USC Keck Medicine Magazine Winter 2013

Patient-FocusedTechnologyNew biomedical technologies address health care needs

P A G E 1 6 LeadershipinMotionP A G E 1 7 World-ClassMedicine

inPasadena

P A G E 1 9 BreastCancerTrailblazersP A G E 2 0 HazardoustoYourHealth

TheMagazineoftheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSC|Winter2013Issue

New Hope for Breast Cancer Patients.You or someone you love has been diagnosed with breast cancer. At USC Norris Cancer Hospital we can help you find the best treatment possible.

USC Norris is one of only a few facilities built exclusively for cancer research and patient care. It’s part of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center – one of the original eight comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute.

We pioneer and offer clinical trials that are a crucial step in advancing care and developing potentially beneficial drugs and treatments. Our expert, caring physicians and researchers will work side by side with you to develop a personalized plan for your care, including the innovative trials that can save lives.

Call today to make an appointment and learn more about your options.

(323) 865-3111 | KeckMedicineofUSC.org/breastcancer

Breast Cancer Ad_8.5 x 11.indd 1 9/27/12 11:56 AM

keck.usc.eduKeckMedicine1

•W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 I S S U E

O n t h e C O v e r

8 TechnologyontheMove Biomedical technologies offer novel ways to address health care needs

Cover photograph: Zachary Garrett, left, wears a biofeedback device invented by Terry Sanger, M.D., Ph.D., to help strengthen muscles. Photo by Philip Channing

F e A t U r e S

1 4 RebelswithaCause A media titan and a Nobel Laureate are honored as event raises

$3.6 million for cancer research

1 5 ChangingLives,CreatingCures DreamWorks event raises over $1 million for urologic cancer

and robotics research

1 6 New‘Joint’Chief Jay Lieberman’s arrival enhances already strong orthopaedic

surgery department

1 7 World-ClassMedicineExpands Keck Medical Center Pasadena offers multidisciplinary care

in the San Gabriel Valley

1 9 BreastCancerTrailblazers Clinical trials transform lab discoveries into therapies

2 0 HazardoustoYourHealth Researchers study impact of air pollution and offer ways to reduce it

D e P A r t M e n t S

3 Dean’sMessage Trojan teamwork triumphs

4 InBrief International award; stem cell funding; new degree programs

2 3 KeckintheNews A sampling of news coverage of the Keck School of Medicine

2 4 WhereCanYouFindUSC’sMedicalExperts?2 6 Spotlight/ContinuingMedicalEducation

A D v A n C I n G K e C K M e D I C I n e (after page 26)

1 A KeckMedicineInitiativeprogress2 A Foundationdonates$6millionforstrokeclinic3 A $3.5millionfundsKidneyResearchCenter4 A McMahoninstalledasW.M.KeckProfessor

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2 KeckMedicine | Winter 2013 Issue

Winter2013

E D I T O R

Ina Fried Executive Director, Communications

A R T D I R E C T I O N

IE Design + Communications Hermosa Beach, CA

C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S

Ryan Ball, Tania Chatila, Elena Epstein, Imelda Valenzuela Fowler, Amy E. Hamaker, Hope Hamashige, Linda Kossoff, Jon Nalick,

Candace Pearson, Alana Klein Prisco, Sara Reeve, Leslie Ridgeway, Carrie St. Michel,

Alison Trinidad, Kukla Vera, Susan Wampler

C O N T R I B U T I N G P H O T O G R A P H E R S

Philip Channing, Steve Cohn, Patrick Davison, Don Milici, Brian Morri, Jon Nalick, Donald Norris, Gus Ruelas, Chris Shinn, Jordan Strauss/Invision,

Alison Trinidad, Van Urfalian, Valerie Zapanta

P H O T O S E R V I C E S C O O R D I N A T O R

Monica Padilla

B U S I N E S S A N D D I S T R I B U T I O N

Eva Blaauw, Carol Matthieu, Aline Ocon

Keck Medicine is published twice a year by the Keck School of Medicine of the University of

Southern California. Articles, artwork and pho-tography may be reprinted only with permission.

Please send all correspondence to: USC Health Sciences

Public Relations & Marketing1975 Zonal Ave., KAM 400

Los Angeles, CA 90033-9029323-442-2830

[email protected]

Carmen A. Puliafito,M.D.,M.B.A.,Dean

BOARD OF OVERSEERS

David Lee, Ph.D.,Chairman Edward P. Roski Jr.,Vice Chairman

Wallis Annenberg,Chairman, CEO and President AnnenbergFoundationPeter K. Barker,Chairman of CaliforniaJPMorganChaseGordon Binder,Managing DirectorCoastviewCapital,LLCEli Broad,Chairman and CEOEliandEdytheL.BroadFoundationMalcolm R. Currie,Chairman EmeritusHughesAircraftCompanyRobert A. Day,ChairmanW.M.KeckFoundationHelene V. Galen,MemberUSCBoardofTrusteesElizabeth Garrett,Provost andSenior Vice President forAcademic AffairsUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaStanley P. Gold,President and CEOShamrockHoldingsInc.Ghada IraniOccidentalPetroleumCorporationThomas E. Jackiewicz,Senior Vice President for USC HealthUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaHoward B. Keck Jr.,DirectorW.M.KeckFoundationStephen M. Keck,Senior Vice PresidentTrustCompanyoftheWest

Kent Kresa,Chairman EmeritusNorthropGrummanCorp.John Kusmiersky,President TheBrickstoneCompaniesDeborah Lanni,PresidentLanniFamilyCharitableFoundation

David Lee,Managing General PartnerClarityPartnersJames P. Lower,PartnerHanna&Morton,LLPAlfred E. Mann,Chairman and CEOAdvancedBionicsCorp.Richard Merkin,President and CEOHeritageProviderNetworkCecil L. Murray,Pastor (Retired)FirstAMEChurchC. L. Max Nikias, President UniversityofSouthernCaliforniaHolly Robinson Peete,Co-FounderHollyRodFoundationEdward P. Roski Jr.,President and CEOMajesticRealtyCo.Kathryn SampleUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaSteven B. Sample,President EmeritusUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaSteven Spielberg,MemberUSCBoardofTrusteesWendy Stark,EditorVanity FairGary L. Wilson,ChairmanManhattanPacificPartnersSelim K. ZilkhaZilkhaBiomassEnergy

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KeckMedicine

USCisallaboutteams.NotjustthefamousTrojanathleticteams,butalsothemultidisciplinaryteamsthat tackle important projects acrossUSC’scampuses.I’ve long been an advocate of teamwork in the improvement of patient care. Twentyyears ago I initiated a team in Boston that developed optical coherence tomography(OCT), imaging technology that has dramatically improved the ability of cliniciansto diagnose and treat such blinding diseases as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopa-thyandglaucoma.Youcanreadonthenextpageabout the internationalChampalimaudVisionAwardwereceivedinSeptemberforthatwork. Ourcoverstoryfeaturessomeexamplesofcollaborationbetweenengineeringandmedi-cinehereattheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSC.Atthesametimethatweareinventingandadoptingnewpatient-focusedtechnologies,ourHTE@USCprogramistrainingbothmedicalandengineeringstudentstodevelopnewbiomedicalinnovations. Our story on page 16 about the appointment of Dr. Jay Lieberman to chair ourDepartmentofOrthopaedicSurgerynotes thathe is apioneer inmusculoskeletalgenetherapy to promote bone repair. One of the attractions for Jay to join us here was theopportunity for research collaboration with the team that Dr. Andrew McMahonleads in the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem CellResearchatUSC.Weexpectgreatadvancesasaresult. Teamworkishighlightedagaininourstorythatbeginsonpage17aboutthenewKeckMedicalCenterofUSCPasadena.PatientsliketheonefeaturedinthestorycanseeawholeteamofspecialistsatthisbeautifulnewfacilitylocatedconvenientlytohomesandjobsintheSanGabrielValley. In our Department of Preventive Medicine, teams of researchers are working toensureahealthyenvironmentforourkidsandourgrandkids.Inourstorythatbeginsonpage20,youcanreadaboutlocalandglobalworktoquantifythehealthrisksofairpollutionandtoofferreal-worldsolutionsforreducingit. Twospecialfundraisingeventsthatoccurredinthefallarefeaturedonpages14and15.SumnerM.Redstone,executivechairmanofViacomandCBSCorporation,ledthecon-tributionofover$3.6millionataneventsupportingcancerresearchandclinicalcare.JeffSmall,presidentandchiefoperatingofficerofDreamWorksStudios,hostedaneventthatraisedover$1millionforurologiccancerandroboticsresearch. Among recent gifts noted in our Advancing Keck Medicine newsletter are $6million from theRoxannaToddHodgesFoundation for stroke research, treatment andprevention and $3.5 million from the University Kidney Research Organization forresearchonkidneydisease. Thestoriesinthenewsletterreflecttheimpactofourteamworkwithyou–ourgenerousalumni, trustees,parents, friends, foundations, corporations, facultyand staff. In just twoyearstheKeckMedicineInitiativeofTheCampaignfortheUniversityofSouthernCali-forniahasraisedmorethan$375millioningiftsandpledges.Thisrepresents25percentoftheinitiative’sgoalof$1.5billiontoadvanceresearch,enrichmedicaleducation,enhancepatientcareandstrengthentheinfrastructureofUSC’sacademicmedicalenterprise.

Asalways,wethankyouforyoursupport.

MessagefromtheDean

CARMEN A . PULIAFITO, M.D., M.B.A.Dean Keck School of Medicine of USC

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KInBrief A Quick Look at news from the Keck

School of Medicine of USC and honors for faculty, students and alumni.

KeckSchoolofMedicineofUSCDeanCar-menA.Puliafito,M.D.,M.B.A.,hasreceivedthe2012AntónioChampalimaudVisionAwardfortheinventionanddevelopmentofopticalcoherencetomography(OCT),imagingtechnologythathasrevolutionizedthepracticeofophthalmologybydramaticallyimprovingtheabilityofclinicianstodiagnoseandtreatsuchblindingdiseasesasmaculardegeneration,diabeticretinopathyandglaucoma.(For a video description of OCT, see keck.usc.edu/octaward) PuliafitoreceivedtheawardinSeptemberinLisbon,Portugal,duringaceremonyattheChampalimaudFoundation,oneoftheworld’slargestinternationalscientificinstitutions. Hesharedhalfoftheaward’s1millioneuro($1.26million)prizewithresearchteammembersJamesG.Fujimoto,Ph.D.,professor,DepartmentofElectricalEngineeringandComputerScience,MassachusettsInstituteofTechnol-ogy(MIT);DavidHuang,M.D.,Ph.D.,WeeksProfessorofOphthalmicResearch,OregonHealth&ScienceUniversity(formerlyoftheDohenyEyeInstituteatUSC);JoelS.Schuman,M.D.,Eye&EarFoundationProfessorandchairman,DepartmentofOphthalmology,UniversityofPittsburghSchoolofMedicine;andEricA.Swanson,M.S.,researcher,ResearchLaboratoryofElectronics,MIT. TheotherhalfoftheprizewassharedbyresearchersledbyDavidR.Williams,Ph.D.,WilliamG.AllynChairofMedicalOpticsanddirectoroftheCenterforVisualScienceattheUniversityofRochester.Williams’teamwashonoredforitsdevelopmentofadaptiveoptics(AO),animagingtechnologythatenablesclinicianstoexamineretinalmicrostructuresandimprovevisionbycorrectingminuteaberrationsoftheeye. “Bothdiscoveriesoffernon-invasivemethodstoobtainhigh-resolutionimagesoftheretinathathavedrasticallychangedophthalmicpracticeandholdgreatpotentialtoadvancebothnewresearchandclinicalcare,”theChampali-maudFoundationsaid.Thefoundationnotedthe“multidisciplinarydevelopment”ofOCTandsaidbothOCTandAOhad“transformedeyecareandmedicineworldwide.” “OCTisacasestudyinthepowerofcollaborationbetweenengineeringandmedicineinthedevelopmentofnewtechnologiesthatcandramaticallyimprovepatientcare,”saidPuliafito,theMayS.andJohnHoovalDean’sChairinMedicineandprofessorofophthalmologyandhealthmanagementattheDohenyEyeInstitute. EstablishedbytheLisbon-basedChampalimaudFoundationin2006,theVisionAwardisconferredinodd-numberedyearsforpracticalaccomplishmentsinpreventingblindness,particularlyindevelopingcountries,andineven-numberedyearsforoutstandingscientificresearchinthefieldofvisionscience.Recipientsareselectedbyajuryofdistinguishedscientists,includingtwoNobellaureates,andprominentpublicfiguresfromaroundtheworld. “TheAntónioChampalimaudVisionAwardisamagnificenttestamenttoDr.Puliafito’spioneeringachievementsinmedicalresearch,”saidUSCPresidentC.L.MaxNikias,Ph.D.“Dr.PuliafitoiscertainlyaninspirationforourUSCandglobalscientificcommunities.”

DeanPuliafitohonoredwithprestigiousawardByLeslieRidgeway

I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E C O G N I T I O N

From left: Joel S. Schuman; James G. Fujimoto; Carmen A. Puliafito; Maria Leonor Beleza, president of the Champalimaud Foundation; Anibal Cavaco Silva, president of Portugal; Eric A. Swanson; David Huang; and David R. Williams.

“ The António Champalimaud Vision Award is a magnificent testament to Dr. Puliafito’s pioneering achievements in medical research. Dr. Puliafito is certainly an inspira-tion for our USC and global scientific communities.”

– USC President C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D.


