When Self-Driving Trucks Don’t Know What They Don’t Know
At the USC Center for Autonomy and AI’s fall workshop, participants grappled with a critical question: Can foundation models power the next generation of autonomous systems?
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Department of Biomedical Engineering News
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Maral Mousavi Wins Prestigious International Award in Electroanalytical Sciences
Mousavi, an expert in electrochemical sensors for at-home and point-of-care testing, has been honored with the 2026 Royce W. Murray Young Investigator Award.
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The Hidden Chemistry of Human Survival
Jeremy Alexander, Doug Peacock Scholar, finds innovation in overlooked spaces – from wastewater microbes to aerospace materials – to protect life on Earth and beyond.
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New NIH Project to Model Breast Tumors for Better Immunotherapy
Stacey Finley will co-lead the five-year $2.6 million project that will harness computational modeling to find effective immunotherapy approaches against devastating metastatic breast tumors.
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Researchers Invent New AI Tool to Automate Detection of Cancer in Blood Samples
Innovation detects cancer cells in blood samples (liquid biopsies) in as little as 10 minutes and identifies hard-to-find cells without humans in-the-loop
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A Sensor Stir Stick to Keep Your Caffeine Hit in Check
USC biomedical engineers have created a low-cost stirrer to precisely measure a drink’s caffeine concentration, helping coffee-lovers avoid the pitfalls of over-caffeination.
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Medical Electronics that Match the Stretchability of Human Tissue
Researchers at USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a novel method for fabricating highly precise and stretchable electronics that conform seamlessly to the body.
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USC Viterbi Student Wins Prestigious Astronaut Scholarship
Alara Berkmen, a biomedical engineering student, is recognized for leadership and dedication to cancer research.
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New USC Viterbi Eye Study Could Redefine Rules of Tissue Behavior
USC biomedical engineers have shown that tissue stiffness does not always follow fiber orientation – an exception with implications for glaucoma, myopia, and ocular trauma.
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Brain’s Blood Flow Could Change How We Understand and Treat Alzheimer’s
New USC Viterbi-led study focusing on brain’s vascular dynamics challenges the current prevailing method of dementia diagnosis and treatment.
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Vasileios Christopoulos Awarded Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant for Bladder Control Research
The prestigious grant will enable Christopoulos and his collaborators from the USC Neurorestoration Center to map how the brain and spinal cord work together to control the bladder.
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New DARPA-Funded Project Aims to Unravel the Brain’s Learning Secrets
A USC Viterbi team will lead the study that could inform future diagnoses for neurological disorders and the development of next-generation bio-inspired AI.
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Hangbo Zhao Receives Prestigious NSF CAREER Award for Advanced Manufacturing Research
The $546,713 award will support Zhao’s pioneering work in high-resolution manufacturing of stretchable electronics.
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New Discovery Reveals the Spinal Cord’s Role in Bladder Control
A first-of-its-kind study offers hope for future treatments of urinary incontinence caused by neurological disorders, aging and other conditions.
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Unlocking the Brain’s Filing Cabinet
USC researchers have discovered how the human brain organizes its visual memories through precise neural timing.
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Qifa Zhou Honored for Contributions to the Biomedical Ultrasound Field
The 16th International Conference on Ultrasound Engineering for Biomedical Applications in South Korea recognized Zhou, an expert in high-frequency ultrasound imaging technology.
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Could Open-Source Medical Devices Transform Healthcare?
USC Viterbi researchers examine how an open-source approach is changing the game for the medical device sector, accelerating research and bringing benefits to patients.
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A Game-Changing Wireless Implant for Personalized Chronic Pain Relief
USC researchers have developed a groundbreaking ultrasound device that could reduce our reliance on addictive painkillers.
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New Nanoparticle Weapon in the Fight Against Cardiovascular and Kidney Disease
The Chung Lab has engineered a new therapeutically enhanced, naturally derived particle for powerful gene therapies to tackle our most significant health challenges.
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Excellence, Curiosity, Character: The Graduates of the USC Viterbi Class of 2025
At the USC Viterbi undergraduate commencement ceremony, the next generation of engineers are encouraged to advance technology that solves the world’s grand challenges.
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“You Are Agents of Change”: The USC Viterbi Master’s Class of 2025
At the USC Viterbi master’s commencement ceremonies, Dean Yannis C. Yortsos praised graduates on the “singular achievement” of earning their master’s degree.
