USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience 2025 Annual Report by University of Southern California

USC MICHELSON CENTER FOR CONVERGENT BIOSCIENCE

Since its establishment in 2017, the Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience has played a transformative role in fostering national and global scientific collaborations. By bridging disciplines and integrating diverse research communities, the center accelerates discovery and innovation, expediting the translation of groundbreaking ideas into real-world applications. Its mission is rooted in the belief that dismantling traditional disciplinary silos leads to a more dynamic and effective research ecosystem— one that fosters novel insights, enhances exploration, and ultimately drives life-saving advancements in medicine and technology.

At the heart of this initiative is Michelson Hall, a state-ofthe-art, 190,000-square-foot research facility made possible by a $50 million donation from orthopedic spinal surgeon Dr. Gary Michelson and his wife, Alya Michelson. With a total project cost of $185 million, Michelson Hall provides the critical infrastructure necessary for pioneering scientific research. Designed to promote openness, collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas, the facility embodies Dr. Michelson’s vision for a research landscape that prioritizes convergence and shared knowledge.

The 2025 Michelson Center Annual Report provides a comprehensive overview of the center’s initiatives and achievements from January to December 2024. It highlights the work of Michelson Faculty, showcasing their contributions to scientific advancement and the broader social impact of their research. This report also details key milestones, awards, and recognitions earned by faculty members, as well as provides an in-depth look at the research facilities, institutes, and centers housed within Michelson Hall. Additionally, the report presents financial insights into research lab funding and core facility operations, underscoring the center’s commitment to transparency and sustainability in scientific innovation.

Michelson Faculty were awarded over $41M in new grants last year by government entities and foundation sponsors, for project start dates of 2024. As well, the USC Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) made over $1M in research and instrumentation grant awards to Michelson Faculty. OORI’s awards supported the purchase of a Cryogenic Deep Reactive Ion Etcher housed at the John O’Brien core facility. Grants also fostered commercialization efforts (planning grants for faculty submitting SBIR proposals to federal agencies), increased national and international research collaborations, and advanced student training and access to research labs, helping to shape the next generation of scientists and thought leaders.

Alya Michelson and Gary K. Michelson Grand opening and ribbon cutting of the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. November 1, 2017

Recognizing the importance of moving research from the bench to the bedside, the USC Stevens Center for Innovation provided extensive support to faculty in the commercialization of their research successes, so they can be developed into products and services that improve human lives, solve problems, and fuel economic growth. Twentyfour Michelson Faculty hold a total of 102 active unique patents.

Over 220 manuscripts were published in peer-reviewed journals by Michelson Faculty, who recognize that sharing research knowledge through scientific publications is essential for advancing collective understanding, fostering innovation, and ensuring transparency in the scientific community.

Growth and Research Capabilities

The number of Michelson Faculty—USC researchers whose laboratory is located at Michelson Hall and/or who are faculty directors of Michelson centers, institutes, and/or core facilities—has seen significant growth since the center’s inception. From an initial cohort of 20 faculty members, the Michelson community now comprises 46 distinguished researchers (10 new additions in 2024 alone). These faculty members hold appointments across multiple USC Schools, including the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the Keck School of Medicine at USC, the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and, more recently, USC Cinematic Arts.

Last year also saw growth in the number of core facilities, centers and institutes. Michelson Hall is home to six cutting-edge research centers and institutes, each dedicated to advancing specific areas of bioscience and biomedical engineering. These centers play a vital role in fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. The latest addition is the Transformative Center for Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery (TND), dedicated to spearheading advancements in therapeutic delivery by innovating nanotechnology and biomaterials solutions for drug and gene therapies.

Six core research facilities within Michelson Hall provide state-of-the-art resources and specialized equipment, enabling researchers to conduct high-impact studies that drive progress in fields such as molecular imaging, genomics, nanomedicine, and biomedical informatics. The Dynamic Imaging Science Center core facility is home to a Siemens MAGNETOM Aera 0.55T MRI scanner, the only MRI scanner of its type currently available to researchers world-wide. The Cell Culture Core, one of two core facilities associated with the Michelson Center Bridge Institute, achieved a significant milestone by receiving its designation as a USC Recharge Center. This designation marks a pivotal expansion, opening its doors and expertise to the broader Southern California research community. Michelson Hall core facilities invoiced over $912,185 in charges to USC users, not including income derived from charges made to non-USC researchers in industry and academia.

We recognize and celebrate the scientific breakthroughs and societal impact of Michelson Faculty—passionate innovators and relentless pioneers dedicated to shaping a healthier future. Their commitment to pushing boundaries and forging new frontiers in medicine reflects a resolute pursuit of progress that transforms lives.

It is also with deep gratitude that we recognize Dr. Gary Michelson’s unwavering commitment to develop groundbreaking life-saving devices and therapeutics. We are inspired by his belief in the limitless potential of bioscience to achieve “undreamed-of advances in the biological sciences in the near future” and, ultimately, to “make life less unfair.”

The Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience stands as a testament to his visionary leadership, harnessing the power of scientific excellence, collaboration, and innovation to build a brighter and healthier world.