The Keck School of Medicine of USC is ex-panding its offering of degree programs—appealing to undergraduates, pharmacy professionals and online students. A new minor in health care studies is being offered in collaboration with the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, giving students glimpses into research and clinical practice, as well as the social, economic and political issues surrounding health care. While students will take core sciences courses in biology and chemistry, they will also study contemporary issues in health care, such as studying the legal issues and business challenges of running a successful health care practice. USC is also enrolling students in the new Doctor of Pharmacy/MS Global Medicine dual degree program, a program that will graduate pharmacy professionals with an advanced under-standing of the role of modern medicine and the provision of care in developing

countries worldwide. The program was developed by leaders at the Keck School and the USC School of Pharmacy to respond to the need for pharmacists and global health leaders who are capable of analyzing and understanding the impact and use of pharmaceuticals in developing countries with populations that are often greatly underserved in health care. The Keck School is beginning to educate the next generation of public health leaders online in the spring of 2013, in an effort to help meet growing demand for professionals in this area. The new platform will allow the Keck School Master of Public Health program to admit, and ultimately graduate, more students. It also opens the field of prospective students to working professionals, many of whom are clinicians, who want the opportunity to pursue further education while keeping their jobs, as well as to people who live out of state or even overseas.

K E C K S C H O O L O F F E R S N E W D E G R E E O P P O R T U N I T I E S

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PROMISING WORK

CIRMawardsUSCresearchers$7.45million

C A L I F O R N I A’S S T E M C E L L A G E N C y, theCaliforniaInstituteforRegenerativeMedicine(CIRM)hasawarded$7.45milliontoUSCresearcherstohelpmovepromisingstemcell-basedtherapiesfromthelaboratoryresearchphasetoclinicaltrialsinpeople. CIRMapproveda$5.7millionResearchLeadershipAwardtofostertherecruitmentofAndrewMcMahon,Ph.D.,fromtheHarvardStemCellInstitutetotheEliandEdytheBroadCenterforRegenerativeMedicineandStemCellResearchatUSC. McMahon,directorofthestemcellcenter,planstousetheawardtostudywaystorepairandregeneratekidneytissue.ResearchLeadershipAwardsareintendedtosupportrobustandinnovativestemcellresearchprogramsofthemostpromisingresearchersnewlyrecruitedtoCalifornia.McMahonisProvostProfessorandtheW.M.KeckProfessorofStemCellBiologyandRegenerativeMedicine.HechairsthenewlycreatedDepartmentofStemCellBiologyandRegenerativeMedicineattheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSC. TheresearchteamofToshioMiki,M.D.,Ph.D.,assistantprofessorofresearchattheKeckSchool,receiveda$1.75milliongranttoengineertransplantablelivercellsfromdiscardedhumanplacentasasapotentialcureforcertaincongenitalmetabolicdisorders.Theproposedcelltherapy,ifsuccessful,couldbenefitthousandsofpatientsinCaliforniaandbeyondwhosufferfromvariousliverdiseases. Mikiistheprincipalinvestigatoroftheprojectandisconsideredaleadingworldexpertonhumanamnioticepithelialcellsderivedfromtheplacenta.HiscurrentresearchistargetedtoreachclinicaltrialsinhumansbyJuly2015.

Andrew McMahon

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Support Stem Cell Research

Over the past five years, USC has emerged as a world leader in stem cell research. The opening of the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC in October 2010 provided a significant opportunity for growth.

your gift can help fulfill the potential of stem cells to prevent, treat or even reverse a multitude of medical conditions, including skeletal, lung, heart, kidney, liver and neurological diseases, and cancer:• Endowed Chair – A gift of $3 million

will establish an endowed chair that will help the Keck School of Medicine continue to attract and retain outstanding faculty leaders.

• Endowed Professorship – A gift of $2 million will establish a named professorship to attract and retain outstanding faculty.

• Endowed Research Fund – A gift of $1 million for a named fund will help launch a stem cell research initiative directed toward solving the mysteries of a specific disease.

• Current-Use Research Fund – A current-use gift of $250,000 may be designated to help support a specific area of stem cell research.

• Current-Use Director’s Fund – A gift of $100,000 will provide discretionary current-use funding to the director to support innovative programs in stem cell research and education.

To learn more, please contact Melany Duval, senior associate dean and associate vice president of health sciences development, [email protected], 323-442-1531. To make a gift online, go to broadstemcell.usc.edu/Donate.


•I N B R I E F C O N T I N U E D

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Family Medicine programwins outreach award

The American Academy of Family Physicians honored the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Family Medicine Interest Group for its outstanding activities in generating interest in family medicine. The academy recognized the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) and 15 other honorees at its 2012 Program of Excellence Awards at the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students in July in Kansas City, Mo. The Keck School of Medicine FMIG was honored for its outreach, leadership and collaboration with other organiza-tions and specialties to work with the student-run health clinic and Cuddle Club, a program that allows medical students to interact with newborn babies in the hospital. The Keck School’s FMIG programs demonstrated the family physician’s expertise in preventive, clinical medicine and procedural skills. The FMIG continued to promote its mentorship program and to provide opportunities for students to interact with family physicians. The FMIG also hosted hands-on procedural workshops and brown-bag lunch talks on topics ranging from inter-professional care models in geriatrics to postgraduate specialty training. Nationwide, 140 medical school-sponsored FMIGs give students a chance to learn more about family medicine.

C A R E E R A S P I R A T I O N S

KeckSchoolhelpstrainhighschoolstemcellresearchersByLeslieRidgeway

TwonewsummereducationprogramsattheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSCgave19highschoolstudentswithaspirationsforcareersinbiomedicalresearchanopportunitytogainexperienceinthefield. TheUSCEarlyInvestigatorHighSchool(EiHS)SummerPrograminStemCellResearchplacedninestudentsfromtheHarvard-WestlakeSchool,MarlboroughSchoolandMilkenCommunityHighSchoolinLosAngelesandLifelineEducationCharterSchoolinCompton,Calif.,inaneight-weekprogramworkingwithfacultyscientistmentorswhosupervisedstudentsastheyconductedresearchandtaughtthemaboutlabprocedures,ethicsandcompliance. EiHSwasdevelopedbyVictoriaFox,Ph.D.,directoroftheStemCellCoreattheEliandEdytheBroadCenterforRegenerativeMedicineandStemCellResearchatUSCwithsupportfromJeffGunter,M.D.,aLosAngeles-areaphysicianandchairofthestemcellcenteradvisoryboard. Inaddition,theUSCCIRMSTARHighSchoolSummerResearchandCreativ-ityprogramenabled10internsfromFranciscoBravoMedicalMagnetHighSchoolinLosAngelestospendeightweeksworkingwithUSCscientists,learningaboutstemcellresearch,communicationstrategiesandpublicpolicydevelopment. TheUSCCIRMSTARprogramwasfundedbya$264,000CreativityAwardfromtheCaliforniaInstituteofRegenerativeMedicine(CIRM).RobertaDiazBrinton,Ph.D.,professorintheUSCSchoolofPharmacy,isdirectoroftheUSCSTARProgram,a23-yearcollaborativescienceprogrambetweenUSCandnearbyBravoMedicalMagnetHighSchool.

Harvard-Westlake School senior Ashley Wu works in a program that offers high school students practical experience in stem cell research.

From left: Students Rebecca Simon-Freeman and Kumiko Tanaka with family medicine mentor and advisor Jo Marie Reilly, M.D.

Dean’s health care panel offers insightson potential of personalized medicine

By Imelda Valenzuela Fowler

By the end of the first-ever Dean’s Health Care Briefing and Luncheon, not a single business card remained from stacks of cards that Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., had left on a reception table. “We’re here to help you when it comes to your own health care needs and those of your family and your friends,” said Puliafito as he welcomed an overflow crowd of more than 200 local community members and friends of USC who attended the briefing in July in Aresty Auditorium. “If you need some advice, my business card is out there, so do not hesitate to call my office when you need advice about what to do.” The dean moderated the discussion among eight Keck School physicians, then opened the floor to take questions from the audience. A primary theme of the event was personalized medicine. Many of the panelists stressed the importance for patients to take charge of their health care needs and educate themselves about risk factors and family history. The dean provided his definition of personalized medicine. “It’s personalized in terms of having a discussion with the patient, having a diligent physician who is will-ing to analyze the data and discuss it with the patient. That’s medicine at its best.”


GLOBAL ALLIANCES

USCextendsitsmedicalreachinthePacificRim

H E A LT H S C I E N C E S C A M P US L E A D E R S A R E B U I L D I N G B R I D G E S B E T W E E N T H E U N I V E R S I T y

andmedicalprovidersinChina,whereeffortstomodernizethecountry’shealthcaresystemareleadingtogrowingprivatizationofhealthcare.ThefocusonChineserelationscomesatasignificanttimefortheuniversityasawhole,asitworkstocreateallianceswiththePacificRim,atoppriorityunderUSCPresidentC.L.MaxNikias,Ph.D. DozensofseniorsurgeonsfromhospitalsacrossChinacametoUSCfortraininginminimallyinvasivesurgeryaspartofaneweducationalandresearchexchangeagreement. DilipParekh,M.D.,DepartmentofSurgerysectionchiefforhepatobiliaryandpancreaticsurgeryintheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSC,andBradSelby,M.B.A.,chiefadminis-trativeofficerofthedepartment,helpedinktheagreement,whichtheysaidprovidesforasmanyas75ChinesesurgeonseachyeartoundergotrainingintheDepartmentofSurgeryattheHealthSciencescampus. Ahigh-leveldelegationofChinesephysiciansmetwithJacquesVanDam,M.D.,Ph.D.,professorofmedicineattheKeckSchool,duringadaylongvisittotheHealthSciencescampus.Aspartoftheinternationaloutreacheffortingastroenterology,visitingphysiciansandsurgeonsfromShanghaiobservedadvancedgastrointestinalendoscopyandcomparedexperienceswithUSCfacultyandstaff. VanDamsaid,“Havinglearnedagreatdealfromthisfirst-of-its-kindventure,USCfacultynowplantopursuemoreexpandedcontactswithChineseandotherinternationalphysiciansinanefforttoestablishcollaborativeprogramsintrainingandclinicalcare.” SixsurgeonsfromtheUSCInstituteofUrology,ledbyfoundingexecutivedirectorInderbirGill,M.D.,concludedasuccessfulsix-daytriptoChina,wheretheyperformed15roboticsurgeries,includingroboticradicalcystectomyforbladdercancer.ThisvisitfollowedapreviousoneinwhichtheInstituteofUrologyofferedaseriesoflive-surgerysymposiatomorethan1,800Chineseurologists. KeckMedicalCenterofUSCChiefMedicalOfficerDonaldLarsen,M.D.,M.B.A.,isworkingtostandardizeprocessesfocusedonbusinessdevelopment,theoperationaldetailsofaninternationalpatientreferral,hospitalityforpatientsandfamilieswhentheyarrive,andaftercarewhentheyreturntoChina.HeislookingforMandarin-speakingstaffandphysicianswhomaybeinterestedinservingasliaisons,clinicalpractitionersandinadministrativerolesinthisnewprogram.

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Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital are again recognized among the top hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its annual “Best Hospitals” report. USC-affiliated Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, staffed exclusively by Keck School of Medicine of USC faculty physicians, was also named to the magazine’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll and was ranked among the top five in the nation. USC Norris Cancer Hospital was ranked in the top 50 in cancer care (No. 43) and high-performing in nephrology and urology. For the first time, the magazine provided statewide hospital rankings in addition to rankings in select metropolitan areas. Keck Hospital ranked No. 6 in California and No. 3 in the Los Angeles metro area. In specialty areas, this year Keck Hospital was ranked in the top 10 nationally for ophthalmology and among the top 50 for geriatric care and neurology/neurosurgery. Keck Hospital was also recognized as high-performing in nine additional specialty areas: cancer; cardiology and heart surgery; ear, nose and throat; gastroenterology; gynecology; nephrology; orthopaedics; pulmonology; and urology. Of the 5,000 hospitals considered nationwide, fewer than 150 are nationally ranked in at least one of 16 medical specialties.

USC’s hospitals ranked among nation’s best

By Alison Trinidad

Keck Hospital of USC is recognized for its strong skills in the most challenging procedures and medical conditions.

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Dilip Parekh, M.D., left, Keck School Department of Surgery, signs an educational and research exchange agreement with Yang-de Zhang, M.D., chair of the World Endoscopy Doctors Association.

KeckMedicine | Winter 2013 Issue

•F E A T U R E T E C H N O L O G y O N T H E M O V E

TechnologyontheMoveNew biomedical technologies at USC offer novel ways of addressing changing health care needs ByAlanaKleinPrisco

Thetimehascomewhenpatientsmonitortheirheartratesviasmartphones;whenrobotshelpdoctorsperformcomplexprocedureswithprecision;whensurgeonsperformoperationsusingthree-dimensionalcamerasandglasses;when“hybrid”operatingroomsfunctionasbothadiagnosticlabandhigh-techsurgicalsuite;andwhenchildrenwithpoormotorskillslearnhowtomoveproperlythroughaportablebiofeedbackdevice.

USCisleadingthewayforthese,andmanyother,innovativemedicalusesoftechnology.Combinedwithphysicianexpertise,thesenewbiomedicaltechnologiesarerevolutionizingthedeliveryandqualityofpatientcareatUSCandbeyond. “Withtheskyrocketingcostsofmedicineandthedisparitiesinourabilitytoprovidehealthcaretolotsofpeople,technologycanmakehealthcaremoreaccessible,”saysTerrySanger,M.D.,Ph.D.,provostassociateprofessorinUSC’sDepartmentofBiomedicalEngineering.SangerdirectsthePediatricMovementDisordersClinicatChildren’sHospitalLosAngeles,andheisacademicdirectorofHTE@USC(HTEstandsforhealth,technologyandengineering),asharedprogramoftheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSCandtheUSCViterbiSchoolofEngineering.