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“Building A Better World:” Dean Yannis C. Yortsos Tells Graduates They Will Make A Difference
The 2025 Ph.D. Hooding and Awards Ceremony honors 150 new graduates and Haotian Hang, winner of this year’s best Ph.D. thesis
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Leaping Lizards! Class of 2025 Grad Looks to Reptiles to Help ACL Injuries
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering graduating senior Alex Kuncz is studying how lizards regenerate their tails to improve orthopedic treatments.
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The Student Senator Making an Impact in Women’s Health
Class of 2025 biomedical engineering graduate Emilia Bletsas reflects on her path at USC Viterbi.
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Wearable Smart Lactation Pad Detects Chemicals and Nutrients in Breast Milk
A BME graduate student having her first baby inspired the research group to work on technology gaps in lactation health.
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Engineering Pediatric Rehabilitation
A Winning Innovation at ASBME’s Make-A-Thon
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The Biomedical Engineer Inspired by her Grandfather to Make a Difference
Class of 2025 graduate Lauren Tomita is driven to support others, taking on a student leadership role as president of the Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering.
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USC Viterbi’s CURVE Program Hosts Annual Student Research Showcase
135 student presentations address health, security, sustainability and how to enrich life
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New Insight into How the Brain Switches Gears Could Help Parkinson’s Patients
Biomedical engineering research at USC has unraveled a mystery of motor control that could be a game-changer for disorders like Parkinson’s and could aid in the development of bio-inspired systems.
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USC Researchers Develop Plastic Substitute from Mineral Found in Seashells
Biomedical engineers at USC Viterbi have created a new biocompatible material that is safe for marine life and avoids harmful microplastics.
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Nurture More Important than Nature for Robotic Hands
New paper from the ValeroLab shows that tactile sensors are less important than the order of learning experiences for embodied artificial intelligence.
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New “Smart” Immune Cells: A Breakthrough for Long-Lasting Tumor Destruction
USC Viterbi researchers have engineered a new immune cell that when activated by ultrasound can continuously sense and destroy cancer cells for extended periods.
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Eun Ji Chung Elected as a 2025 AIMBE Fellow
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering recognized Chung for her extensive body of research in nanobiomaterials for drug delivery, diagnostics, and tissue restoration for disease applications.
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The USC Sophomore Whose Algorithm is Helping Pediatric Cancer Patients
New undergraduate research from biomedical engineering student Arjun Karnwal is being used by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to improve cancer radiation treatments.
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A Long Sleep for a Long Life
New USC Viterbi assistant professor Yaoheng Yang studies how safely induced artificial hibernation could improve our longevity.
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Qifa Zhou to Receive Prestigious Golden Axon Leadership Award
The Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics and World Brain Mapping Foundation will honor Zhou, an expert in high-frequency ultrasound imaging technology.
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Revolutionizing Heart Care for Newborns
Ellis Meng’s team pioneers non-invasive shunt monitoring to improve survival rates for young patients with congenital heart defects
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Three USC Viterbi Professors Named 2024 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors
Francisco Valero-Cuevas, Wei Wu and Theodore Tsotsis received the prestigious honor in recognition of their exceptional contributions to innovation, invention and technology.
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New CRISPR Toolkit to Allow Remote-Controlled Genome Editing
USC Viterbi biomedical engineers harness focused ultrasound to revolutionize CRISPR’s capabilities to treat countless diseases.
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Turning Memory Loss into a Distant Memory
USC Viterbi and Keck School of Medicine of USC have been collaborating on human trials for a revolutionary brain prosthesis to repair and restore lost memories.
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New Maker Space Helping Students Craft Life-Changing Medical Devices
The Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering’s new Innovation Space will be an incubator for the future of medical technology.
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In Memoriam: George Bekey 1928 – 2024
Legendary roboticist helped spark USC Viterbi’s rise to global prominence.
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From Blood Tests to Brain Scans: How AI is Revolutionizing Alzheimer’s Research
How advanced technology offers new hope in the fight against a devastating disease.
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How Are Stretch Reflexes Modulated During Voluntary Movement?
New computational theory sheds light on a longstanding question
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Safeguarding Mental Health: USC team develops at-home test for lithium toxicity
New low-cost test could be a game-changer for individuals with bipolar disorder and depression who rely on the drug for mental health
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Forging Research Partnerships for Future Medical Breakthroughs
New Mann Engineering in Medicine Pilot Grants program will build ongoing research collaborations between USC Viterbi School of Engineering and Keck School of Medicine of USC.
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A Sound Revolution: How USC Viterbi Engineers Are Using Ultrasound To Restore Vision
A USC research team utilizes non-invasive technologies to target degenerative visual impairments.
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Unraveling the Mysteries of Stem Cells
New research harnesses machine learning and imaging to give unprecedented insight into stem cell behavior that could enable future lifesaving therapies.