Silvia da Costa, Ph.D. Director, Research Initiatives & Infrastructure

Our Faculty

46 Current Michelson Faculty

10 new Michelson Faculty named in 2024

New Michelson Faculty School

USC Cinematic Arts joins the Michelson Center family of schools

5 Promotions

Michelson Faculty were promoted as Interim Dean of the Dornsife College, Distinguished Professor, Department Chair, Professor, and Associate Professor

1 Appointed

Vice President of Science Grant Programs at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Funding

$1M in USC OORI Research Grants

Awarded by the USC Office of Research and Innovation to Michelson Faculty

$41M in New Grants

Awarded to Michelson Faculty by government sponsors, foundations and corporate entities for projects with a 2024 start date

115 Active and Pending Patents

Currently held by 24 Michelson Faculty

19 New Patent Applications

Submitted by 14 Michelson Faculty in 2024 Honors & Awards

5 Awardees

Women’s Cancer Research Fund Research Award (two awarded); Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory; American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention; IEEE Flanagan Speech and Audio Processing Technical Field Award

6 Fellows

Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Chemistry; Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering; Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry; Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (two awarded); Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow

2 Sr. Members Elected

Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors.

2 Named Clarivate Researchers

Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher in Biology & Biochemistry

Centers & Institutes

1 New Center

The Transformative Center for Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery was established with the aim to spearhead advancements in therapeutic delivery, increasing the number of Centers at Michelson Hall to six

Multi-Center Events

Over 650 attendees participated in five events sponsored jointly by Michelson Centers. Conference and meeting topics included Drug Discovery, CryoEM, Biological Data Visualization, Mass Spec, and PFAS

Areas of Research

Michelson Centers advance research in areas of Informatics, Imaging, Drug Discovery, Cancer, Biomedical and Nanomedicine, among others

Training the Next Generation

A muti-Center undergraduate seminar and poster session drew over 250 attendees

Core Facilities

Invoicing to USC Users Surpasses $910,000

Does not include income derived from charges made to non-USC researchers in industry and academia

$400,000 Instrumentation Grant Awarded

By the USC Office of Research and Innovation to the John O’Brien Nanofabrication core for the purchase of a Cryogenic Deep Reactive Ion Etcher

6 Core Facilities

Areas of research include Biomolecular Characterization, Nanoimaging, Nanofabrication, Cell Culture, Structural Biology, and Dynamic Imaging

Publications

220 Articles Published By Michelson Faculty in peerreviewed journals

Publications in Highly Ranked Journals

Includes 23 in Nature publications, 29 in American Chemical Society journals, as well as publications in PNAS, Cell, IEE, JAMA, among others

Over 30 Publishers & Publication Types

Includes research articles, open access, conference papers, and others

Publication Research Areas

Includes biomedical, clinical, engineering, biological, and chemical sciences, among others

Data reflect a reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2024 of grants awarded to Michelson Faculty.

Grants Awarded by USC Office of Research and Innovation

Amount Awarded INSTRUMENTATION GRANT

Rehan Kapadia, USC Viterbi School of Engineering Cryogenic Deep Reactive Ion Etcher

SBIR/STTR PLANNING GRANT

$397,511.96

$300,000.00

Vsevolod Katritch, USC Dornsife College Novel Angiotensin AT2 Receptor Antagonists for Neuropathic Pain Treatment

SBIR/STTR PLANNING GRANT

$150,000.00

Peter Yingxiao Wang, USC Viterbi School of Engineering Engineering Ultrasound Controllable CAR T Cells Targeting Intracellular KRAS Mutants in Solid Tumor

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PLANNING GRANT

$100,000.00

Gianluca Lazzi, Keck School of Medicine of USC Planning grant for the NSF Science and Technology Center for Digital Twin Neuroscience Across Space and Time (DiTNAST)

RESEARCH GRANT

$50,000.00

Yasser Khan, USC Viterbi School of Engineering Skin-Line Wearable Sensor Development for Diagnostic ECG and MRI At 0.55 T

STUDENT TRAINING/COMMERCIALIZATION GRANT

Ellis Meng, USC Viterbi School of Engineering Happy Halls (Student Empowerment Award)

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION TRAVEL GRANT

$15,000.00

$5,000.00

Shrikanth Narayanan, USC Viterbi School of Engineering Multi-Modal Representation Modeling For Monitoring Neurodegenerative Diseases

Total $1,017,511.96

† New awards made for projects with 2024 start date.

as PI†

Data reflect a reporting period from January 1 to December 31, 2024 of grants submitted by Michelson Faculty.

New Proposals Submitted as PI†

New Proposals Submitted

New Proposals Submitted as PI (continued)†

Commercializing scientific research bridges innovation with practical applications, driving economic growth and societal progress.

Summary of IP & Licensing†

Active & Pending Patents

ACTIVE & PENDING PATENTS (TOTAL)

Scott E. Fraser

Ellis F Meng

Shrikanth Narayanan

Maryam Shanechi

Krishna Shrinivas Nayak

Niema Mohammed Pahlevan

Vsevolod Katritch

Rehan Rashid Kapadia

Peter Kuhn

Gianluca Lazzi

Francesco Cutrale

Eun Ji Chung

Justin Haldar

Richard W Roberts

Mercedeh Khajavikhan

Jeremy Mason

Yasser Khan

Valery Fokin

Terry Takahashi

Remo Rohs

Charles McKenna

Jayakanth Ravichandran

James Hicks

Cristina Zavaleta

Licenses Executed

LICENSES EXECUTED (TOTAL)

Shrikanth Narayanan

Francesco Cutrale, Scott Fraser

Vsevolod Katritch

Scott Fraser

James Hicks, Peter Kuhn

Ellis Meng

Valery Fokin, Vsevolod Katritch

Vadim Cherezov

Peter Kuhn

Matthew Robert Pratt

Krishna Nayak

Patent and licensing data provided by USC Stevens Center for Innovation, Sophia Database.

“ Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. — John Dewey

Patent Applications for Calendar Year 2024

Eun Ji Chung

Natural Killer Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Anti-Viral Nanomaterials

Scott E. Fraser

A Hyperspectral Imaging System with Hybrid Unmixing

Vsevolod Katritch

Opto-Opioids for Light-Induced, Local, Reversible Peripherally Restricated Analgesia

Yasser Khan

Ingestible Sensor or Treatment System and Method with Localization from Magnetic-Field Generating Wearable Device

Gianluca Lazzi

Electric-Field Directed Nerve Regeneration

Ellis F Meng

Thin Film Endovascular Electrode Array and Method of Fabrication

Francesco Cutrale

A Hyperspectral Imaging System with Hybrid Unmixing

Rehan Rashid Kapadia

Method of Fabricating Least Defective Non-planar Bipolar Heterostructure Transistors

Mercedeh Khajavikhan

Optical Neural Networks with Gain from Parity Time Optical Couplers

Peter Kuhn

Identifying Non-Disease Patients Using a Disease Related Assay and Analysis in the Liquid Biopsy

Jeremy Mason

Identifying Non-Disease Patients Using a Disease Related Assay and Analysis in the Liquid Biopsy

Jayakanth Ravichandran

Non-Destructive Imaging of Polar Domains and Crystallographic Symmetry in the Scanning Electron Microscope

Valery Fokin

Compounds and Methods for Modulating GPCR Signaling

Vsevolod Katritch

Compounds and Methods for Modulating GPCR Signaling

Mercedeh Khajavikhan

Parity Time-Symmetric Coupled

Distributed Feedback Lasers for Tunable THz Wave Generation

Peter Kuhn

Liquid Biopsy Analytes to Define Cancer Stages

Jeremy Mason

Liquid Biopsy Analytes to Define Cancer Stages

Remo Rohs

System and Method to Design a Set of Drug Molecules for a Target Receptor

Meet Our Faculty

OVERVIEW

Faculty members are the driving force behind groundbreaking research, serving as both innovators and mentors in the pursuit of scientific discovery. Their expertise, curiosity, and dedication fuel the research enterprise, transforming ideas into tangible advancements that address pressing global challenges. Whether pioneering new medical treatments, developing sustainable technologies, or expanding our understanding of fundamental biological and physical processes, faculty researchers play a critical role in pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

Beyond their individual contributions, faculty members create and sustain dynamic research ecosystems that foster collaboration across disciplines. They lead teams of students, postdoctoral fellows, and colleagues, bringing together diverse perspectives to tackle complex problems from multiple angles. Their ability to secure competitive grants, establish research partnerships, and drive institutional initiatives ensures that universities remain at the forefront of innovation.

Faculty also serve as mentors and educators, shaping the next generation of scientists, engineers, and thought leaders. Through hands-on training, guidance, and collaboration, they instill the skills, critical thinking, and creativity necessary for young researchers to thrive. This mentorship is essential not only for advancing individual careers but also for ensuring the long-term sustainability and impact of research endeavors.

Michelson Faculty — USC researchers whose laboratory is located at Michelson Hall and/ or who are faculty directors of Michelson centers, institutes, and/ or core facilities — continue to grow in number, currently 46 from the original 20 named faculty, and who have appointments with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the Keck School of Medicine of USC, USC Cinematic Arts and/or the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

New Michelson Faculty include:

• Professor Alexander McDowell, R.D.I., William Cameron Menzies Endowed Chair in Production Design; Professor of Practice in Media Arts; Director of World Building Media Lab and 5D Global Studio, USC Cinematic Arts. Professor McDowell is an awardwinning designer and storyteller working at the intersection of emergent technologies and experiential media.

• Dr. Andrew Steen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Earth Sciences, USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Dr. Steen’s lab uses bioinformatics, rate measurements, organic carbon characterization, and machine learning to understand the physical and chemical environment of Earth microbes, their metabolic requirements and their environmental histories to better understand how they influence — and are influenced by — the Earth’s geochemical cycles.

• Dr. Francesco Cutrale, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Dr. Cutrale’s research focuses on developing innovative tools for hyperspectral, multiplexed and multimodal imaging in biomedical

“ The true scientist never loses the faculty of amazement.

— Hans Selye

The four-story USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience is a catalyst for discoveries in biological science, imaging, engineering, and nanofabrication.

research and translating them into real world applications for industry.

• Dr. Helen Berman, Ph.D., Research Professor and Board of Governors Distinguished Professor Emerita of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. A co-founder of the Protein Data Bank (PDB) archive launched in 1971, her research has focused on nucleic acids, proteinnucleic acid interactions, and collagen. She is currently working on the Inner Space: World in a Cell VR experience that provides a view of the inside of a pancreatic beta cell.

• Dr. Ishwar K. Puri, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research and Innovation; Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, USC Office of Research & Innovation. Dr. Puri’s research focuses on using magnetic fields to organize materials, including cells and tissues.