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•F E A T U R E

Terry Sanger, left, assesses the gait of Zachary Garrett, who wears on his legs biofeedback devices that Sanger invented.


C O M P U T E R T O C L I N I C

Even as a staunch believer in the power of tech-nology, Sanger is quick to point out that “technol-ogy won’t solve all of our problems.” He stresses theimportanceofbuildingtherightkindoftechnology.“Ifyougetitwrong,youcanhurtpeople.Butifyougetitright,youcanhaveahugeimpact,”hesays. With a passion for pediatrics and computer sci-ence, Sanger set out to build the right technology tohelp children with movement disorders. His researchbeganatStanfordUniversity,wherehestudiedhowthebraincontrolsmusclesandhowinjurytothebrainleadstomovementdisorders. Heultimatelydiscoveredawaytohelpchildrenwithmovementdisorders(onesthatcauseinvoluntarymove-mentsandextendedmuscle contractions) retrain theirmuscles.Throughtheuseofabiofeedbackdevicewornontheaffectedmuscles,patientslearntobecomeawareof the muscles they are activating. “If you don’t knowwhat your muscles are doing, you can’t control them,”Sangersays. Sanger’sdevice featuresa small sensor thatattachestotheskintomeasureelectricpotentialinthemuscles.When the sensor detects electrical activity, it emits abluelight,andthepatientfeelsavibration.“Onceyou’vedone something correctly, you remember it. It’s likelearninghowtorideabike,”hesays,addingthatwhilethedevice“doesaverysimplething,there’salotofcom-plexityunderthehood.”

He’scurrentlyconductingtwoclinical trials for thisdeviceatChildren’sHospitalLosAngeles.Nine-year-oldZacharyGarrettparticipatedinoneofthesetrials.Hehasdifficultymovinghisanteriortibialis,themuscleresponsibleforliftinghistoesofftheground.Injustonemonthofwearingthesmallsensoryfeedbackdevice,hismotorfunctionofthatmusclesignificantlyimproved. “Hecouldn’t taphis feetbefore.Thiswasn’t amus-clehehadeverusedorwasevenawareof,”saysMar-cy Garrett, Zachary’s mother. Now he has a muchbetter range of motion, which will make it easier todo the things he loves, such as playing basketball,karateandswimming.Zacharywants tobeactiveandmoveasfastashisfriends,shesays,andnowheisonestepclosertodoingthat.

E N G I N E E R S A N D D O C TO R S I N N OVAT E TO G E T H E R

WhenSangerisn’tworkingwithchildren,he’sinspiringscientists-anddoctors-to-betodiscovernewbiomedi-calinnovationsthroughtheHTE@USCprogram.Thisfour-year program is designed for both medical andengineering students seeking hands-on, real-worldexperienceinmedicaltechnology. “The program is focused on the idea of teamworkwith the notion that medical technology developswhen doctors and engineers are an integral part oftheteam,”Sangersays.Studentsareresponsiblefor

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KeckMedicine | Winter 2013 Issue 10

Support HTE@USC

HTE@USC is part of a larger USC effort to promote rapid advances in health care through research and education that combines medicine with advanced engineer-ing and scientific technologies. Medical and engineering students collaborate on technology projects specifically geared toward medical advancement.

you can help support these students as they build technology that has the power to dramatically alter patients’ health:• Endowment for Student

Scholarships – A gift of $1 million will endow a student scholarship.

• Current Use Student Scholarships – A gift of $100,000 will provide scholarship support for a student for four years.

• Student Research – Support students’ work in developing clinical innovations by making a gift of any amount.

To learn more, please contact Molly Gervais, [email protected], 323-442-1700. To make a gift online, go to keck.usc.edu/supportkeck.

Anthony Senagore wears 3-D glasses during colorectal surgery. Jeffrey Hagen and colleagues use new technology to improve both diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.

generatingnewideasthatcanhelpaddressahealthcareneed. “Comingupwithagoodideaisactuallythehard-estpart,”Sangersays.Facultyguidestudentsthroughthe ideadiscoveryprocessby encouraging studentstoponderquestionslike:“Howdoyoucreatethingsthatpeopledon’tknowtheyneedbutthatwillulti-matelymaketheirlivesbetter?”There’snoeasywayto answer that question, and that’s the point. “Itrequires that students think very carefully aboutwhattheneedsare,”Sangersays. Studentsgooutintothefield,testtheirideas,doprototypingandthenpitchtheir ideasto investors.“If you’regoing to innovate andchange theworld,youneedtobetalkingtoandinvolvedwithpeopleusing your product,” Sanger says. Students havedevelopedideasrangingfromanovelbabymonitortoabettervisualizationtoolforlaparoscopies. Whiletheprogramisstillnew(thefirstclassofstudentsenteredtheir secondyear last fall),Sangersays he can already see the change in their levelof sophistication “You can no longer tell who aredoctorsandwhoareengineers,”hesays.“Theycameinspeakingdifferentlanguages,buttheyallspeakthesamelanguagenow.”

D E L I V E R I N G D I G I TA L H E A LT H C A R E

Good ideas often may be hard to come by, butthey are plentiful at the USC Center for BodyComputing (CBC), a coalition established in2010 that is headed by Leslie Saxon, M.D., chiefof the division of cardiovascular medicine at theKeck School.The CBC works with engineers, de-vice companies and others in the USC commu-nity– includingtheSchoolofCinematicArts, theMarshallSchoolofBusinessandtheViterbiSchoolof Engineering – to rethink the delivery of healthcareaidedbyhealthsoftwareapplicationsor“apps.” Saxon has developed many health care apps,including “MyQuitCoach,” a smoking cessationapp, and she has very high expectations for a newelectrocardiogram device in the works. Allowingusers to monitor heart rates via their smartphone,tablet computer and other similar platforms, thisdevice will give health care providers a way tomonitorandassesspatients’hearthealthinrealtime. The technology provides distinct benefits tohealth care providers. Simply put, “technology makesyou a more effective clinician,” Saxon says, add-ing that it can reduce the margin of error. “Be-cause health care narratives are often long andsequential, they are better off being virtual,” she

says. “It improves the chances of not missingsomething and getting a more comprehensivepictureofapatient.” Technology also enables better access to care,especiallyforthosewithchronichealthproblems.“Itfreesupthebrickandmortarwayofpracticingmed-icine for those patients who really need in-personcare,”Saxonsays. While technology will never replace the physicalpatient-doctor encounter, it has the potential tochange the way patients feel about going to thedoctor.“Whenhealthcarebecomesintegratedintoapatient’sdailylife,itoftentakesthefearoutofhealthcare,” Saxon says.Technology empowers patients tobe more proactive about their health and thereforemore informed, she adds. “When patients areenfranchisedwithinformation,theyarelesslikelytofeelvulnerableandisolated.” ThisdevicefulfillsanimportantgoaloftheCBC,which is to make health care more mainstream.“Right now our health is segregated from otherthingswedoinourdailylife,”Saxonsays.Sheenvi-sionsaworldwherepatientstakeamoreactiverolein monitoring their own health. “We want to seepatients interactwith their ownhealthdata in thesamewaythattheyinteractwiththeirfinancialdataorsportsdata,”shesays.

T E C H N O L O G y F O R P R E V E N T I O N

Saxonhasdevelopedanother innovative idea–onethatstraddlestheworldsofsocialmediaandmedicine.Through everyheartbeat.org, a website that will al-low people to log their heart rate data using theirsmartphones, Saxon hopes to build a database ofheart information that canbeused todetectheartabnormalitiesandenablepredictiveanalyticsacrosspopulations. It’s just another example of Saxon’sdedicationtochangingthedeliveryofhealthcareand“enablingpeople tocontinuously transferhealthinformationseamlessly,”shesays. Biomedical technology has clear applica-tions for those who suffer health problems.But it can also play an important role inpreventive care. This is particularly trueforpeoplewhofacesignificanthealthrisks, such as professional and col-lege athletes.The CBC received a$100,000medicalgrant fromtheNFL Charities to study the dy-namic heart rate of NationalFootball League players andUSCstudentathletes.

Leslie Saxon uses a smart-phone with thumb-size sensors to remotely monitor heart rates.

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Becausetheriskofsuddendeathinpeoplewithcar-diovascular disease increases twofold among competi-tiveathletes,Saxonsays,“wecanusethistechnologytounderstandwhichplayersmightbeatriskforadvancedcardiacdisease.”

R O B O T S O N T H E S U R G I C A L T E A M

Biomedical innovations are also taking place in theoperatingroom.USChasinvestedinanemergingtech-nologythatmimicshumanbehaviors–robots. Robotshavemadetheirwayintolaparoscopicprosta-tectomyprocedures (removalof all orpartof thepros-tategland)undertheleadershipofInderbirGill,M.D.,professor and chair, Catherine and Joseph ArestyDepartment of Urology at the Keck School. Theadditionof roboticshashelped to reduce thedurationoftheprocedure,bloodlossandlengthofhospitalstay. Gill’s team has performed more than 5,000 roboticand laparoscopic prostatectomy surgeries in the last fiveyears,andwasoneofthefirstinthecountrytoperformanoutpatientroboticcatheter-freeprostatectomy.Theteam’sextensiveexperiencemakesabigdifferenceforpatients.“To save the nerve beautifully that is responsible forerections, to save the sphincter beautifully that is re-sponsible for urinary control, to remove the prostate

perfectlysuchthattheentirecancerisremoved,reallyrequiresconsiderableskillandexperience,”Gillsays.Asanearlyadopterofthiskindoftechnology,USCistheonlyacademicmedicalcenterinSouthern

Californiatouserobotsforlungcancermanagement,accordingtoJeffreyHagen,M.D.,associateprofessor

ofsurgeryattheKeckSchool.Specifically,Hagen and his colleagues have been

performingroboticlobectomysurgery,a less-invasive approach to remov-

ingcancerintheaffectedlobeofthelung. “Robots allow us to do abetteroperation for lungcan-cerpatients.We’reabletodothe same operations we’vetraditionally done, but in aless-invasivefashion,”Hagensays, adding that this trans-

lates intoshorter recovery timeand lesspainforpatients.“There’salsoa suggestion that long-term outcomesmaybebetter,”Hagenadds.

T H E T H I R D D I M E N S I O N

Hagen and his colleagues are taking advantage of an-other new technology that enhances accuracy andminimizes invasiveness. Known as electromagneticnavigation bronchoscopy, this technology – throughthe use of an electromagnetic field and three dimen-sional navigation – can more accurately evaluate nod-ules detected on imaging studies that may be cancer-ous. “It creates a three-dimensional reconstruction ofthepatients’ lunganatomy sowecanbetter target thelesion,” Hagen says. It also provides better sensitivity indetecting cancer and the possibility of avoiding otherinvasivesurgicalprocedures,headds. “X-raystudies–especiallyscreeningCTscans–detectalargenumberoftinynodulesinthelungsinpatientsatrisk for lung cancer,”Hagenexplains.“Thechallenge isthatthevastmajorityofthesetinynodulesarenothingofsignificance–non-cancerousnodulesoutnumbercancer-ousnodulesbyover10toone. “The problem is that one cannot simply ignore thenodules since they could be cancerous, and the desireto rule out cancer leads to a large number of invasiveprocedures being performed to detect the relativelysmallnumberthatareactuallycancer,”hesays.“Whenallothermodalitiesfail,thesepatientsmaybesubjectedto a more invasive surgical biopsy that can be associ-atedwithcomplicationsinasmanyas10-15percentofpatients.Withtheelectromagneticnavigationalsystem,wecanmoreaccuratelytargetthenoduletobiopsywithgreatersensitivityindeterminingifthenoduleiscancerornot.” Patients with colorectal cancer are also benefit-ing from 3-D tools. Anthony Senagore, M.D., chiefof colorectal surgery at the Keck Medical Center ofUSC, led the implementation of a new 3-D visual-ization tool that gives surgeons the ability to see pa-tients’ organs in 3-D rather than in the traditionaltwo-dimensional view. The Keck Medical Centerteam was the first on the west coast to use 3-Dlaparoscopyforcolorectalsurgery. “We’vebeenperformingadvancedlaparoscopicpro-cedures for many years, and many of us have learnedhow to accommodate a two-dimensional picture,”Senagoresaid,“butthisisreallythefirsttimewe’vebeenable to replicate the way we normally see the opera-tivefield.It’senabledustoexpeditetheproceduresandshouldimproveaccuracyandsafety.”

Inderbir Gill




USC’s Body Computing Conference

The sixth annual USC Body Computing Conference in October brought together 300 thought leaders from a variety of disciplines, including medicine, design, information technology, gaming and pharmaceuticals, to discuss the latest mobile health innovations and the state of wireless health care delivery. This year’s themes included how big data will influence health care delivery, the development of new sensors and platforms, and athletic biosensing.

“We try to cover what happened in the last year and predict what the trends will be in the following year,” Saxon says. Nearly 40 speakers and panelists included high-level executives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Microsoft Research and PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, among others.

“Every day I go to work and I ask myself, ‘How can technology bring me closer to my patients? How can I use it to make the lives of my patients better?’” Saxon said at the conference.