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Shanechi-led USC Center for Neurotechnology Boosted by Grant From NIH BRAIN Initiative
$5 million grant will develop multimodal AI and sensing technology for mental state tracking.
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From Dreams to Degrees: USC Viterbi Class of 2024 Graduates Shape Tomorrow, Today
At the forefront of engineering and technology, graduates like Christian Bryan redefine potential with degrees in cutting-edge fields and a commitment to lifelong exploration.
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Master’s Class of 2024: “The Best So Far”
At the USC Viterbi master’s commencement ceremonies, Dean Yannis C. Yortsos praised graduates’ resilience, ingenuity and integrity
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Rachel.Amir Chatman’s Mission for Ethical Technology
The BME Class of 2024 graduate who wants to make medical technology fairer for all patients.
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Like Mother, Like Son
Anthony Mouchawar Hopes to Realize His Mother’s Dream And Attend Medical School
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No More Needle Phobia: Personalized Medicine Just Got More Flexible
Hangbo Zhao presents findings on highly stretchable and customizable microneedles for application in fields including neuroscience, tissue engineering, and wearable bioelectronics.
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Turning a Tumor’s “Shield” into a Weapon Against Itself
USC Viterbi biomedical engineers have designed a new protein that targets and disables tumor cells’ defenses while marking cancer cells for death.
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The Rotisserie-Inspired Device That Could Revolutionize Cancer Surgery
USC Viterbi biomedical engineers have built an imaging device that harnesses nanoparticles to ensure a tumor has been entirely removed.
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The Future of Health Research and Innovation at Grodins Symposium
The 26th annual showcase featured the latest student research from the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering.
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A Green Light to Build Muscle Cells on Command
USC Viterbi and Keck USC researchers, aided by Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant, seek to control how cells grow into tissue, with game-changing applications in neuromuscular diseases and more.
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New Prototype for Wearable Ultrasound Device to Measure Stiffness Changes in Deep Organs
The device, developed by USC and MIT researchers, could be used to help monitor for prevention of acute liver failure
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Nanoparticles “Hitchhike” on Immune Cells to Catch Cancer Metastasis Early
USC Viterbi researchers have designed particles that can light up the lymph node cancer cells otherwise undetectable by MRI.
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Being There
While his friends went to high school football games, biomedical engineering student Dominic De La Torre cared for his ailing grandmother. He has no regrets.
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Medical Wearables are All Sewn Up
Researchers in the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering use embroidery and lasers to create affordable, cutting-edge sensors for wearables and personalized healthcare.
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Illiuminating Cancer
Longwei Liu joins USC Viterbi and the Wang Lab to uncover the secret interactions between immune cells and cancer cells with the help of fluorescent trackers.
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She Missed Over 200 Days of High School Due to Illness. It Never Stopped Her From Serving Others.
The first-year student’s experience with empathy and chronic pain shaped Holly Rose’s path to biomedical engineering.
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Eun Ji Chung Elected BMES Fellow
Chung was recognized for pioneering drug delivery innovations and commitment to fostering diversity in biomedical engineering.
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Hangbo Zhao Receives Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program Award
The highly competitive program supports outstanding early career researchers developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by the Navy and Marine Corps.
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Stacey Finley Co-Chairs 2023 Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting
USC Viterbi research and thought leadership was highlighted in 25 research and panel sessions at the leading event for biomedical engineering research and innovation.
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Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering Honored by BMES
The student organization has been recognized by the Biomedical Engineering Society for its leadership and contributions.
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“You’re Never Alone:” Leveraging Technology to Prevent Sexual Assault
A USC Viterbi-led startup is developing a bracelet to send a distress signals, along with a map of the sender’s location, to groups of friends at parties to keep people safe and connected
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Origami-Inspired Strain Sensors for Stretchable Soft Robotics
USC researchers have developed an innovative solution to measure the motion of soft components in robotics.
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Qifa Zhou appointed Zohrab A. Kaprielian Fellow in Engineering
Zhou is an expert in the field of ultrasound imaging.
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OSEM Wins Nucleate L.A. Pitch Competition
The USC Viterbi-led startup is creating a 3D printer to produce nanoparticles more efficiently and accurately
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Student Excellence Takes Center Stage at Grodins Symposium
The Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of its student research showcase.
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Wide Awake and Dreaming: USC Viterbi’s 2023 Master’s Commencement Ceremonies
The class of 2023 is “the best educated, the most representative in our history.”