• Dr. Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz, Ph.D., Gabilan Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Dr. Abdul-Aziz also serves as Director of the Sustainable Lab, focusing on developing novel materials for sustainable catalytic processes for low-carbon chemical production.

• Dr. Matthew Robert Pratt, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Dr. Pratt’s research aims to understand the molecular consequences of modifications to cellular processes associated with changes in metabolism and stress. These modifications may contribute to a variety

of human diseases, including neurodegeneration and cancer.

• Dr. Peter Yingxiao Wang, Ph.D., Dwight C. and Hildagarde E. Baum Chair in Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Dr Wang’s lab is focused on the integration of biotechnologies in cellular and molecular engineering for the development of geneticallyencoded biosensors and their application to visualize molecular events in live cells and animals.

• Dr. Richard Brutchey, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the interface between active matter physics and cell biology, with a focus on the cellular cytoskeleton.

• Dr. Wade Zeno, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Dr. Zeno’s team uses quantitative fluorescence techniques to understand and control biomolecular systems.

As faculty members continue to push the limits of what is possible, their work remains essential to the mission of research institutions and to the broader scientific community, driving innovation and advancing knowledge across disciplines. By fostering collaboration, mentoring future researchers, and securing critical funding, faculty play a pivotal role in sustaining a thriving research ecosystem that fuels continuous progress. Their discoveries not only shape the future of science and technology, but also have profound impacts on society, healthcare, and industry.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Gabilan Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dani Byrd, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Professor of Linguistics

Moh El-Naggar, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Interim Dean, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences; Dean’s Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz, Ph.D.

Helen Berman, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Research Professor and Board of Governors

Distinguished Professor Emerita of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Vadim Cherezov, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Ester Dornsife Chair in Biological Sciences; Professor of Chemistry

Stacey Finley, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Nicole A. and Thuan Q. Pham Professor; Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and Quantitative and Computational Biology

James Boedicker, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Eun Ji Chung , Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Dr. Karl Jacob Jr. and Karl Jacob III Early Career Chair; Director, Transformative Center for Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery; Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery

Valery Fokin, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Chemistry

Richard Brutchey, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Chemistry

Francesco Cutrale, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Associate Professor of Research, Biomedical Engineering

Peter Foster, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy

Scott Fraser, Ph.D.

USC Office of the Provost

Provost Professor of Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineering; Elizabeth Garrett Chair in Convergent Bioscience; Director, Translational Imaging Center

Vsevolod Katritch, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Quantitative & Computational Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacology; Co-Director, Center for New Technologies in Drug Discovery and Development (CNT3D)

Gianluca Lazzi, Ph.D.

Keck School of Medicine of USC

Provost Professor of Ophthalmology, Electrical Engineering, Clinical Entrepreneurship and Biomedical Engineering; Fred H. Cole Professorship in Engineering; Director, Institute for Technology and Medical Systems

Cornelius

Gati, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Quantitative and Computational Biology and Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Steve Kay, Ph.D.

Keck School of Medicine of USC

Provost Professor of Neurology, Biomedical Engineering and Quantitative Computational Biology; Director of Convergent Bioscience; Co-Director, Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Center for Drug Development, NCCC

Jeremy Mason, Ph.D.

Keck School of Medicine of USC

Assistant Professor of Research of Urology; Director of Data Science, Convergent Science Institute in Cancer

Justin Haldar, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Co-Director, Biomedical Imaging Group; Director, Signal and Image Processing Institute

Carl Kesselman, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

William H. Keck Professor of Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Population and Public Health Sciences, and Biomedical Sciences

Alexander McDowell, R.D.I.

USC Cinematic Arts

William Cameron Menzies Endowed Chair in Production Design; Professor of Practice in Media Arts; Director of USC World Building Media Lab and 5D Global Studio

James Hicks, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor (Research) of Biological Sciences

Mercedeh Khajavikhan, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

IBM Early Career Chair; Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Charles McKenna, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Chemistry and Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Director, Center for Drug Discovery

Khalil Iskarous, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Linguistics

Yasser Khan, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Ellis Meng, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering

Rehan Kapadia, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Peter Kuhn, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

University Professor; Dean’s Professor of Biological Sciences, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Urology; Director, Convergent Science Institute in Cancer

Shrikanth Narayanan, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Vice President of Presidential Initiatives; University Professor; Niki & Max Nikias

Chair in Engineering; Research Director and Distinguished Principal Scientist, Information Sciences Institute

Krishna Nayak, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Dean’s Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Director, the Signal and Image Processing Institute, the Dynamic Imaging Science Center and the Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory

Remo Rohs, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy and Computer Science

Peter Yingxiao Wang, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Dwight C. and Hildagarde E. Baum Chair in Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

Niema Pahlevan, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Gordon S. Marshall Early Career Chair in Engineering; Associate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Medicine

Maryam Shanechi, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Andrew and Erna Viterbi Early Career Chair; Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering – Systems, Biomedical Engineering, and Computer Science

Kate White, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Gabilan Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Matthew Robert Pratt, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Professor of Chemistry

Andrew Steen, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Associate Professor of Biological Sciences and Earth Sciences

Cristina Zavaleta, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Ishwar K. Puri, Ph.D.