H I G H -T E C H T O O L S

Technology has also replaced the need for surgeryaltogetherinregardtoevaluatingpatientswithlungcancer.Throughtheuseofendobronchialultrasound(EBUS) biopsy, doctors can detect whether cancerhasspreadtoapatient’slymphnodesinthechest. “Traditionallythishasbeendonethroughasurgi-calprocedure,”Hagensays.EBUSrequiresaddition-altrainingandphysicianexpertise.“Youcan’tgetthisatyourlocalhospital,whichisoneoftheadvantagesofUSC’sfocusedprograminlungcancer.Wehavethecasevolumetobringthesenewtechnologiestoourpatients.” Inthenew“hybrid”operatingroomatKeckHospitalofUSC,multipletechnologiesarebeingleveragedtoenhancepatientcare.Thisfacilitycanaccommodatebothinter-ventionalprocedures,whicharetypicallyperformed only in a catheterization lab, as well assurgicalprocedures. “Thiscombinestheoperatingroomandcatheter-izationlaboratoryintoone,givingusthecapabilitytoperformprocedures like coronaryor aorticgraftstenting and open heart surgery at one time,”saysVaughnStarnes,M.D.,chairoftheDepartmentofSurgeryandsurgeon-in-chiefoftheUSChospitals.“Thisopensawholenewportalforus,intermsofthetypesoftherapywecanprovidetoourpatients.” Mark Cunningham, M.D., assistant professorof cardiothoracic surgery at the Keck School,spearheadedthedesignofthehybridsuiteatKeckHospital. Although the room was designed to

improvecardiovasculartreatments,itwillalsobenefitgeneralsurgeryandotherspecialties,suchasneuro-logicalandlaparoscopicservices. This 1,100-square-foot room is equipped withmultiple high-definition cameras and video monitorsthatgivesurgeonsbetterviewsoftheoperatingfieldduring minimally invasive surgery.The system alsoallowssurgeonstousealaptopdevicetoaccessliveand stored surgical video files through an Internetlink, watch live cases as they are being performed,andcommunicatebetweenoperatingrooms. Innovationslikethese–withmoretocome–areawayoflifeatUSC.AsurologistGillsays,“Wearejustgettingstarted.Youain’tseennothingyet.”

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O NTo learn more about patient-focused technology, see these videos online:“Body Computing” with Leslie Saxon, M.D., keck.usc.edu/bodycomputing“Laparoscopic Surgery with 3-D Visualization” with Anthony Senagore, M.D., keck.usc.edu/senagore“High-tech Surgical Suite Debuts” with Vaughn A. Starnes, M.D., and Ray Matthews, M.D., keck.usc.edu/hybrid

“Breathing New Life into Lung Cancer Care” with Jeffrey Hagen, M.D., and other faculty at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital, lung.usc.edu

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From left: USC physicians David Shavelle, Vaughn Starnes, and Ray Matthews perform an aortic valve replacement in a new hybrid operating room at Keck Hospital of USC.

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$3.6MillionRaisedandTwoRebelsHonoredatGalaByImeldaValenzuelaFowler

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At the Rebels with a Cause gala are, from left, cancer physician-researcher David Agus, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young, legendary singer Tony Bennett and Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito.

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SumnerM.Redstone,executivechairmanofViacomand CBS Corporation, achieved success in the mediaand entertainment fields. Murray Gell-Mann, Ph.D.,presidentialprofessorofphysicsandmedicineatUSC,won the Nobel Prize for his work on the theory ofelementaryparticles. The event supported the lifesaving research andclinical care of David B. Agus, M.D., director of theUSCWestsideCancerCenterandtheUSCCenterforApplied Molecular Medicine. Redstone has donatedmorethan$27milliontowardAgus’researchandclinicatUSC. Rebels with a Cause was named in honor of actorDennisHopper,aformerAguspatientwhoappearedinthemovieofasimilarname.HopperdiedinMay2010ofprostatecancer. “DennisHopperwasoneofmyinspirationalheroes,”saidAgus.“ObviouslyRebels with a Causeissomethingwe trulybelieve in.Denniswas like thepeoplewearehonoringtonight,onthefrontierfightingagainstcancer,andinmymind,theyareallrebels.” The inaugural fundraiser took place Sept. 19 at theFourSeasonsLosAngelesatBeverlyHills.

“When I say David is ahead of his time, quiteseriously it’s because he knows and understands thefuture of medicine,” said Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D.,M.B.A., dean of the Keck School of Medicine ofUSC.“The contributions he has made, is making andwill make in cancer research and treatment areinspirational in their own right. But they are alsoinspiring the next generation of young scientistsand clinicians to ensure the future success of bothfundamentalandappliedresearch.” ThegalafeaturedspecialguestperformancesbyTonyBennettandNeilYoung. ActressandcomedianTraceyUllman,whosehusbandisapatientofAgus,servedasemcee.“Davidgaveusapsychologicalboost,”saidUllman.“Healwaystreatsmyhusbandwithrespect,andhe’smindfulofhisprideanddignity,”shesaidamidtears.

UnconventionalthinkingpaidofffortwopeoplehonoredasrebelsattherecentRebels with a Cause, Visionaries and Revolutionaries Transforming Cancer Researchgala,whichraisedmorethan$3.6millionforcancerresearch.

(Top)Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa , left, visits with honoree Sumner M. Redstone.(Bottom) Robert Cohen, left,co-owner of the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, with honoree Murray Gell-Mann.

Actress and comedian Tracey Ullman emcees the evening.

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Atage36,withawife and two smalldaughters,hewastoldhehadalargetumoronhisleftkidneyandthattheentirekidneywouldhavetoberemoved.AndthenhemetInderbirS.Gill,M.D.,professorandchairoftheCatherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urologyand founding executive director of the USC InstituteofUrology. “Iwasstillscared,butIwassuddenlymoreconfidentandnothelplessandnotalone,”Smalltoldacrowdofabout250attheChanging Lives, Creating Cures fund-raiserheldOct.6ontheDreamWorkslotatUniversal. The event raised over $1 million to support uro-logiccancerandroboticsresearchattheUSCInstituteofUrology. “My team and I are confident and committed thatwe can rapidly translate tonight’s generosity intotomorrow’s cures,” said Gill, “to give our patients thepricelessgiftoftimeandhope.” USC President C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D., also ad-dressed the audience. “The Keck Medical Center ofUSCisbuiltoninnovation,andoneofthecornerstonesof innovation in our medical enterprise is the USCInstitute of Urology,” he said. “This vital institute hasquicklyemergedasaleaderindiagnosingandtreatingall urological disorders. And I’m equally proud that ithas become a groundbreaking pioneer of proceduresonce thought impossible.Fromdevelopingabloodlessapproachtoremovingkidneycancertooutpatientpros-tate removal, it is aplacewhere the extraordinaryhasbecomeordinary.” Nikiassaidtheinnovationshavebroughtthe

institutenationalacclaimaswellasadramaticincreaseinpatientvolume. “We are truly grateful to have so many partners joinus in our mission to support innovation in the preven-tion, diagnosis and treatment of urologic cancer,” saidCarmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the KeckSchool of Medicine of USC. “Your support helps usto serve our patients, allowing them to live longer andmore robust lives. Make no mistake we are workingtowardacure.” Singer, dancer and actor Matthew Morrison, whoplaysaleadingroleinthetelevisionseries“Glee,”pro-vided the evening’s entertainment. Also in attendancewere actors Beau Bridges, William Hurt and OctaviaSpencer,aswellasU.S.Rep.JudyChu,stateControllerJohnChiangandstateAssemblymemberMichaelEng. Ashetoldhispersonalstory,Smallmentionedhisageatdiagnosis several times,notingthat theaverageageofsomeonewhohasbeendiagnosedwithkidneycanceris64,not36.Smallisanonsmoker,livingahealthylifestylewithnohistoryofcancerinhisfamily.“Apparently,cancerdoesnotdiscriminate,”hesaid. “Two and a half weeks after I found myself indespair,Iwent intosurgery.Fivehours laterIwasoutandsowasmytumor.Eightypercentofmyleftkidneyremained.Recoverywastocome,butIwouldeventuallyreceivethenewsI’dbeenwaitingfor:36yearsold,1.8kidneys,cancer-freeandnothelpless.”

AfterameetingwithhisdoctorinMay2010,JeffSmall,presidentandchiefoperatingofficerofDreamWorksStudios,foundhimselfdistraughtandfeeling“helplessandalone.”Hehadjustbeendiagnosedwithkidneycancer.

DreamWorksEventRaisesOver$1MillionforUSCInstituteofUrologyByImeldaValenzuelaFowler

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Singer-actor Matthew Morrison performs.

From left: DreamWorks president and chief operating officer Jeff Small, Inderbir Gill, Oscar-winning actor William Hurt, Niki Nikias, and USC President C. L. Max Nikias.

Support Advances in Urology

your gift to the USC Institute of Urology will sustain the mission of providing the best care to our patients, as well as developing new treat-ments and cures for kidney and prostate cancer:• Endowed Chair – A

gift of $3 million will establish a named endowed chair to attract and retain outstanding faculty leaders.

• Endowed Professorship – A gift of $2 million will establish a professorship to attract and retain outstanding faculty.

• Endowed Research Fund – A gift of $1 million will establish a disease-specific research initiative.

• Current Use Research Fund – A gift of $250,000 will provide seed funding to launch a research initiative.

To learn more, please contact John Baker, [email protected], or 323-865-0725. To make a gift online, go to keck.usc.edu/SupportUrology.

•F E A T U R E L E A D E R S H I P I N M O T I O N

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For Jay R. Lieberman, M.D., the rewards of hismedical career – seeing a patient walk pain-free,sparking the curiosity of medical students, gaininginsight into intricacies of bone repair – are aconstant source of motivation, energy and passion.“I’m blessed, there has never been a day that I’mnotexcitedtocometowork,”hesays. Aninternationallyrecognizedclinicianandresearcherspecializing in total joint replacement, Lieberman wasnamedprofessorandchairoftheDepartmentofOrtho-paedicSurgeryattheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSCinSeptember.Heisalsoorthopaedist-in-chiefatKeckMedicalCenterofUSC,directoroftheUSCInstituteofOrthopaedics, andchiefoforthopaedics at theLosAngelesCounty+USCMedicalCenter. AnativeNewYorker,LiebermancomestotheKeckSchoolfromtheUniversityofConnecticutHealthCen-ter,wherehewasprofessorandchairoftheDepartmentofOrthopaedicSurgeryanddirectoroftheNewEng-landMusculoskeletalInstitute.HesucceedsMichaelJ.Patzakis,M.D.,whoretiredafter21yearsaschairoftheDepartmentofOrthopaedicSurgeryatUSC. Lieberman, a leading authority on total jointarthroplasty (surgical repair or replacement) and thetreatment of osteonecrosis (bone death) of the hip,speakswithgreatexcitementaboutjoiningUSC. “For me, it’s about the pursuit of excellence,” saysLieberman.“USChasalonghistoryofexcellence,andwewanttobuildonthatlegacy.Wewanttobethebestinprovidingcutting-edgepatientcare,developingtrans-lational research and new therapies, and educating and

inspiring the next generation ofleadersinmedicine.”

USC’s Department ofOrthopaedicSurgeryisoneofthemostextensiveinthenation, offering expertiseineverymajororthopaedic

specialty, including sportsmedicine; joint preservation

and replacement; elbow and

shoulder reconstruction; spinal care and surgery; andfoot,ankleandhandsurgery. One of Lieberman’s top priorities is developingcenters of excellence within the department. Forexample, the USC Center for Sport Medicine’shighly experienced physicians are the official doctorsof USC Trojan athletics, including USC footballandbasketball.Theyareworkingwith theathleticde-partmenttofurtherintegratetheprograms. Physiciansatthedepartment’sCenterforJointPres-ervationandReplacementapplythe latesttechnologies,includingroboticsurgery,torestoremobilityandfunctiontopatientswitheventhemostcomplexproblems.Specialpain management protocols have been implemented toenhancerecoveryandminimizediscomfort. “Dr. Lieberman is a distinguished clinician-scientist who has a proven track record as a dynamicclinical program builder,” says Carmen A. Puliafito,M.D.,M.B.A.,deanoftheKeckSchool. Hiscareerismarkedbycuriosity,arelentlessurgetodomoreforhispatientsandtopushtheboundariesofhis research.Apioneer inmusculoskeletalgene thera-py topromotebone repair,Lieberman is theprincipalinvestigatorforaNationalInstitutesofHealth-fundedstudyon theuseofgene therapy toheal critical-sizedbonedefects. In 2015 Lieberman will assume the presidency of theAmerican Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.In 2011 he received the Marshall R. Urist Awardfor Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Researchfrom the Orthopaedic Research Society, and in 2012 hereceived the prestigious Kappa Delta Elizabeth WinstonLanierAwardforOutstandingOrthopaedicResearch. LiebermansaysheishappytobebackinLosAngeles,wherehelivedfor15yearswhileaprofessorattheDavidGeffenSchoolofMedicineatUCLA.Anardentsportsfan, Lieberman relishes attending Trojans, Lakers andDodgersgameswithhiswifeandthreechildren.To make an appointment, call 1-800-USC-CARE.

LeadershipinMotionThe arrival of Jay R. Lieberman, M.D., as the new chair of orthopaedic surgery enhances an already strong department ByElenaF.EpsteinSupport Orthopaedic

Surgery

your gift to the Depart-ment of Orthopaedic Surgery will help our physicians pursue research to enhance the care of our patients, while educating and mentoring the next generation of orthopaedic leaders:• Center for Joint

Preservation and Replacement – Will enable our nationally renowned surgeons to provide the best care possible and to pursue research to enhance the field.

• Comprehensive Spine Center – Will provide excellent care for patients with disorders of the cervical and lumbar spine.

