USC Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics welcomes students to reach out with interest in joining our research programs.
The research opportunities are conducted on the USC Health Sciences Campus (HSC). A shuttle is available for students coming from the University Park Campus (UPC).
Please contact our Senior Research Administrator Kami McClure @ Kami.McClure@med.usc.edu for more information.
1) Stem Cell-Derived Research: IND-Enabling Program
This project aims to accelerate progress in fighting dry age-related macular degeneration through preclinical studies leading to FDA IND application. The therapeutic is an injection containing a mixture of the restorative, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that are released by stem cell-derived healthy retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The RPE secretions are derived from an implantable patch of RPE cells grown from stem cells, which is another Dry AMD treatment developed by the team.
References:
- Pollalis D, Calle AG, Martinez-Camarillo JC, Ahluwalia K, Hinman C, Mitra D, Lebkowski J, Lee SY, Thomas BB, Ahmed F, Chan V, Junge JA, Fraser S, Louie S., Humayun M. Scaling up polarized RPE cell supernatant production on parylene membrane. Exp Eye Res. 240:109789. 2024.
- Ahluwalia K, Martinez-Camarillo JC, Thomas BB, NaikA, Gonzalez-Calle A, Pollalis D., Lebkowski J, Lee SY, Mitra D, Louie SG, Humayun MS. Polarized RPE Secretome Preserves Photoreceptors in Retinal Dystrophic RCS Rats. Cells. 12(13):1689. June 2023.
- Humayun MS, Clegg DO, Dayan MS, Kashani AH, Rahhal FM, Avery RL, Salehi-Had H, Chen S, Chan C, Palejwala N, Ingram A, Mitra D, Pennington BO, Hinman C, Faynus MA, Bailey JK, Johnson LV, Lebkowski JS. Long-term Follow-up of a Phase 1/2a Clinical Trial of a Stem Cell-Derived Bioengineered Retinal Pigment Epithelium Implant for Geographic Atrophy. Ophthalmology. 131(6):682-691. 2024.
- Kashani AH, Lebkowski JS, Hinton DR, Zhu D, Faynus MA, Chen S, Rahhal FM, Avery RL, Selehi-Had H, Chan C, Palejwala N, Ingram A, Dang W, Lin CM, Mitra D, Martinez-Camarillo JC, Bailey J, Arnold C, Pennington BO, Rao N, Johnson LV, Clegg DO, Humayun MS. Survival of an HLA-mismatched, bioengineered RPE implant in dry age-related macular degeneration. Stem Cell Reports. 17(3):448-458. 2022.
- Kashani A, Lebkowski JS, Rahhal FM, Avery RL, Salehi-Had H, Chen S, Chan C, Palejwala N, Ingram A, Dang W, Lin CM, Mitra D, Pennington BO, Hinman C, Faynus MA, Bailey JK, Mohan S, Rao N, Jonson LV, Clegg DO, Hinton DR, Humayun MS. One-Year Follow-Up in a Phase 1/2a Clinical Trial of an Allogeneic RPE Cell Bioengineered Implant for Advanced Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 10(10):13. 2021.
- Kashani AH, Lebkowski JS, Rahhal FM, Avery RL, Salehi-Had J, Dang W, Lin CM, Mitra D, Zhu D, Thomas BB, Hikita ST, Pennington BO, Johnson LV, Clegg DO, Hinton DR, Humayun MS. A bioengineered retinal pigment epithelial monolayer for advanced, dry age-related macular degeneration. Sci Transl Med. 10(435). doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aao4097, Apr. 4, 2018.
Degree/Experience: Undergraduate or graduate degree in science or engineering.
Prerequisites:
- Pre-med major
- Biology/Chemistry major
- Biology or Biochemistry
2) Stem Cell-Based Subretinal Implant: Phase 2b Clinical Trial
This project is a Phase 2b clinical trial of a stem cell implant named the “California Project to Cure Blindness-Retinal Pigment Epithelium 1” or CPCB-REP1. The implant is licensed by the USC Stevens Center for Innovation exclusively to Regenerative Patch Technologies. The USC portion of the project is led by Sun Young Lee, MD, PhD and Rodrigo Brant, MD, PhD
References:
- Pollalis D, Calle AG, Martinez-Camarillo JC, Ahluwalia K, Hinman C, Mitra D, Lebkowski J, Lee SY, Thomas BB, Ahmed F, Chan V, Junge JA, Fraser S, Louie S., Humayun M. Scaling up polarized RPE cell supernatant production on parylene membrane. Exp Eye Res. 240:109789. 2024.