USC Office of Research & Innovation

Senior Vice President, Research and Innovation; Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

Terry Takahashi, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Assistant Professor (Research) of Chemistry

Wade Zeno, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Jayakanth Ravichandran, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Philip and Cayley MacDonald Endowed Early Career Chair; Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering

Ye Tian, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Research Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Richard Roberts, Ph.D.

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Professor of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering

Jennifer Treweek, Ph.D.

USC Viterbi School of Engineering

WiSE Gabilan Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering

HONORS & AWARDS

Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz

Elected: 2024 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Chemistry, a prestigious honor bestowed upon exceptional early-career scientists. Their achievements and potential place them among the next generation of scientific leaders in the U.S. and Canada.

Richard L. Brutchey

Elected: Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), in recognition of his significant and impactful contributions to the field of chemistry, particularly in areas of materials synthesis and sustainability research. Dr. Brutchey’s research focuses on developing new methods for materials synthesis, with applications in catalysis, energy storage, and sustainability.

Helen Berman

Dr. Berman was recognized for her work on the Protein Data Bank (PDB) in a speech by 2024 Nobel laureate Dr. John Jumper, who received the prestigeous honor for his work on protein structre prediction. Dr. Jumper praised Berman’s pioneering efforts in establishing the PDB, a digital repository for 3D protein structures, thanking the “giants on whose shoulders we stand on,” acknowledging Dr. Berman and others for their foresight in creating this open-access resource. Reported in USC Dornsife News Briefs, October 11, 2024.

Vadim Cherezov

Selected: 2024 Web of Science (Clarivate) Highly Cited Researcher in Biology & Biochemistry. The honor recognizes scientists having a significant and broad influence in their field, demonstrated by publishing multiple papers that rank in the top 1% of citations for their field and year within the Web of Science database. Only 1 in 1,000 researchers globally are considered Highly Cited Researchers.

Eun Ji Chung

Awarded: 2024 Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL) awardee. The award made to Dr. Chung provides support to the project Detection of cancer spread to the lymph nodes by molecular targeting of CCR2. NCI founded the Nanotechnology Characterization Lab (NCL) in 2004, in collaboration with the US Food and Drug Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology, as a public–private partnership to advance the science needed to expedite the development of promising nanotech therapies and diagnostics.

Moh El-Naggar

Elected: Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. The American Academy of Microbiology, a prestigious honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology, annually elects fellows, through a highly selective, peer-review process that is based on their exceptional scientific achievements and original contributions that have significantly advanced the field of microbiology. Reported in USC Dornsife News, February 19, 2024.

Appointed: Interim Dean of USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Dr. El-Naggar, formerly the divisional dean for physical sciences, replaced Dean Amber Miller. Reported in USC Dornsife News, June 14, 2024.

Stacey Finley

Named: 2024 Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.

Valery Fokin

Awarded: American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Creative Invention. The award recognizes Dr. Fokin as a single inventor for the successful application of research in chemistry and/or chemical engineering that contributes to the material prosperity and happiness of people. She is recognized for “the invention of catalyzed dipolar cycloadditions—bioorthogonal click reactions widely used in chemistry, biology, medicine, and materials science.” August 27, 2024

Scott E. Fraser

Appointed: Vice President of Science Grant Programs at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), a philanthropy founded by Priscilla Chan and her husband Mark Zuckerberg, in 2015. Dr. Fraser will oversee science funding programs and help advance the organization’s strategy to support promising research, technology platforms, organizations, and scientific networks.

Justin Haldar

Promoted: Dr. Haldar was promoted to Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is also CoDirector, Biomedical Imaging Group and Director, Signal and Image Processing Institute at the Viterbi School of Engineering.

James Hicks

Awarded: 2024 - 2025 Women’s Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) Research Award for his innovative research investigating cancer from various angles and making an impact.

Vsevolod Katritch

Yasser Khan

Awarded: 2024 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering. The Packard Foundation recognized Dr. Khan’s ideas for using a miniaturized sensor network of brain implants and ingestible sensors to study brain-gut communication. Reported in USC Viterbi News. October 15, 2024.

Peter Kuhn

Named: Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The prestigious honor recognizes Dr. Kuhn’s exceptional innovation in developing technologies that have significantly benefited, or have the potential to benefit, society. The appointment also acknowledges his achievements in securing patents, licensing, and commercializing his inventions, as well as his commitment to mentoring the next generation of inventors. Reported in USC Today, February 27, 2024.

Appointed: Distinguished Professor. The Distinguished Professor appointment, USC’s highest academic honor, is presented annually to select outstanding faculty who have brought great distinction and honor to USC through their work. Their research enlightens and enriches collective understandings outside of USC and contributes to the advancement of society.

Awarded: The 2024 - 2025 Women’s Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) Research Award for his groundbreaking cancer research with impactful, multi-angle approaches.

Shrikanth Narayanan

Elected: Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. The American Academy of Microbiology, a prestigious honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology, annually elects fellows based on their exceptional scientific achievements and original contributions that have significantly advanced the field of microbiology. Reported in USC Dornsife News, February 19, 2024.

Awarded: 2025 IEEE Flanagan Speech and Audio Processing Technical Field Award, recognizing Dr. Narayanan’s groundbreaking contributions to speech communications science and technologies that foster inclusive, human-centered engineering. His research aims to understand how humans communicate and apply these insights to improving the human condition and experience. Reported in USC Viterbi News, September 19, 2024.