• Center for Sports Medicine – Will provide excellent operative and non-operative care for professional and collegiate athletes and will serve as a national hub for research on injury prevention and management.

• Bioskills Laboratory – Will enable medical students and residents to improve their surgical skills and faculty to develop new procedures.

To learn more, please contact Paulette Pasciuti, [email protected], 323-442-1757. To make a gift online, go to keck.usc.edu/SupportOrtho.

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LeadershipinMotionThe arrival of Jay R. Lieberman, M.D., as the new chair of orthopaedic surgery enhances an already strong department ByElenaF.Epstein

World-ClassMedicineExpandsKeck Medical Center of USC Pasadena offers multidisciplinary care in the San Gabriel Valley ByCandacePearson

Stratos Christianakis leads a team of specialists in caring for Elizabeth Wu, who has lupus.

ElizabethWuusedtorunmarathonsandtravelextensivelyoverseas–beforeshewasdiagnosedwithanautoimmunediseaselastspring.Nowthe31-year-oldhasgonefromseeingherprimarycarephysicianonceayeartohavingatleastonemedicalappointmentaweekasshedealswiththeimpactofsystemiclupuserythematosus.

•F E A T U R E W O R L D - C L A S S M E D I C I N E E x P A N D S

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Lupus can affect any part of the body, in particu-lar the skin, joints, brain, heart, lungs and kidneys,so Wu has seen an entire team of specialists, led byStratosChristianakis,M.D., rheumatologistandassis-tantprofessorofclinicalmedicineattheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSC. Many of Wu’s appointments take place at the newKeck Medical Center of USC Pasadena, which isconvenienttoherAlhambrahomeandherworkinRose-meadasafieldhumanresourcesmanagerforPandaRes-taurantGroup.WualternateswithvisitstoUSC’sHealthSciencescampus.“It’swonderfulthatUSCofferspatientsthatflexibility,”shesays. Keck Medical Center of USC Pasadena is hometo 40-plus physicians who practice more than 15specialties, including cardiovascular medicine, neurol-ogy, oncology, ophthalmology, rheumatology, surgeryandurology. The 22,000-square-foot, beautifully appointed fa-cility opened in April and occupies the entire topfloor of the four-story Huntington Pavilion at 625S.FairOaksAvenue.Thenew location isUSC’s larg-est specialty physicians’ office outside of its HealthSciencescampus. “We are leveraging every opportunity we haveto take our brand of medicine into the community,through clinical partnerships or satellite facilitiessuch as this one,” saysThomas E. Jackiewicz, M.P.H.,seniorvicepresidentandCEOforUSCHealth. Physicians at the Pasadena location agree. “This fa-cilitygivesus theopportunity to seeourpatientsneartheirhomesandtocreatebridgeswithourcommunitypartners,”saysVaughnA.Starnes,M.D.,chair,Depart-ment of Surgery at the Keck School; chief of surgery,KeckMedicalCenterofUSC;andtheH.RussellSmithFoundationChairforCardiovascularThoracicResearch. Edward Crandall, M.D., Ph.D., chair, Depart-mentofMedicineattheKeckSchool;theKennethT.

Norris Chair in Medicine; and the Hastings Founda-tionProfessorinMedicine,says,“WithinthePasadenacenter, we can easily collaborate with USC facultyand community physician colleagues. Our patientsbenefit from having such high-level, multidisciplinarycarereadilyavailable.” The atmosphere at thePasadena facility is serene andprofessional, epitomizedby theuseof sustainablewoodsandasoothingwatersculpture.Apatientnavigatorsystemensurescompletecarecoordination.“Wearededicatedtoprovidingagoldstandardofcustomerservice,”saysIndiraRollins,director,ambulatoryoperations. In addition to examination and consultation rooms,thefacilityoffersstress/echoandstress/treadmilltesting,along with three state-of-the-art rooms for colorectal,urological and surgical procedures. For oncology pa-tients,anon-siteinfusioncenterfeaturesnineinfusionchairs,plusapharmacyandlaboratory,eliminatingtheneed forpatients to visit separate locations for testingortreatment. “Thesesatellitefacilitiesallowustobringstate-of-the-artcancercareandourextensiveportfolioofclinicaltri-alstothecommunity,”saysStephenGruber,M.D.,Ph.D.,M.P.H., director, USC Norris Comprehensive CancerCenter,andtheH.LeslieHoffmanandElaineS.Hoff-manChairinCancerResearch.“Thisserviceextendsourexpertise,buildsourrelationshipwithourcommunityon-cologypartnersandprovidespatientswithimprovedaccesstocutting-edgeresearch.” Withtreatment,Wu’sheartandlungsarenowstronger,butherkidneyfunctionremainsaconcern.“ThisisthefirsttimeI’vegonethroughsomethinglikethis,soeachmedi-calencountermakesadifference,”shesays.“EveryoneatUSChasmadethisexperiencemorecomfortableforme.”

To make an appointment at Keck Medical Center of USC Pasadena, call 626-568-1622.

“We are dedicated to providing a gold standard of customer service.”

– Indira Rollins, director, ambulatory operations


The USC Norris Infusion Center offers comfortable recliners and individual televisions for patients.

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“Somanywomenareaffectedbybreastcancer,andiftherewassomethingthatIcoulddotohelp,Ireallywantedtodothat,”saysLoisRosby. That“something”forRosbyturnedouttobeparticipat-ing in a clinical trial at theUSCNorrisComprehensiveCancerCenterandHospital.AnofficemanagerattheUSCSchool of Social Work, Rosby was diagnosed with stage2breastcancerinSeptember2009.Twomonthslater,theLosAngeles resident–whoalreadyhadundergonea leftlumpectomyandwasreceivingchemotherapy–enrolledinaUSCNorrisclinicaltrialtestinganexistingdrug,Zoledro-nate,foranewpurpose:preventingbreastcancerrecurrence. Rosby’saltruisticmotivationstrikesatthecoreofclini-caltrials.“Participatinginatrialisn’talwaysgoingtobenefitthepatient–particularlyifthey’rerandomizedintoagroupthatdoesn’treceivetreatment–buttrialsalwaysareanop-portunityforpatientstohelpthosewhocomeafterthem,”explainsDebasish(Debu)Tripathy,M.D.,co-leaderofUSCNorris’Women’sCancerProgram. Clinicaltrialsalsooffertheopportunityforearlyaccesstopromisingnewtreatments.Rosby,forinstance,receivedZoledronateinfusionsfornearlythreeyears,and–althoughit’snotyetclearifthedrugcanbecreditedentirely–herbreastcancerhasnotrecurred. “Patientsadditionallyreceivethebeststandardofcare,alongwithmore follow-up than theyusuallywould,be-cause clinical trials have strict protocols,” notesTripathy,whoalsoisthePriscillaandArtUleneChairinWomen’sCancerandprofessor,divisionofoncology,intheDepart-mentofMedicineattheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSC. USC Norris has long been a clinical-trial leadercaleadershippositionthatstretchesbackto1973,whenitwasnamedbytheNationalCancerInstituteasoneofthefirsteightcomprehensivecancercentersnationwide.USC Norris conducts pioneering clinical trials acrossthecancerspectrumandisespeciallyactiveinthebattleagainstbreastcancer. Infact,morethan20breastcancer-relatedclinicaltrialscurrentlyareunderway–allofthemareacceptingpartici-pants.Withfocusrangingfrompreventiontoearlydetec-tionanddiagnosistonoveltreatments,thepromisingtrialsinclude,amongothers:

• Preventive power of soy –Anna Wu, Ph.D., professorof preventive medicine, isinvestigating if soy lowersbreast cancer risk amonghigh-riskwomen.

• Agents assisting chemotherapy

–AspartofanationaltrialcalledI-SPY2,USCNorris–underTripathy’sdirection–isfollowingpatientswithlargertumors.Inadditiontostandardchemotherapy,thesewomenarereceivinga spectrum of new biologically targeted agentsdesignedtoincreasechemotherapy’seffectivenesspriortosurgeryandtodiscovernewbiologicalinsightsthatcouldleadtobetterdiagnosisandtreatment.

• More efficient drug delivery–Takingpart inan interna-tionalclinicaltrialcalledtheBeaconStudy,AgustinGar-cia,M.D.,associateprofessorofmedicine,iscomparingtheeffectivenessofauniquelyformulateddrug–NKTR-102–tostandarddrugsusedforadvancedbreastcancer.Garciaservedasa leadinvestigator inearlyphasetrialswithpromisingresults.

• Improving imaging–LindaHovanessian-Larsen,M.D.,associateprofessorofradiology,isheadingaclinicaltrialexaminingifanewPETimagingagentprovidesbetterprognosticinformationthanstandardimaging.

• Penetrating the blood-brain barrier – Tripathy also isthe primary investigator for a clinical trial testing anew drug engineered to more effectively penetratethe blood-brain barrier. Participants are breast cancerpatientswithbrainmetastases.

• Anti-nausea patch – Garcia also leads a trial analyz-ing the effectiveness of a new anti-nausea patchforpatientsundergoingchemotherapy.Anothercom-ponentofthetrialfocusesonwhichpatientsaremostlikelytoexperiencenausea.

For more information about clinical trials, contact the USC Norris Clinical Investigation Support Office, 323-865-0451, or uscnorriscancer.usc.edu/CLTrials.

BreastCancerTrailblazersClinical trials play a crucial role in transforming promising lab discoveries into beneficial bedside therapies ByCarrieSt.Michel


Enjoying yoga, USC employee Lois Rosby attributes her recovery from breast cancer to a clinical trial.

Debashish (Debu) Tripathy says USC Norris’ breast cancer clinical trials program is strong because of a multi-disciplinary team committed to improving and extending patients’ lives.

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HazardoustoYourHealthIn Southern California and throughout the world, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine are defining the hazards of air pollution and advocating ways to reduce risks ByLindaKossoff

•F E A T U R E H A Z A R D O U S T O y O U R H E A L T H

Rob McConnell, Andrea Hricko, and others in the Depart-ment of Preventive Medicine help educate the public about effects of traffic-related pollution on health.

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FromBeijingtoLosAngeles,airpollutionhitsthemostvulnerablepopula-tionsthehardest,includingchildrenandtheelderly.ResearchersattheKeckSchoolofMedicineofUSCarenotonlylearningmoreaboutthatimpact,butarealsoofferingreal-worldsolutionsforreducingit.

Oneof the largest ongoing efforts to study the effectsofairpollutiononhealthistheUSCChildren’sHealthStudy,whichhasdocumentedtheeffectsofpollutiononmorethan12,000childrenovera20-yearperiod. The study was initially developed and led by thelateJohnPeters,D.Sc.,formerdirectoroftheEnviron-mentalHealthDivision in theDepartmentofPreven-tiveMedicine.For the lastdecade,FrankD.Gilliland,M.D.,Ph.D.,HastingsProfessorofPreventiveMedicineanddirectoroftheSouthernCaliforniaEnvironmentalHealthSciencesCenter,hasspearheadedtheresearch. Among the many important findings from theChildren’sHealthStudy,researchersdemonstratedthatchildrengrowingup inareasofhigherpollution“haveasubstantialdeficit in lungdevelopment”comparedtotheirpeerslivinginareasoflowerpollution.Alsoatriskare children playing outdoor sports, those diagnosedwithasthmaorwheezyairwaysandthoseborntowom-enexposedtotoxictrafficemissions. Thesefindingshavehelpedshaperegulationsofemis-sionsandever-lower stateand federalairquality stan-dardstoprotectthepublic’shealth. “Peoplearegenerallyawareofthingsforwhichtheyhavesymptoms,”Gillilandexplains.“Ozone,forinstance,usedtocausesorethroatandchesttightnessatthehighlevelsoncepresentinSouthernCalifornia.Buttherehasbeena successful, science-basedapproachover the lastfewdecadestoreducelevelsofnitrogenoxideandozone,sowedon’thave the sameelevated levelswe’vehad inthepast.” Withobvioussymptomsdiminished,“we’vebeenin-vestigating if current concentrations are still affectinghealth,”Gillilandsays.“Wefindthatevenwiththelevelsbelowthosethatcausesymptoms,airpollutantshaveahealthimpact,especiallyonchildrenandtheelderly.” Theglobal implications of air pollution research areclearly evident in a study conducted during the 2008summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Led by KeckSchool professor of environmental and global healthJunfeng ( Jim) Zhang, Ph.D., the study revealed thecardiovascularbenefitsofreducedexposuretoairpollu-tionduringtheBeijingOlympicsamongyoung,healthypeoplelivingintheBeijingarea.Theresultsofthestudy

appearedin2012intheJournal of the American Medical Association,themostwidelycirculatedmedicaljournalintheworld. Recognizing the expertise at the Keck School, theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recentlytapped Ed Avol, M.S., professor of clinical preven-tive medicine and deputy director of the Children’sHealth Study, for a videoconference with parentsemployedbytheAmericanEmbassyinBeijingandwithstaffoftheschoolsattendedbytheirchildren. “There’snoescapingthefactthatpollutionisextremelyhigh in many cities around the world, especially inBeijing,”Avolsaid.“It’sincrediblyhighbyU.S.standards.” Childrenareparticularlyatriskforeffectsofairpollu-tion,Avolsaid,becauseofacombinationofcircumstances.Theyhavemoreexposurebecausetheyspendmoretimeoutdoorsandhavehigherbreathing ratesbecause theyare more active than adults.The fact that children arestill growing makes them more susceptible toeffectsofexposure.

