30 million gift from The Eli and Puliafito, then-Governor from burns, diabetes and pressure ulcers — the research team design by ZGF Architects of Los Angeles, the building received a 2011 of California Arnold includes scientists from the USC departments of pathology, surgery, American Architecture Award for excellence in building design and Edythe Broad Foundation. Its purpose: to create a cornerstone of Schwarzenegger, Broad dermatology, and cell and neurobiology. high honors as a 2011 Laboratory of the Year from R&D Magazine. The biomedical research into stem cells that may, someday, unlock cures Foundation founders As of January 2012, researchers working at USC’s two main Broad building is the first building on the Health Sciences campus to for debilitating diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Edythe and Eli Broad, Because stem cells are able to morph into any cell type in the CIRM Chair Robert Klein campuses and USC-affiliated Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have receive a gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and USC President C. L. received $98.5 million in stem cell grants from the California Institute designation based on its unique, eco-friendly features. body, they potentially can be used to generate healthy, functional Max Nikias formally for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), ranking in the top five institutions The facility’s core laboratories provide access to specialized cells that can then be used to replace diseased or dysfunctional open the new center in in total funds awarded to date. equipment and technical experts to scientists across the university, continued on page 4 October 2010. USC’s stem cell program is housed in an $80 million facility as well as to colleagues from the Southern California Stem Cell that was partly funded by CIRM, an agency created in 2004 when Scientific Collaboration (SC3), which includes researchers working California residents voted to let the state borrow and spend $3 billion at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, City of Hope Medical Center, the over 10 years to support stem cell research. The institute awarded University of California, Santa Barbara, the California Institute of USC nearly $27 million for the facility. Technology and the House Ear Institute. page 4 Visit the Keck School Web site at www.usc.edu/keck Harvard Scientist Recruited to Lead USC’s Center “[McMahon] is one of the people at the forefront of regenerative for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine medicine, breaking ground in creative ways while maintaining continued from page 1 rigorous thinking.” — CLIFFORD TABIN, PH.D., HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL In establishing his laboratory at USC, McMahon will bring a team regenerative medicine. This carries enormous potential for the treatment forefront of regenerative medicine, breaking ground in creative ways of highly accomplished researchers from Harvard. At USC, McMahon of human disease, as stem cell science offers a particularly broad reach. while maintaining rigorous thinking.” will be charged with recruiting a new generation of the world’s top It can provide insights into normal and abnormal development in human Before arriving at Harvard, McMahon led the Department of Cell biological scientists to the campuses. USC anticipates building a cells, and holds the potential for the repair and replacement of human and Developmental Biology at the Roche Institute for Molecular Biology core group of faculty across the university to pursue science that will tissues and organs. in Nutley, N.J. He previously held the position of staff scientist at the benefit the university’s entire life sciences research enterprise, as well as McMahon’s basic research has yielded important findings into the National Institute for Medical Research in London, where he started his contribute to larger efforts to better understand basic human biology. biology of mammalian signaling factors that have been translated into independent research program. In addition to conducting research and leading USC’s regenerative clinical medicine with the development of a novel anti-cancer drug, While at the National Institute for Medical Research, McMahon medicine and biology efforts, McMahon will teach undergraduates worked closely with Brigid Hogan, Ph.D., George Barth Geller and graduate students at USC, fulfilling a commitment to helping Professor and chair, Department of Cell Biology at Duke University students learn basic scientific concepts. and director of the Duke University Stem Cell and Regenerative “During the recruitment process, Dr. McMahon specifically Medicine program. She lauded his innovative work in kidney requested the opportunity to teach undergraduate students each year at development research. the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences—a testament “He’s done some superb work for many years,” said Hogan. “He has to his belief in the importance of mentoring future scientists,” done interesting work in embryonic development and more recently said Provost Elizabeth Garrett, J.D. “This will be an outstanding in the area of stem cells in many organ systems, but most recently in the opportunity for USC’s undergraduates to learn directly from a development of the kidney. He has pioneered new ways of looking at world-renowned scientist.” the complex three-dimensional organization of the kidney. This has had McMahon will work closely with USC’s clinicians to develop new far-reaching importance as the model for development of other organ Postdoctoral researcher Yvonne Leung works with mentor Krzysztof systems, but also for diseases that afflict the kidney.” Kobielak, assistant professor of pathology, in their quest to better stem cell therapies. understand how stem cells contribute to the formation of skin and “In leading the Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and McMahon received his bachelor’s degree from St. Peter’s College, hair follicles. Stem Cell Research at USC, Dr. McMahon will bridge our Health Oxford University and his Ph.D. from University College in London. Sciences campus, the research departments at the Keck hospitals, and He subsequently worked for three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the joined Harvard University as a full professor, and from 2001 to 2004, a number of schools and academic departments on our University Park California Institute of Technology. served as chair of its Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. campus, including the Viterbi School of Engineering and our biology Scientists from around the world are attracted to the center for the McMahon is an elected Fellow of the American Association for McMahon is currently a professor in the Department of Stem Cell and and chemistry departments within the Dornsife College of Letters, opportunity to translate discoveries into ground-breaking treatments the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and for patients.