Maryam Shanechi

Named: Blavatnik National Awards Finalist. Dr. Shanechi was selected as a Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists Finalist for the second year in row – one of just five finalists across all areas of Physical Sciences and Engineering in the nation in 2024. Reported in USC Viterbi News. September 12, 2024.

Promoted: Dr. Shanechi was promoted to Alexander A. Sawchuk Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Computer Science, USC Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Shanechi works at the interface of AI, machine learning, and dynamical systems to develop algorithmic solutions for basic and clinical neuroscience problems. November 8, 2024

Elected: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow, for her research contributions to brainmachine interfaces. The grade of Fellow recognizes unusual distinction in the profession and is conferred by the Board of Directors upon a person with an outstanding record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields.

Cristina Zavaleta

Promoted: Dr. Zavaleta was promoted to Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Viterbi’s Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering. Her research focuses on the development, assessment and clinical translation of new nano-based molecular imaging strategies to help clinicians detect cancers with better sensitivity and specificity.

Helen Berman

Speaker: USC Information Sciences Institute, Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars. AI in structural biology: roots of success. Dr. Berman described the history of the effort to achieve the successful prediction of protein structures by AlphaFold 2 using AI methods and how this breakthrough opened the doors to new research in structural and cell biology. Marina del Rey, CA. April 19, 2024.

Chair: VIZBI 2024: 14th International Meeting on Visualizing Biological Data. The event was co-sponsored by the USC Michelson Center, the USC Bridge Institute, Frontiers in Bioinformatics and the KAUST Visual Computing Center (detailed in Centers and Institutes section). March 12-15, 2024.

James Boedicker

Speaker: SoCalSysBio 2024. Signal exchange within bacterial communities. The annual symposium, sponsored by the UCI Center for Complex Biological Systems, is now in its 13th year and brings together researchers from across California to share research, build community, and stimulate collaborations. Irvine, CA. March 16, 2024.

Invited Speaker: American Physical Society (APS), Evolutionary Dynamics I Dynamics of the CRISPR array. Dr. Boedicker spoke on how a quantitative model of CRISPR array content and dynamics will aid the development of many future applications that utilize the CRISPR arrays for genome editing and may elucidate how CRISPR shapes genome evolution. Minneapolis, MN. March 4, 2024

Eun Ji Chung

Selected team: LA BioStart Bootcamp Silver Spur Therapeutics, a company co-founded by Dr. Chung, participated in the event. The Cal State LA BioStart Bioscience Entrepreneurs Boot Camp is an intensive, five-week program designed to equip aspiring bioscience entrepreneurs with the skills to launch their own ventures. This boot camp is a joint initiative by Cal State LA, the Biocom Institute, and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator. Funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the program is offered at no cost to eligible participants.

Selected team: NIH Entrepreneurship Bootcamp Silver Spur Therapeutics, a company co-founded by Dr. Chung company, participated in the event. The Bootcamp is designed to equip life science investigators and nascent companies with specialized innovation and entrepreneurship training.

Speaker: University of Michigan, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI. September 27, 2024.

Speaker: Yonsei University, Department of Chemical Engineering. Using nanoparticles to drive effective drug delivery in cardiovascular and kidney disease. Seoul, South Korea. June 5, 2024.

Speaker: Taejon Christian International School. Nanomedicine. Daejeon, South Korea. June 4, 2024.

Speaker: Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT). Micelle platform for mitigating cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Daejeon, South Korea. June 4, 2024.

Speaker: Keio University. Using nanobiomaterials to drive effective drug delivery and outcomes. Tokyo, Japan. May 23, 2024.

Speaker: Vanderbilt University, Renal Research Conference. Using nanoparticles to drive effective drug delivery for cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Nashville, TN. May 3, 2024.

Speaker: Purdue University, US-Korea Joint Webinar Series on Biomedical Engineering, and Career Development Forum, From macroscale to nanoscale biomaterials, and my journey from Korea to the States. West Lafayette, IN. June 13-14th, 2024.

Speaker: American Association of Nephrology. Advances in Research Conference - Genome Engineering and RNABased Therapeutics: From Bench to Potentially Curative Medicines. Novel kidney delivery approaches for genetic medicines. San Diego, CA. October 23, 2024.

Speaker: 22nd International Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery Symposium (NanoDDS2024) Biomimetic nanoparticles for chronic diseases. Orlando, FL. September 13-15th, 2024.

Speaker: Inaugural webinar series, Korean-American Biomedical Engineering Society (KBMES). From macroscale to nanoscale biomaterials, and my journey from Korea to the States. June 14, 2024.

Speaker: POSTECH Symposium. Biologically inspired carriers for nanomedicine. Pohang, Korea. May 31-June 2, 2024.

Speaker: International Science and Engineering Fair from Society for Science, Nanomedicine Biomedical engineering finalist networking session. Los Angeles, CA. May 11-17, 2024.

Speaker: SelectBio Extracellular Vesicles/Exosomes and Nanoparticles, Engineering EVs for cardiovascular diseases (shown above) Miami, FL April 3-4, 2024.

Speaker: Controlled Release Society (CRS) 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition. Manufacturing science and technology. The presentation addressed “fouling”, i.e. the deposition and consequent loss of material onto the channel walls when producing nanoparticles in microfluidic processes. Bologna, Italy. July 9, 2024.