N E W D I S C O V E R I E S

A related study released in Septembershowedthatatleast8percentofthemorethan300,000casesofchildhoodasthmainLosAngelesCountycanbeattributedtotraffic-relatedpollutionaffectingthoseliv-inginhomeswithin75meters(alittlelessthan250feet)ofbusyroadways. “Our findings suggest that there are large and pre-viously unappreciated public health consequencesof air pollution in Los Angeles County and prob-ably other metropolitan areas with large numbers ofchildren living near major traffic corridors,” said RobMcConnell,M.D.,professorofpreventivemedicine. “There is alsoemergingevidence thatotherdiseasesmay be caused or exacerbated by urban air pollution,including atherosclerosis, lung cancer, chronic obstruc-tive pulmonary disease and neurological disorders,”McConnelladded. Perhapsoneof themost startlingdiscoveries comesfromHeatherVolk,Ph.D.,M.P.H.,assistantprofessorofpreventivemedicine,whoalsoholdsjointappointmentswiththeDepartmentofPediatricsandtheZilkhaNeu-

•F E A T U R E

Jonathan Samet, left, heads the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee. Junfeng ( Jim) Zhang led a study on the cardiovascular impact of air pollution in Beijing. For video about the Beijing study, see keck.usc.edu/Beijing.

•F E A T U R E H A Z A R D O U S T O y O U R H E A L T H

22 KeckMedicine | winter 2013 Issue

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rogenetic Institute.Volk’s latest research indicates thatlivingwithin300metersofamajorfreewaydoublestheriskofautism. “The USC environmental health group alreadyhad such fantastic research on pollution that it struckme that we had no idea whether pollution couldaffect thebrain,” she says.“Andwe’reconstantlyhear-ingthattherearemorekidsbeingdiagnosedwithau-tism. Knowing that pollution causes inflammation inthe body, and that kids with autism have higher ratesofimmuneproblemsandevidenceofinflammation,wedecidedtostudytherelationshipbetweenairpollutionandautism. “Itmakes sensewithwhatweknowaboutpollution,”Volksays.“Thelevelsdecreasewhenyoumovebeyondthat300meters, soourfindingonautismcorrespondedwithearlierresearch.” The work and influence of USC researchers contin-ues to expand. JonathanSamet,M.D.,M.S., foundingdirectoroftheUSCInstituteforGlobalHealth,chairof the Department of Preventive Medicine and headof the EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Commit-tee,hasmorethan30yearsinthefield–previouslyatJohns Hopkins and now at USC. He is an authorityonsuchtopicsas theadverseeffectsof tobaccosmok-ing on human health and the health risks of dailyexposuretoparticlesintheenvironment.HisworkwiththeEPAcommitteehasresultedinarecommendationformorestringentsootstandards.

M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E

Because of their policy consequences, there is a call fordatafromenvironmentalstudiesliketheChildren’sHealthStudytobemadepublic.Sametagrees,particularlywhenitcomestopollution,whichhassweepingeffectsthatareoftennotreadilyapparent. Researcherscanbringaboutpositivechangetopub-licpracticesandpolicies.Forexample,attheSouthernCalifornia Environmental Health Sciences CenterAndrea Hricko, M.P.H., is professor of clinical

preventive medicine and director of the CommunityOutreach and Education Program. A former Emmy-winningtelevisionnewsproducer,Hricko isnationallyknownforherworkonensuringthathealthisaconsid-erationintransportationdecision-making. In a recent presentation to the National Institute ofEnvironmentalHealthSciences,shesaid,“ThecommunityisconcernedaboutenvironmentalhealthrisksrelatedtointernationaltradethroughtheportsofLosAngelesandLongBeach.ThesearethelargestportsinAmericaandareoftendescribedastheeconomicengineofSouthernCalifornia,with40percentoftheentirenation’sgoodstrans-portedthroughtheirfacilities.”Hrickotoldheraudiencethatcommunityinvolvementhashelpedshiftthepolicydebateabouttrafficpollutionandtransportationprojectstotakeintoconsiderationthehealthandenvironmentalimpactsfromthemultiplesourcesofairpollution. “Becauseofourwork,”saysGilliland,“healthisnowalsoaconsiderationindecision-makingaboutbuildingschoolsnexttomajorroadways.Weprovidetheresearchandtranslationthatwillallowemergingissuestobead-dressedbeforetheycauseadversehealtheffects.” And the future looks bright. Samet is encouragedby the broad popularity of the university’s academicofferingsonpublichealthandglobalhealth.“Theunder-graduatesarereally interested inglobalhealth,”hesays.“Manypeoplerecognizetheinterconnectednessofusall.” Gillilandadds,“Wemusthaveastrongtrainingcompo-nentsowecanhelpthenextgenerationofscientistscarryonandensurethatscienceispartoftheworld’sdecision-makingaboutenvironmental issues.That’swhatkeepsusgoing.Wewantafutureforourkidsandgrandkidsthatincludesahealthyenvironment.”

Frank Gilliland, left, has led the Children’s Health Study for the past decade. Research by Heather Volk has connected air pollution with autism. For video about the autism study, see keck.usc.edu/autismstudy.

Ed Avol consults on a videoconference with the EPA and American Embassy employees in Beijing.

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Every week the news media cover stories from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Here is a sampling of coverage. For complete listings see www.usc.edu/uscnews/usc_in_the_news/.

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The Boston Globe and Washington Post, in an Associated Press story, noted that Carmen A. Puliafito, dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, was part of an international scientific team to win the Champalimaud Foundation’s annual Vision Award.

The Los Angeles Times, Reuters, CNN, ABC News and other media outlets covered an open-heart surgery performed by Vaughn Starnes on a child actor who had appeared in a Darth Vader mask in a car commercial. The surgery was performed at Chil-dren’s Hospital Los Angeles on 7-year-old Max Page, who was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

The Wall Street Journal highlighted work by Leslie Saxon, who uses wire-less medical devices to monitor the health of her patients.

Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez included his orthopaedic surgeon, Daniel Oakes, in a column about Lopez’ knee replacement surgery, and quoted Oakes about the need for joint-replace-ment surgeons in the United States.

Parade Magazine featured tips from Bradley Hudson on how to talk to

children about the mass shooting in Aurora,

Colo. “If your young child is a preschooler or younger and hearing the news again and again, he may not realize this is a singular event,” Hudson said. “He may think the event is repeating. It’s im-portant to emphasize

that the event is over.”

The Los Angeles Times, HealthDay, The Atlantic, Voice of America and other media outlets featured research by Thomas Valente on how social net-works can be used for health educa-tion. “If I want to go into a high school and change physical activity or other obesity behaviors, I have to under-stand there are cliques and subgroups of students that exhibit different risks,” Valente said. “I would design different interventions for the different groups.”

The New York Times, NBC News’ “Today Show,” HealthDay and Fox News Radio were among media out-lets internationally to feature research by V. Wendy Setiawan finding that women who have their last child at 30 or older lower their risk of endometrial cancer compared to women who give birth to their last child before 25.

ABC News’ “Good Morning America,” the Los Angeles Times, CBS News, NBC News, Men’s Fitness and other media outlets around the world featured research led by Victoria Cortessis, which found that recreational marijuana use may increase the risk of testicular can-cer. The study found men with a history of cocaine use had lower testicular cancer rates.

The Washington Post, in an Associated Press story, U.S. News & World Report, and WebMD were among several outlets to cite a study commentary written by Lon Schneider regarding the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease with ginkgo biloba.

The Hollywood Reporter, Business Journals and Renal Business Today covered the creation of the USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center at the Keck School. The new research center will conduct both basic and applied research.

The Hollywood Reporter featured a $3 million gift to USC’s Center for Applied Molecular Medicine, directed by David Agus. The gift made by Viacom Executive Chairman Sumner Redstone will fund cancer research.

Daily Variety covered a fundraising event that benefitted the USC Institute of Urology, led by Inderbir Gill. Dream-Works executive Jeff Small, a kidney cancer survivor, hosted the event, which featured stars Octavia Spencer, William Hurt, Beau Bridges and entertainment from “Glee’s” Matthew Morrison. The event raised $1 million.

The Huffington Post, KPCC Radio, MSNBC, Asian News International and other media outlets worldwide featured a study by Mariana Stern and colleagues, finding that the type and preparation method of meat in a man’s diet may affect his prostate cancer risk. Pan-fried meat, and hamburger in particular, seem to increase risk.

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•F E A T U R E

The more than 500 faculty physicians of the Keck

School of Medicine of USC are among the nation’s

leaders in innovative clinical care, research and

education of future physicians. They provide

care in a wide range of medical specialties from the

most complex diagnoses and treatments to

primary care for the entire family.

The Keck Medical Center of USC brings hope back

to health care, connecting patients with some of the

brightest medical minds in the country.

Thenewnameinworld-classmedicine

To learn more or to make an appointment, call 1-800-USC-CARE or visit KeckMedicalCenterofUSC.org.

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CalltoscheduleyourappointmentattheselocationsontheUSCHealthSciencesCampus.Keck Hospital of USC (Formerly USC University Hospital)

1500 San Pablo StreetLos Angeles, CA 900331-888-700-5700

Keck Hospital of USC is a private, 411-bed referral, teaching and research hospital staffed by faculty physicians of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Combining sophisticated technology with genuine concern for you and your family, the hospital offers advanced medicine and compassionate care. Among the hospital’s advanced services are neurointerventional radiology, minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery, robotic surgery and interventional cardiology. Surgical specialties include organ transplantation and neurosurgery, as well as cardiothoracic, bariatric, esophageal, orthopaedic, and plastic and reconstructive surgeries.

USC Norris Cancer Hospital

1441 Eastlake AvenueLos Angeles, CA 900331-800-700-3956

USC Norris Cancer Hospital is affiliated with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of only 40 centers in the United States designated as “comprehensive” by the Na-tional Cancer Institute. Clinical researchers are leaders in the development of novel therapies for the disease. USC Norris Can-cer Hospital offers advanced treatments in an intimate setting. Specially trained staff strive to meet the unique needs of cancer patients and their loved ones.

Healthcare Consultation Centers I & II

1510 San Pablo Street (HCC I) &1520 San Pablo Street (HCC II)Los Angeles, CA 900331-800-USC-CARE

Private practice offices for many USC faculty physicians are located at Health-care Consultation Centers (HCC) I & II adjacent to Keck Hospital of USC. These facilities give patients easy access to family medicine, gynecology, urology, orthopaedics, psychiatry, cardiothoracic surgery, head and neck surgery, otolaryn-gology, and neurology and neurosurgery. HCC I features an outpatient pharmacy. HCC II features the CardioVascular Thoracic Institute and diagnostic imaging, including MRI, PET and CT.

Doheny Eye Institute

1450 San Pablo StreetLos Angeles, CA 90033323-442-6335

The Doheny Eye Institute is recognized as a world leader in basic and clinical vision research and advanced patient care. Faculty physicians from the Keck School of Medicine of USC provide outpatient services for a variety of vision-related conditions. Additional locations include:

Wealsohaveseveralsatellitelocations.Beverly Hills

9033 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211

USC Doheny Eye Center 310-601-3366

USC Norris Westside Cancer Center 310-272-7640

USC Institute of Urology 323-865-3700

USC Westside Center for Diabetes150 N Robertson Blvd., Suite 210 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-657-3030

Downtown

333 South Hope Street, Suite C-145Los Angeles, CA 90071213-437-1000

La Cañada Flintridge

1751 Foothill Boulevard, Suite 3La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011323-442-9700

Pasadena

Our new location offers multiple specialties, provid-ing convenient access to optimal patient care.

625 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 400Pasadena, CA 91105626-568-1622

FindaUSCphysician:1-800-USC-CARE

Patient Yolanda Johnson with Edy Soffer, M.D., professor of clinical medicine-gastrointestinal and liver disease.

We’relocatedneartheintersectionofmajorfreeways.

Arcadia626-446-2122

Beverly Hills310-601-3366

Fountain Valley714-628-2966

Pasadena626-395-0778

Rancho Mirage760-325-2069

Riverside951-788-1231

10 East 1. Exit at Soto Street and turn left. 2. Turn left on Alcazar Street. 3. Turn left on San Pablo Street.

10 West 1. Exit at Soto Street and turn right. 2. Turn left on Alcazar Street. 3. Turn left on San Pablo Street.

5 South 1. Exit at Mission Road and turn left. 2. Turn right on Zonal Avenue. 3. Turn left on San Pablo Street.

5 North 1. Transition to 10 east.

2. Exit at Soto Street and turn left. 3. Turn left on Alcazar Street. 4. Turn left on San Pablo Street.

101 South 1. Transition to 10 east. 2. Exit at State Street /Soto Street. 3. Proceed across State Street onto the

on ramp, and bear right to exit at Soto Street.

4. Turn left on Soto Street. 5. Turn left on Alcazar Street. 6.Turn left on San Pablo Street.

710 North or South 1. Transition to 10 west. 2. Exit at Soto Street and turn right. 3. Turn left on Alcazar Street. 4. Turn left on San Pablo Street.

Huntington Drive 1. Follow Huntington Drive west

until it divides into Mission Road and Soto Street.

