USC Stem Cell postdoctoral trainee Aswathy Ammothumkandy vividly recalls when the tour guide shared the story of Dolly the cloned sheep during her ninth-grade field trip to the regional science center in her home town of Kozhikode, India. From that moment on, Ammothumkandy set her heart on a career in biotechnology. “I thought that this…Continue Reading USC Stem Cell postdoc Aswathy Ammothumkandy recognized by the American Epilepsy Society for her work with neural stem cells
Year: 2021
How does air pollution influence Alzheimer’s risk?
Higher exposure to air pollution is strongly associated with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, especially for people with certain genetic risk factors for the disease. Exactly how pollution interacts with these genes to increase dementia risk is still unknown, but clues may be found in how stem cells within the brain undergo aging, according to…Continue Reading How does air pollution influence Alzheimer’s risk?
Do our brains age faster than the rest of our bodies?
If you feel your brain power diminishing as you advance into middle age and beyond, blame your neural stem cells. In a new study published in Cell Stem Cell, a team led by USC Stem Cell scientist Michael Bonaguidi demonstrates that neural stem cells—the stem cells of the nervous system—age rapidly. “There is chronological aging,…Continue Reading Do our brains age faster than the rest of our bodies?
Lab starts a buzz around fruit flies in hearing research
Even though a fruit fly doesn’t have ears, it can hear with its antennae. In a new study published in the journal Development, USC Stem Cell scientists describe how adult flies can regenerate sensory hearing cells in their antennae, and how studying flies can provide a new way to understand and develop treatments for the…Continue Reading Lab starts a buzz around fruit flies in hearing research