Speaker: 3rd Annual Allies in Innovation Celebration, Alliance for SoCal Innovation, ASU California Center. Keynote Fireside Chat, with Drs. Scott Fraser and Gary Michelson. Los Angeles, February 22, 2024.

Organizer: 18th International Conference on Crystallization of Biological Macromolecules - ICCBM18 (shown above). Tempe, AZ. November 3-9, 2024.

Francesco Cutrale

Stacey Finley

Organizer: SoCalSysBio 2024. The annual Southern California Systems Biology symposium (shown above) brought together researchers from across California to share research, build community, and stimulate collaborations. UCI, Irvine, CA. March, 16, 2024

Invited Co-chair: Keystone Symposia - From Systems Immunology to Immunoengineering, a joint meeting with the Immunometabolism Across Scales: From Cells to Systems to Healthspan meeting. Vancouver, BC, Canada. January 11-15, 2026.

Invited Speaker: FASEB Science Research Conference. Mathematical modeling reveals design features of NK cellbased immunotherapy. St. Paul, MN. June 2024.

Invited Speaker: Conference for Emerging Black Academics in STEM. Modeling the tumor ecosystem: modeling across scales. Caltech, Pasadena, CA, April 2024.

Invited Speaker: Computational Medicine Program Symposium Tumor-immune ecosystem: quantitative insights from modeling across scales. Chapel Hill, NC. March 2024.

Invited Speaker: Gordon Research Conference on Immunoengineering Systems biology modeling of the tumor-immune ecosystem. Lucca, Italy, February 2024.

Speaker: Systems Biology Theory Lunch Exploring the tumor ecosystem: modeling across scales. Harvard University, Department of Systems Biology, November 22, 2024.

Speaker: Computational Health Seminar Series. Exploring the tumor-immune ecosystem using multi-scale computational modeling. Duke University, Center for Computational Health and Digital Health Innovation, October 30, 2024.

Speaker: Tissue Talks Seminar Series Applying computational modeling to study immune cell signaling, metabolism, and angiogenesis. Columbia University, October 2, 2024.

Speaker: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Seminar Exploring the tumor ecosystem: modeling across scales. University of California, Irvine, May 31, 2024.

Speaker: Wheldon School of Biomedical Engineering BME Distinguished Research Seminar Series, Exploring the tumor ecosystem: modeling across scales. Purdue University, April 24, 2024.

Speaker: Distinguished Lecture in Mathematical and Computational Biology Exploring the tumor-immune ecosystem using multi-scale computational modeling. University of California, Riverside, February 21, 2024.

Peter Foster

Invited Speaker: TU Dresden Physics of Living Systems (shown above). From cytoskeletal assemblies to living machines. The event brough together experimentalists and theorists from across disciplines, interested in identifying the emergent principles that control the dynamic organization of living matter, especially when these principles underlie biological function. Dresden, Germany. June 19, 2024.

Cornelius Gati

Speaker: 2024 Structural Biology Summit (shown above). The interdisciplinary summit brought together experts in the fields of single particle cryo-EM, cryo-ET, and MicroED as well as software developers in X-ray crystallography and computational modeling to discuss current developments, challenges, and future opportunities. UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge, CA. October 15-18, 2024.

Organizer: 9th Annual Southern California CryoEM Symposium. SoCal CryoEM 2024 (detailed in Michelson Events section). October 11, 2024,

Speaker: Chemistry and Pharmacology of Drug Abuse (CPDA) Conference. Structural basis of inverse agonism via inactive kappa opioid receptor: G protein complexes Boston, MA. August 1, 2024.

Justin Haldar

Host: ECE Seminar. Capturing life: Optical microscopy for in vivo deep tissue imaging at high spatiotemporal resolution. USC Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Los Angeles, CA. March 25, 2024.

Khalil Iskarous

Speaker: Yale University, Monday Colloquium The dynamical emergence of discreteness in phonology. Dynamical Systems Analysis (DSA) studies the quantitative variation in the states of natural systems and the qualitative differences in the behaviors of such systems. Dr. Iskarous presented an introduction to dynamical systems and how the dynamical approach is being currently extended to the description of syntactic structure. New Haven, CT. September 30, 2024.

Vsevolod Katritch

Co-Organizers: Drs. Katritch and Charles McKenna, 2nd Annual Drug Discovery Innovation Workshop (CNT3D+Bridge+MESH Academy) (detailed in Centers & Institutes section). February 23, 2024.

Speaker: Chemistry and Pharmacology of Drug Abuse (CPDA) Conference. Giga-scale ligand screening and design: new tools for computer driven drug discovery Boston, MA. August 1, 2024.

Mercedeh Khajavikhan

Host: MHI Physics Joint Seminar Series Non-Hermitian quantum dynamics: super quantum correlations and breaking the quantum speed limit. USC, Los Angeles, CA. November 1, 2024.

Speaker: Distinguished Lecturer Series Mack Planck Institute Guiding trojan beams using LaGrange points. Leuchs-Russell Auditorium at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light. Erlangen, Germany. May 23, 2024.

Presenter: Symposium - Integrated Photonics and Quantum Applications. Leading experts in the field at the interface of nanophotonics, mid-infrared sensing, special materials and integrated systems spoke on the propelling promising advances in the world of quantum science. Laval University, Quebec, Canada. November 5, 2024.