2. Bear left onto Soto Street and proceed to Alcazar Street. Turn right.

3. Turn left on San Pablo Street.

Keck Medic al Center of USC

E Entrance to Parking Areas

P2 Doheny Eye Institute

P3 Biggy Street Structure

P4 USC Norris Cancer Hospital Valet

P5 Healthcare Consultation Centers I and II

P6 Keck Hospital of USC Valet Lot

P7 Keck Hospital of USC Structure

VISITOR & PATIENT PARKING

D1 Edmondson Faculty Center

D2 Plaza Marketplace & Cafe (Poquito Mas,

Starbucks, Panda Express)

D3 Einstein Bros. Bagels

D4 The Rainbow Cafe

D5 Cafeteria

D6 Zebra Cafe Coffee Cart

D7 Zebra Cafe Coffee Cart

B1 Plaza Bookstore

B2 Keck Hospital of USC Gift Shop

B3 USC Norris Cancer Hospital Gift Shop

DINING

BOOKSTORES / GIFT SHOPS

Patient Tram Route:

T1 USC Norris Cancer Hospital

T2 Doheny Eye Institute

T3 Keck Hospital of USC

T4 Healthcare Consultation Centers I and II

Circuit Tram Route:

C1 Eastlake Near Corner of San Pablo

C2 Biggy Street Parking

C3 Center for Healthcare Professionals

C4 South San Pablo Parking Lot

C5 Clinical Sciences Center

For transportation assistance as well as

pick-up times call (323) 442-1201 or visit

transportation.usc.edu/transit/routes.aspx

HEALTH SCIENCES C AMPUS TR AMS

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KeckMedicalCenterofUSC.org | 1-800-USC-CARE

H O S P I TA L S & P H yS I C I A N O F F I C E S

Keck Hospital of USC1500 San Pablo Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

USC Norris Cancer Hospital1441 Eastlake Ave Los Angeles, CA 90033

Healthcare Consultation Centers I and II1510 and 1520 San Pablo Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

Doheny Eye Institute1450 San Pablo Street Los Angeles, CA 90033

D R I V I N G D I R E C T I O N S


Joyous events enrich the life of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Keck Medical Center of USC.Spotlight

Perinatal Medicine 2013 DATE: February 17-20, 2013LOCATION: Hyatt Regency Maui, Kaanapali Beach,

Maui, HawaiiFEES: $745 – M.D./D.O.;

$645 – R.N./Midwifes/Allied HealthCREDIT: 20 – AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM

Innovations in Medical Education DATE: February 23-24, 2013LOCATION: To be determinedFEES: USC Health Sciences CampusCREDIT: 13 – AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM

41st Annual USC Diagnostic and Therapeutic Skills in Internal MedicineDATE: March 18-22, 2013LOCATION: Grand Wailea Resort, Wailea,

Maui, HawaiiFEE: To be determined CREDIT: To be determined – AMA PRA Category

1 CreditsTM

20th Annual Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care SymposiumDATES: May 16-17, 2013LOCATION: Langham Huntington Hotel, Pasadena, CAFEES: M.D./D.O./Pharmacist - $395

Resident/Fellow/R.N./Allied Health – $295CREDIT: 14 - AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM

Frequent rounds, conferences, presentations and journal clubs are available in numerous departments of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. For information, visit keck.usc.edu/cme and click on Regularly Scheduled Series.

Contact the USC Continuing Medical Education Office at:TELEPHONE: 323-442-2555 or 800-USC-1119E-MAIL: [email protected]

ContinuingMedicalEducation

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1. Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., left, and David Ginsburg, M.D., right, the James V. Neel Distinguished University Professor of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics at the University of Michigan Medical School, congratulate Stephen B. Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., at his installation as the fifth director and the first clinician-scientist to lead the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

2. yohualli Balderas-Medina celebrates commencement with her parents, Agripina and Enrique.

3. Henri Ford, M.D., vice dean for medical education, cloaks Betsi Crow, first-year student, at the Keck School’s white coat ceremony.

4. Noah Swann spikes the ball in a volleyball game at a party for returning Keck School students at Dean Puliafito’s home.

5. Nobel laureate Eric Kandel, M.D., presents a lecture on his memory research to a packed audience at Mayer Auditorium. A University Professor at Columbia University, Kandel presented the USC Irene McCulloch Distinguished Lecture in Neuroscience.

6. Former USC Norris patient Dikla Benzeevi models clothes at the fall fashion presentation at Bloomingdale’s Sherman Oaks. Ten percent of purchases made after the show were designated for the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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In just two years, with more than $375 million in gifts and pledges, the Keck Medicine Initiative has reached 25 percent of its goal of $1.5 billion in new funding to advance research, enrich medical education, enhance patient care and strengthen the infrastructure of USC’s academic medical enterprise. This multi-year fundraising effort is the largest component of The Campaign for the University of Southern California, representing a quarter of the university’s overall campaign goal.

“The Keck Medicine Initiative is off to a great start,” said Melany Duval, associate vice presi-dent of health sciences development. “We have received nearly $190 million in endowment for faculty and research programs alone.” (See related story, page 2.)

She noted that this support will allow Keck Medi-cine to attract transformative faculty of the caliber of recent recruits Stephen B. Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center; Andrew P. McMahon, Ph.D., director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC and chair of the new Department of Stem Cell Biology and Re-generative Medicine; and Berislav V. Zlokovic, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute.

“Such faculty push the boundaries of science, inspire our students and develop breakthroughs to help patients here and around the world,” she added.

Helping exceptional students pursue careers in medicine without incurring a massive debt load – now averaging nearly $200,000 – is another key priority. Each year, the Keck School of Medicine trains about 700 medical students, 300 doctoral students, 700 master’s students and approximately 200 postdoctoral scholars in 27 departments, not to mention more than 900 residents and fellows in 56 specialty and subspecialty programs.

“Scholarship support for our students, as well as funding that enhances the quality of the education we provide them, benefits not only these talented individuals, but also the many patients they will care for throughout their careers,” said Duval.

The Keck Medicine Initiative also includes plans for significant new patient care facili-ties. During 2013, ground will be broken for the Norris Healthcare Consultation Center, which will be dedicated entirely to the direct care of cancer patients. This building and future capital projects will provide patients with access to the most advanced care, treatments and cures, while facilitating research by physicians and specialists. Keck Medicine also will expand its presence and breadth into additional communi-ties in greater Los Angeles.

“Our goals enable Keck Medicine to better iden-tify major health advancement opportunities, make leading-edge discoveries and translate those discoveries into improved health for pa-tients,” added Duval.

To date, gifts to the initiative have come from trustees, alumni, parents, friends, foundations, corporations, faculty and staff. “Gifts of all sizes are invaluable, and we have a wide range of giving opportunities,” she said.

“To succeed, we will need every individual to join us in this collective effort,” said USC President C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D. “Together, we will not only rewrite the history of this school, we will also reshape the future of medicine.”

For more information, please contact Melany Duval, [email protected], 323-442-1531. To make a gift online, go to keck.usc.edu/Donate.

Keck Medicine Initiative 25% toward goal in two yearsBy Susan Wampler

Winter 2013 Development News for the Keck Medicine Initiative

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M Foundation donates $6 million for stroke clinic By Imelda Valenzuela Fowler Before her death at age 95, Roxanna Todd Hodges, who endured three strokes in her lifetime, had a goal of providing training, education and support for survivors of stroke and their family members. Her vision was achieved through a $6 million gift that her foundation committed to establish the Roxanna Todd Hodges Comprehensive Stroke Clinic and the Roxanna Todd Hodges Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) Program.

“This is an extraordinary gift,” said Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., at a recognition reception held at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute. “It is a devastating situation to have a stroke. I will do whatever I can to make these programs successful and ones that the Roxanna Todd Hodges Foundation can be very proud of.”

Nerses Sanossian, M.D., assistant professor of neurology and associate director of the neurocritical care/stroke section at USC, serves as direc-tor for both the stroke clinic and the TIA program. “Stroke is the leading cause of disability in this country,” he said. “Yet stroke is an entirely preventable disease. We aim to reduce the burden of stroke in southern California through prevention and education.”

More than 2,600 stroke-related visits occur each year at the Keck Medical Center of USC. The stroke clinic provides a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients experiencing stroke or acute neurological events and related conditions. The clinic encompasses outpatient care, inpatient care and research.

The TIA program focuses on preventing stroke. Commonly known as a “mini-stroke,” a TIA refers to the temporary disturbance of the blood supply to the brain, which often results in a sudden and brief reduction in brain function. TIA is an early warning of an impending stroke.

Also speaking at the reception was Deborah Massaglia, president of the Roxanna Todd Hodges Foundation and a close friend of Hodges. “I know that Roxie would be extremely proud and honored to have these centers in her name,” she said, using Hodges’ nickname.

The inaugural Roxanna Todd Hodges Visiting Lectureship in Stroke Prevention and Education was given by Bruce Ovbiagele, M.D., M.Sc., professor of neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego, who spoke in July at the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute on the relationship between chronic kidney disease and stroke.

Melany Duval has been named uni-versity advancement senior associate dean and associate vice president of health sciences development. In this role, she leads USC’s efforts to raise $1.5 billion for Keck Medicine of USC, the largest component of the $6 bil-lion Campaign for USC.

Duval spent the last eight years with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, most recently as vice president of development. While there, she played a leadership role in helping CHLA complete a $1 billion fundrais-ing campaign, the largest fundraising achievement ever by a freestanding hospital in North America.

“Melany has worked in fundraising for 22 years, and the university will greatly benefit from her experience at this critical time in its history,” said William (Bill) Watson, vice president for USC Health Sciences campus development.

Duval oversees the comprehensive fundraising and alumni and donor relations programs for Keck Medicine of USC, which includes the Keck School of Medicine of USC (including the USC Norris Comprehensive Can-cer Center and related USC Health Sciences’ research centers and affili-ates) and the Keck Medical Center of USC, comprising Keck Hospital of

USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital and the USC physician practices.

Duval reports to Watson and to Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the Keck School.

“Our plans to raise $1.5 billion for medicine as part of The Campaign for USC will require ambitious and creative strategic development efforts that engage all of the Trojan Family in the university’s vision for the future of medicine,” said Puliafito. “Melany is exceptionally qualified to lead these efforts.”

Prior to CHLA, Duval was assistant vice president for development and campaign director at Loyola Mary-mount University, where she previously earned her bachelor of arts in political science and business administration.

“I’m excited to leverage my advance-ment knowledge and experience to help Keck Medicine of USC achieve its ambitious fundraising goals,” said Duval. “Reaching these goals will al-low Keck Medicine to better identify major health advancement opportu-nities, make leading-edge discover-ies and translate those discoveries into improved health for patients.”

To make a donation, see keck.usc.edu/Donate or call 323-442-1531.

Duval leads $1.5 billion healthfundraising initiativeBy Imelda Valenzuela Fowler

From left: USC physicians Nerses Sanossian, M.D., and Helena Chui, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurology; Deborah Massaglia, president of the Roxanna Todd Hodges Foundation; and Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A.

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$3.5 million gift establishes USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center By Amy E. Hamaker

From left: Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Carmen A. Puliafito; Kenneth Kleinberg, founder of UKRO; singer/songwriter Natalie Cole; and Vito M. Campese, chair of the Keck School’s division of nephrology.

Human heart tissue, unlike many other tissues in the body, has an extremely limited ability to re-generate, which is why coronary disease can be so deadly. A recent $75,000 gift from the Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation is helping re-searchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC better understand the limitations of adult heart cells and develop targets for improved regenera-tion through the use of embryonic heart cells.

“The heart needs to maintain output,” explained Henry Sucov, Ph.D., associate professor in the Departments of Cell and Neurobiology and Bio-chemistry and Molecular Biology, whose project on adult cardiac muscle stem cells is the ben-eficiary of the gift. “If you’ve lost heart muscle cells, then the rest of the heart will compensate – but only up to a point. After that, it leads to decompensated heart failure, the leading cause of death in the Western world.

“In the lab, we’ve been studying what goes on during fetal heart development – heart muscle cells divide actively, even as they’re beating,” he continued. “Our approach is to isolate a rare pop-ulation of cells in the adult heart that share some of the properties of embryonic heart muscle cells. We can test the hypothesis that these cells that resemble the embryonic heart cells are the ones that retain the ability to divide and potentially regenerate heart muscle. If so, then we have a target to increase or improve their regenerative capacity in an injured adult patient.”

According to Sucov, experimental work so far has been done with mice, but the biology is very similar in mice and humans.

The Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation’s support of the Keck School dates back several decades. “Dr. Sucov’s work underscores the importance of investing in basic research as a means to understanding and improving the human condition,” said Janna Beling, executive vice president for the foundation.

Incorporated in 1978, the Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation promotes research, educa-tion, social justice and the arts, and aims to improve the human condition. The foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations located primarily in California. Willard Beling, a past president of the Borchard Foundation who died in 2009 of congestive heart failure, was a former USC professor of international relations.

$75,000 gift helps target adultheart cell regenerationBy Amy E. Hamaker

The Keck School of Medicine of USC and the University Kidney Research Organization (UKRO) announced the establishment of the USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center at the Keck School.

The new center was created with the help of a gift pledging $3.5 million from UKRO, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit group that supports medical research concerning the causes, improved treat-ments for, and prevention of kidney disease. At the announcement, entertainment lawyer and UKRO founder Kenneth Kleinberg said he was inspired to raise awareness and funds for kidney research after suffering from a kidney ailment in 1999, leading to a kidney transplant in 2007. “I was told at the time, ‘We’ve known about [kidney disease] for years, but we don’t know what causes it,’” he said. “The only way we can conquer kidney disease is through research.”

Singer and songwriter Natalie Cole, who attended USC briefly as a student, remembered her time as a kidney transplant patient in 2009. “Symptoms don’t always show; I found out there are so many people with kidney disease who don’t even know

they have it, and that scares me,” she said. “This moment [of creating the Kidney Research Center] is one that’s most overdue, but welcome.”

Edward Crandall, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Depart-ment of Medicine at the Keck School, said, “With determination and perseverence, Ken Kleinberg and UKRO have really driven this initiative and helped USC make it happen.” The center will be operated as part of the Keck School’s division of nephrology in the Department of Medicine.