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“At Heart, We’re Problem Solvers:” USC Viterbi Undergraduate Commencement 2023
This year’s ceremony at Alumni Park was headlined by alumnus and venture capitalist, Mark Stevens, who praised the power and versatility of an engineering degree
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The BME Grad Championing Gender-Affirming Healthcare
Senior Sabrina Sy reflects a unique interdisciplinary marriage between biomedical engineering and gender and sexuality studies.
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“Attention is All You Need”: New Ph.D.s Urged to Attend to “Challenges of Earth’s Eight Billion People.”
The 2023 Ph.D. Hooding and Awards Ceremony honors 133 new graduates and Jiaoyang Li, winner of this year’s best Ph.D. thesis.
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From Creating Medical Devices for Heart Disease to Helping at International Basketball’s Biggest Event
Originally from Lebanon, Serge Nasr is pursuing his dreams in the United States.
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Her Body May Feel Weak, But This Trojan CEO is Fighting On for Brain Health
No June gloom: Alumna Samantha Scott’s start-up, JuneBrain, seeks to deliver the tele-health services she once desired for herself.
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The Quiet Revolution of AI on the Edge
AI is running on mobile phones, sensors, and home appliances thanks to the engineering innovations that make the most of the limited memory, reduced computational power, and little energy available in these devices.
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Biomedical Engineering at USC Welcomes a New Name and a Bright Future
USC President Carol L. Folt was among the attendees at the naming ceremony for the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering.
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Megan McCain Inducted as 2023 AIMBE Fellow
McCain is an expert in organ on a chip technology for human disease modeling.
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USC Hosts Leaders in Neurorehabilitation at National Science Foundation Conference
A national conference supported by the NSF examined ways for computational modeling to help change the game for persons with disabilities and neurological conditions.
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BME Postdoc Megan Rexius-Hall awarded NIH Pathway to Independence Award
Rexius-Hall is a postdoc in the McCain Laboratory using “Heart-on-a-Chip” technology to research cardiac damage post-heart attack.
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BME Postdoc Isabella Suzuki Awarded Agilent Fellowship
Suzuki is a postdoc in the Chung Laboratory, researching nanomedicine for atherosclerosis.
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Photographing an Invisible Frog and what it Reveals About Blood Flow
USC Viterbi engineers harnessed ultrasonic waves to capture extraordinary images of glass frogs, which dodge predators by making themselves transparent.
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Francisco Valero-Cuevas Named Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors
The USC professor is a leader in the application of fundamental engineering principles to aid human welfare.
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“I’ve Fallen, and I Can’t Get Up.” Not If These Engineering Students Can Help It.
At the ASBME 2023 Make-a-thon, teams were given 36 hours to build devices to prevent seniors from dangerous falls.
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Synthetic Touch: Haptic Data is Revolutionizing Consumer Products
SynTouch, spun off from USC research, is using robot touch to improve everything from cars to toilet paper to online shopping.
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Catching Some Z’s is a Challenge for Millions. Can Wristbands Help Solve the Problem?
Professor Michael Khoo and his SleepHuB partners look at a range of technologies to uncover sleep problems
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Saving Lives: Heart Attack On A Chip
Megan McCain and postdoc Megan Rexius-Hall have engineered a microscale model that might one day serve as a testbed for personalized heart drugs
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AI4Health: A Collab for the Future of Health Care
USC’s Information Sciences Institute launches the Center on AI Research for Health.
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$35 Million Gift: Era of the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering Begins
USC receives one of the largest naming gifts to a biomedical engineering department in the nation.
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Maral Mousavi Receives NIH New Innovator Award to Create Nanosensors for the Nervous System
She will use the $2.3 million award to create sensors that will have game-changing applications for disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease.
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34 new hires, including the new biomedical engineering chair, join for fall and spring semesters
USC Viterbi New Faculty Hires 2022-2023
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New $11.7 Million USC Center to Create Open-Source Implantables for the Nervous System
The USC-led center will develop cutting-edge devices that send stimulating pulses to the autonomic nervous system to treat and monitor a vast range of conditions.
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Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering wins National Outstanding Mentoring Program Award
The Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) has selected USC’s student chapter as the 2022 recipients of the mentoring prize.
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Expert in Engineered Cell-Based Cancer Therapies Appointed USC Viterbi BME Chair
Peter Yingxiao Wang, a specialist in CAR T-cell cancer therapies, joins USC in January 2023 as the new chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
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Medical Imaging in Living Color – With 26 New Shades to Detect Disease
New molecular imaging method could change the game for detection and treatment of cancers and other diseases.
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‘Bekey Changed My Life’
The robotics pioneer’s true gift is not with machines but with people