Panelist/Chair: AI West Med, USC Keck School of Medicine, 6th Annual Practical Urology, Annual Artificial Intelligence Session. Taxonomy/historical perspective/ multidisciplinary AI teams. The conference covered advanced robotic, endo-urologic, endoscopic, imagetargeted, focal therapy, microsurgical, prosthetic, reconstructive surgeries, and their complications, as well as medical therapies covering the entire range of urology. Los Angeles, CA. Feb 1-3, 2024.

Panelist: USC Women’s Conference 2024 The power of collaboration to fight cancer. Panelists included USC’s Drs. Kuhn, Jorge Nieva, and Assad Oberai. The panel was moderated by Amy Ross (USC Trustee). Los Angeles, CA. March 1, 2024.

Keynote speaker: 12th International Clinical Cancer Genomics Conference, Accelerating Progress in Precision Medicine for Cancer: The Time is Now, Session 4: New Approaches to Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Inherited Cancers. The promise of multi-cancer detection assays. The goal of the event (shown above) was to equip healthcare providers with practical tools and knowledge to accelerate progress in precision medicine for cancer. It provided an interdisciplinary educational forum comprising updates on state-of-the-art science in cancer genomics, including artificial intelligence, discussed real-world cases, curated interesting pedigrees, and prepared case summaries in order to disseminate new knowledge and evidence-based management of high-risk patients and their at-risk family members. Chicago, Il. April 19-21, 2024.

Peter Kuhn

Peter Kuhn (continued)

Keynote speaker: Charles University, AI4BS – Artificial Intelligence for Body and Soul How can AI contribute and improve physical and mental health of a human being? The one-day conference (shown above) focused on what artificial intelligence can offer, and already offers, to people to support their physical and mental health. Prague, Czech Republic. May 23, 2024.

Alex McDowell

Keynote speaker: VIZBI 2024, Design and storytelling (shown right, detailed in Centers & Institutes section). March 13-15, 2024.

Keynote speaker: FAB24 - Symposium on Technology 5.0, Fab Initiative: Symposium on Technology 5.0 and Fab Initiative - DistInc and World Building. The annual FABx Event (shown above) is a global convening of creative and innovative thinkers who share a passion for digital fabrication and technology to promote equity and social justice through technological, frugal, and innovative solutions that address relevant social problems. Puebla, Mexico. August 5, 2024.

Keynote speaker: NEOM Museum. NEOM is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia that is being built as a living laboratory for entrepreneurship and innovation. NEOM aims to empower the best talents to embody pioneering ideas and exceed boundaries in a world inspired by imagination; a global hub that is reimagining urbanism to be people-first and nature-friendly. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. November 18, 2024.

Dr. McDowell was a keynote speaker on design and storytelling at the international conference on Visualizing Biological Data (VIZBI 2024).

Dr. Meng was a symposium chair at the 13th Congress of the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience in Birmingham, UK.

Ellis Meng

Symposium Chair: 13th Congress of the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience. Bioelectronic medicine. The meeting (shown left) brought together the international community working in the field of autonomic neuroscience, both fundamental and clinical. Birmingham, UK. July 25-27, 2024.

Executive Program Chair: 2025 Transducers Conference. The mission of the international conference (shown above) is to enhance the collective knowledge of the global transducers technical community and to stimulate its growth by providing an inclusive forum for communication, education, and collaboration. To be held in Orlando, FL. June 29-July 3, 2025.

Speaker: West Virgina University, Materials Science Seminar. Scaling polymer implantable electrode interfaces. Morgantown, WV. April 26, 2024.

Speaker: 9th International Winterschool on Bioelectronics Scaling polymer implantable electrode interfaces. Tirol, Austria. March 16-23, 2024.

Speaker: Gordon Research Conference on Neuroelectronic Interfaces. Translating neural technologies using NIHfunded open-source platforms. The Neuroelectronic Interfaces GRC is an international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. Galveston, TX. March 10-15, 2024.

Speaker: University of Arizona, Biomedical Engineering Departmental Seminar. Polymer-based microfabricated implants for neural applications. Tucson, AZ. February 12, 2024.

Shrikanth Narayanan

Organizing Committee Member: INTERSPEECH 2024 Conference Series: Speech and Beyond. The conference paper State-of-the-art speech production MRI protocol for new 0.55 Tesla scanners included contributions by USC/ Michelson Faculty authors Drs. Narayanan, Ye Tian and Dani Byrd. Kos Island, Greece. September 1-5, 2024.

Ishwar K. Puri

Speaker: 2024 USC Architecture Research Symposium (shown above). Resilient futures: bridging tradition and innovation in the living environment. Los Angeles, CA. April 11, 2024.

Invited Speaker: Renewable Hydrogen Storage and Transport Conference. Dinner, Banquet, and Poster Session. USC, Los Angeles, CA. March 11, 2024.

Jennifer Treweek

Hosted: USC Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering - Seminar series Bayesian exploration for intelligent haptics and medical diagnosis. USC, Los Angeles, CA. September 13, 2024.

Cristina Zavaleta

Speaker: Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS) Seminar Series. A resurgence in nano: the many advantages of nanoparticle-based imaging contrast agents and their potential for clinical translation. November 7, 2024.