“This inauguration is certainly a landmark in the future of the division of nephrology and kidney research at the Keck School of Medicine, and we’re very happy to work with UKRO,” said Vito Campese, M.D., professor of medicine and chief of the division at the Keck School and chair of UKRO’s Medical Scientific Advisory Board.

Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., said, “Millions of people in America suffer from chronic kidney disease, but with the establishment of this center, those patients now have an extra champion in the fight.”

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Andrew P. McMahon, Ph.D., newly appointed department chair of stem cell biology and regen-erative medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, is often asked why he left Harvard University’s stem cell institute to come to USC. He states one simple reason: opportunity.

“I wanted the opportunity to create something special within the emerging field of regenerative medicine,” said McMahon. “The energy and excite-ment of Los Angeles provide a wonderful bonus, but this was a decision deeply rooted in my train-ing, interests and experience over 35 years and my desire to translate these things into something of great significance in a first-class university.”

McMahon was officially welcomed into his role at USC and installed as the inaugural holder of the W. M. Keck Provost Professorship of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine on Oct. 16 at a reception held on the Health Sciences campus in his honor and hosted by USC President C. L. Max Nikias, Ph.D.

The endowed professorship was made possible through a gift from the W. M. Keck Foundation that renamed USC’s academic medical center and launched the $1.5 billion Keck Medicine Initiative, the largest component of The Campaign for the University of Southern California.

“Today it’s my great pleasure to officially welcome a scientist of the very highest caliber,” said Nikias, “a man who will lead USC boldly into the emerging

biotechnology revolution and help usher in the new age of innovation and discovery. That man is Dr. Andrew McMahon.”

Eli and Edythe Broad, the namesakes and lead donors of the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, gave $30 million toward the building’s development and were also in attendance among the crowd of about 100 people.

“Edye and I get to Cambridge often because of the Broad Institute, which is a partnership between Harvard and MIT,” said Eli Broad. “I know how sad they were to have you leave,” he told McMahon. “And I know how highly esteemed you were there. So we know that you and those whom you bring with you will bring this center to even a higher level of excellence, and we thank you for all of that.”

McMahon brought most of his lab members with him to USC, including his wife, Jill, an accom-plished research scientist in her own right, who is also the lab manager.

As a commemorative gift, Nikias, Broad and Keck School Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A., presented McMahon with an encased replica of a chair designed by Belgian furniture designer Maarten van Severen.

“Andy is a wonderful scientist and human being,” said Puliafito, who was instrumental in recruiting McMahon to USC. “He is a fantastic addition to our scholarly community at USC.”

McMahon installed as inaugural W. M. Keck Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative MedicineBy Imelda Valenzuela Fowler

From left: USC President C. L. Max Nikias and USC first lady Niki Nikias, Andrew P. McMahon, Edythe and Eli Broad, and Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito.

Two recent gifts from QueensCare, a Los Angeles faith-based nonprofit organization, will make a real difference for indigent patients with blood disorders, allowing them to receive life-saving bone marrow transplantation treatment.

The Bone Marrow Transplantation Program at the USC Norris Cancer Hospital has received $500,000 to support inpatient treatment for patients not eligible for Medi-Cal coverage. An additional gift of $100,000 to provide trans-port for patients will be split between the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Surgery Transplant Institute and the Keck School Department of Medicine’s Galaxy Program. The Galaxy Health Care pilot project at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center offers consistent and timely access to primary care services based on the patient-centered medical home model.

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is often used as a cure for blood disorders such as lymphoma, acute leukemia, myelodysplasia, multiple myeloma and aplastic anemia.

“For many leukemia patients, BMT is vital,” said Vinod Pullarkat, M.D., director of the Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation program at USC Norris. “With modern transplantation techniques, the survival rate for those patients goes from almost nothing to 70 to 80 percent.

“But if patients don’t qualify for Medi-Cal and don’t have private insurance, there has been no other way to offer BMT to them,” he continued. “Without QueensCare’s gift it wouldn’t be possible to offer these transplants.”

QueensCare provides health care to low income, uninsured individuals residing in Los Angeles through its own operations and through partner-ships and collaborations with other organizations serving this population.

“Many hardworking people do not have access to care when they need it – especially sophis-ticated treatments like BMT,” said Barbara Brandlin Hines, M.B.A., president and CEO of QueensCare and QueensCare Family Clinics. “QueensCare is happy to partner with USC to bring these treatments to those who would otherwise go without.”

$600,000QueensCare gifts offernew hope for patientsBy Amy E. Hamaker

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Service to the school where he received his start has been a way of life for George Stoneman, M.D., an associate clinical professor for the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Recently, that service took the form of a $50,000 pledge to support the full endow-ment of the Keck School Parents As-sociation Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Stoneman has been a tireless worker as an alumnus of the Keck School, including the founding of the Parents Association, despite having a busy private practice. Most recently, he was recognized with a 2011 Volunteer Recognition Award for his loyalty, support and dedication to USC.

“The goal for our own scholarship fund was to make it fully endowed at the $100,000 level,” said Stoneman, who received his M.D. in 1965 and performed his residency in otolaryn-gology at the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center.

Then Stoneman had a fortuitous meeting with his friend and Stanford fraternity brother Rafael Mendez, M.D., a recipient of scholarship support while receiving his own education.

“We were out together with our wives one night, and I talked about

the scholarship fund and our goal,” recalled Stoneman. “Afterward, he just said, ‘Then, I’ll help you.’ I told him I’d match whatever he decided to give.” Thanks to that meeting, Mendez made a donation; Stoneman matched the donation and added to it to fully endow the fund.

Mendez, who recently retired as a professor of urology at the Keck School, has participated in or performed more than 5,000 kidney transplants since 1970. In 1984, in affiliation with the Keck School and the Daughters of Charity Health System, Mendez and his twin brother, Robert Mendez, M.D., formed the Los Angeles Transplant Institute, now known as the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation.

$50,000 gift toward Keck Parents Association scholarship endowmentBy Amy E. HamakerWasserman Foundation

gives $250,000 for otolaryngology research By Amy E. Hamaker

Thanks to a recent $250,000 gift from the Wasserman Foundation, the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Otolaryngology -Head & Neck Surgery has new resources for research into chronic sinusitis, a condition in which the sinuses become inflamed for more than 12 weeks. More than 29.8 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The gift will help support the research of Dale Rice, M.D., professor and former chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Keck School, as he and his team try to discover the role that biofilm plays in chronic sinusitis.

Biofilm is a collection of microbes that form a distinct, strong pattern. Bacteria in biofilm can be up to 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics than bacteria outside of a biofilm structure. The CDC estimates that more than 65 percent of infections in hospitals are caused by biofilm.

“Our team is focusing on finding better ways of recognizing when biofilm is present,” said Rice, who also holds the Leon J. Tiber and David S. Alpert Chair in Medicine. “In addition, we’re starting a new study to find a way to more effectively attack biofilm than the methods that are currently available. This gift will be a much-needed boon for this research.”

Rica Orszag, executive director of the Wasserman Foundation, said, “Part of the Wasserman Foundation’s mission is to partner with organizations that provide high-quality health care. Dr. Rice’s research at USC has the potential to greatly help those who suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis, and we are happy to support him in his work.”

The Wasserman Foundation was created by the late Lew and Edie Wasserman in 1952 as a vehicle for their intense dedication to charitable giving. Although widely recognized for their prominence in Hollywood, the couple quietly became community leaders through their awareness and generosity to countless cultural, health and social issues and organizations across the country.

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Welcome to alums Nearly 40 members of the USC Alumni Club of San Gabriel Valley gathered at Keck Medical Center of USC Pasadena for an open house and tour of the examination and procedure rooms, refreshments and to mingle with the doctors who practice there. From left are Brian Prestwich, M.D., clinical assistant professor of family medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC; Indira Rollins, director of the Keck Medical Center of USC Pasadena; and Lizelle Brandt, president of the USC Alumni Club of San Gabriel Valley.

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Memorial bowl-a-thon

Agustin Garcia, M.D., left, and Terry Schaefer raised money at a recent bowling event with the help of friends. The event was organized to support the Keley Rose Schaefer Memorial Ovarian Cancer Fund in memory of Terry Schaefer’s 26-year-old daughter, who died from ovarian cancer. To date, the fund has raised more than $15,000 to support Garcia’s work at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in developing a prescreening test for ovarian cancer. Garcia, associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, was one of Keley Rose Schaefer’s doctors.

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Baxter Foundation visit The Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation has given USC more than $10 million and recently gave the Keck School of Medicine of USC $300,000 for junior faculty research and medical student scholarships. The latest gift will be split between Emil Kartalov, Ph.D., assistant profes-sor of pathology; Andy Chang, M.D., assistant professor of urology; and the Baxter Summer Research Program, which allows medical students to perform scientific research during the summer of their first year. Back row, from left: George Tolomiczenko, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., Richard H. Haake, Donald B. Haake and James (Jim) Russell. Front row, from left: Elizabeth M. Fini, Ph.D., Jane Haake-Russell and William Haake.

WunderGlo Foundation donates to GI OncologyThe USC Gastrointestinal (GI) Oncology program’s quest to find a cure for colon cancer got a boost when the WunderGlo Foundation presented director Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D., with a gift of $50,000 at its first Can-cer Warrior Awards dinner at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Lenz is professor of medicine and preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the Kathryn Balaskrishnan Chair for Cancer Research, and associate director for clini-cal research at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Lenz accepted the designa-tion as a Cancer Warrior and accepted the donation from Gloria Borges, founder of the WunderGlo Foundation and a patient of Lenz.

“What makes the GI Oncology program even more special is its approach to patients – the way these doctors and nurse practitioners treat us when it’s a chemo day or a day we’re learning the results of our latest scan,” Borges said at the event. “There is compassion without pity, professionalism without aloofness, love, friendship, and a steadfast, unyielding desire for us to be well. We are in good hands with them, and we can feel that all the time.”

The donation gives the USC GI Oncology program an important resource in its goal of finding a cure for colon cancer, Lenz said.

“Every day our patients inspire us with their courage and bravery against this disease,” he said. “Gloria Borges is one of our strongest champions, joining with us in a united front against cancer.”

To make a donation, see keck.usc.edu/GiveDrugDiscovery.

When John Willis discovered that his 25-year-old son Johnny had testicular cancer, he was understandably devastated. “When something like this happens, it’s enormous, and it’s difficult to try to process it all,” he said.

Johnny knew he had a problem, but at first a local doctor and urologist did not recognize the condition. It was the young man’s determination that led the family to Sia Daneshmand, M.D., associate professor of urology (clinical scholar) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

“I’m incredibly proud of Johnny and very thankful we met Dr. Danshemand,” recalled the elder Willis. “As we went through this process, it quickly became very apparent that Dr. Daneshmand is dedicated to what he does. He’s so passionate and caring and really helped Johnny believe he would get through this. We thought, ‘What can we do to help in return?’”

That question led Willis, co-founder of tech company Interloc Solutions with Mike Watson, to make a donation of $10,000 to help Daneshmand and his team at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center fully develop a comprehensive database of clinical and tissue sample data from testicular cancer patients.

Along with his team, Daneshmand, who is also director of uro-logic oncology at the USC Institute of Urology and a renowned testicular cancer expert, has developed a comprehensive institutional review board-approved database that captures clinical data for analysis. USC also houses one of the largest tissue banks for testis tumors led by previous efforts from Sue Martin, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Translational Pathology Core Facility of the Norris cancer center. The tissue bank was funded by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The challenge now is to merge the two to better understand outcomes.

“We work collaboratively with departments of radiology, pathology, molecular epidemiology and medical oncology,” explained Daneshmand. “This helps us better understand modes of presentation, optimal treatment and follow-up regimens, and delineate specific issues related to long-term survivors of testicular cancer, including fertility and hormonal factors.

“We have a team dedicated to testis cancer research, and at any one time we have at least half a dozen ongoing projects, and funding from extramural sources is extremely limited,” he continued. “Philanthropy like the Willis/Interloc donation helps us fund research fellows whose help is invaluable in our mission.”

Donation helps fund testicular cancer research By Amy E. Hamaker


What will your legacy be?

Howard Hatfield ‘56 has always had soaring ambitions. Whether he was collaborating on the nation’s earliest missile launches or pursuing his passion as an amateur pilot, he dedicated a lifetime to achieving high-flying goals. Today, his focus is equally lofty: helping the experts at USC Norris envision a world without cancer. By giving to USC through charitable gift annuities, he receives guaranteed income for life and tax benefits, while fueling the work of some of the most renowned physicians and researchers in cancer treatment and discovery. His support makes a critical difference — and his generosity and vision stretch beyond the horizon.

To learn more about charitable gift planning to benefit the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, please contact Clara Driscoll at 323.442.1346 or by email at [email protected].

My legacy is taking flight

USC NORRIS

Keck Medicine of USC

Our $1.5 billion fundraising initiative will transform all aspects of our medical enterprise and dramatically accelerate the pace of discovery, enhance medical education, and improve the lives of patients and families in our community and beyond.Join us in this extraordinary endeavor. keckmedicineofusc.org/campaign

Advancing Research, Medical Education and Patient Care

the campaignfor theUniversity of SouthernCalifornia

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USC Health Sciences Public Relations & Marketing1975 Zonal AvenueKeith Administration Building, Suite 400Los Angeles, CA 90033-9029keck.usc.edu

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USC Keck Medicine Magazine Winter 2013

Documents

Transcript of USC Keck Medicine Magazine Winter 2013