- Ahluwalia K, Martinez-Camarillo JC, Thomas BB, NaikA, Gonzalez-Calle A, Pollalis D., Lebkowski J, Lee SY, Mitra D, Louie SG, Humayun MS. Polarized RPE Secretome Preserves Photoreceptors in Retinal Dystrophic RCS Rats. Cells. 12(13):1689. June 2023.
- Humayun MS, Clegg DO, Dayan MS, Kashani AH, Rahhal FM, Avery RL, Salehi-Had H, Chen S, Chan C, Palejwala N, Ingram A, Mitra D, Pennington BO, Hinman C, Faynus MA, Bailey JK, Johnson LV, Lebkowski JS. Long-term Follow-up of a Phase 1/2a Clinical Trial of a Stem Cell-Derived Bioengineered Retinal Pigment Epithelium Implant for Geographic Atrophy. Ophthalmology. 131(6):682-691. 2024.
- Kashani AH, Lebkowski JS, Hinton DR, Zhu D, Faynus MA, Chen S, Rahhal FM, Avery RL, Selehi-Had H, Chan C, Palejwala N, Ingram A, Dang W, Lin CM, Mitra D, Martinez-Camarillo JC, Bailey J, Arnold C, Pennington BO, Rao N, Johnson LV, Clegg DO, Humayun MS. Survival of an HLA-mismatched, bioengineered RPE implant in dry age-related macular degeneration. Stem Cell Reports. 17(3):448-458. 2022.
- Kashani A, Lebkowski JS, Rahhal FM, Avery RL, Salehi-Had H, Chen S, Chan C, Palejwala N, Ingram A, Dang W, Lin CM, Mitra D, Pennington BO, Hinman C, Faynus MA, Bailey JK, Mohan S, Rao N, Jonson LV, Clegg DO, Hinton DR, Humayun MS. One-Year Follow-Up in a Phase 1/2a Clinical Trial of an Allogeneic RPE Cell Bioengineered Implant for Advanced Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 10(10):13. 2021.
- Kashani AH, Lebkowski JS, Rahhal FM, Avery RL, Salehi-Had J, Dang W, Lin CM, Mitra D, Zhu D, Thomas BB, Hikita ST, Pennington BO, Johnson LV, Clegg DO, Hinton DR, Humayun MS. A bioengineered retinal pigment epithelial monolayer for advanced, dry age-related macular degeneration. Sci Transl Med. 10(435). doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aao4097, Apr. 4, 2018.
Degree/Experience: Undergraduate or graduate degree in science or engineering.
Prerequisites:
- Pre-med major
- Biology/Chemistry major
- Biology or Biochemistry
3) Non-Invasive Electrical Stimulation
This program seeks to create adaptive, interventional bioengineered systems for delivering electromagnetic fields to prevent and treat prevalent neurodegenerative disease of the retina and brain.
Degree/Experience: undergraduate or graduate student
References:
- Tew BY, Gooden GC, Lo PA, Pollalis D, Ebright B, Kalfa AJ, Calle AG, Thomas B, Buckley DN, Simon T, Yang Z, Iseri E, Dunton CL, Backman V, Louie S, Lazzi G, Humayun MS, Salhia B. Transcorneal electrical stimulation restores DNA methylation changes in retinal degeneration. Front Mol Neurosci. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1484964. eCollection 2024. 2024.
- Iseri E, Kosta P, Pollalis D, Lo PA, Tew BY, Louie S, Salhia B, Humayun M, Lazzi G. Characterization of Induced Current Density During Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation to Promote Neuroprotection in the Degenerating Retina. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 71(11):3221-3231. 2024.
- Gonzalez Calle A., Paknahad J., Pollalis D, Kosta P, Thomas B, Tew BY, Salhia B, Louie S, Lazzi G, Humayun M. Author Correction: An extraocular electrical stimulation approach to slow down the progression of retinal degeneration in an animal model. Sci Rep 13(1):18120. 2023.
- Humayun MS, Lazzi G, Bodour S, Machnoor M, Paknahad J, Gonzalez-Calle A, Tew BY. Bioelectronic Lens (E-Lens) System for Electrical Stimulation and Neuroprotection of the Retina. Patent No. 20220280777 (Appl. No. 17/685,186). Filed Mar. 2, 2022. Issued Sept. 8, 2022.
- Paknahad J, Loizos K, Humayun M, Lazzi G. Responsiveness of Retinal Ganglion Cells Through Frequency Modulation of Electrical Stimulation: A Computational Modeling Study. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2020:3393-3398, Jul. 2020.
Prerequisites:
- Biomedical Engineering major
- Chemistry/Biology major
- Pre-med major