USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
An NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
Community for a Cure
Community for a Cure is the official newsletter for the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USC Norris). Our dynamic newsletter keeps you up to date with everything happening at USC Norris. It features scientific discoveries from our exceptional researchers, inspiring patient stories, award recognitions of our faculty and staff, groundbreaking initiatives, new faculty spotlights, developmental updates, and much more.
Have something to contribute to Community for a Cure? Send it to Hinde Kast, Communications Coordinator, at Hinde.Kast@med.usc.edu.
May/June 2025
Featured Stories
- 35th Annual Festival of Life
- 3rd Annual Cancer Research Day
Scientific Advances and Discoveries
- New compound targets circadian clock machinery in cells to fight glioblastoma
- New clinical trial results demonstrate that electric fields may supercharge immune attack on the deadliest form of brain cancer
- NIH to award $8 million for new USC Superfund Center to research and address ‘forever chemicals’
Honors and Recognitions
- Dr. Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, the Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at USC Norris, was recently appointed the Senior Associate Dean for Community and Workforce Development Initiatives for the Keck School of Medicine of USC
- Dr. Gary Ulaner, member of the USC Norris Translational and Clinical Sciences Program, has been elected vice president-elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI).
- Drs. Vinay Duddalwar, Hossein Jadvar, and Peter Conti for being named Top Doctors for 2025 by Los Angeles Magazine.
Other
- MICEO Billboard Launch
March/April 2025
Featured Stories
10th Annual Quinn Brady Memorial Swing Against Cancer Golf Tournament
Honors and Recognitions
- Dr. Tirzah Petta as the Director of the USC Norris Molecular Genomics Core (MGC)
- Dr. Adam Leventhal, member of the USC Norris Cancer Control Research program, was named a University Professor.
- Dr. Bodour Salhia, co-leader of the USC Norris Epigenetic Regulation in Cancer Program, has been appointed as the interim chair of the new Cancer Biology department at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
- Dr. Yali Dou, Associate Director for Basic Research at USC Norris, has been selected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
- First Annual Staff Awards and Recognition Ceremony
Scientific Advances and Discoveries
- Wave Proteins Found to be The Key to HPV16 Entry
- ER Stress Uncovers New role for GRP78 as a Gene Regulator in the Nucleus
New Grants
- Lemonade Stand Foundation Award – Jessica Tsai, PhD
- NIH R01 Award – Fei Chen, PhD
Tower Cancer Research Foundation Career Development Award – John Murrad, PhD
Other
- Patient Perspective Series – I Love You. Your Cancer…not so much”
January/February 2025
Featured Stories
- Faculty Spotlight: Celebrating the Career of Dr. Amy S. Lee
Honors and Recognitions
- Joi Torrence-Hill, chief of operations at USC Norris Cancer Hospital, has been recognized as an outstanding hospital and health system chief operating officer for 2024 by Becker’s Hospital Review.
- 2025 “Leaders of Influence: Top LA Doctors” by the Los Angeles Business Journal
- Top Doctors for 2025 by Castle Connolly
Scientific Advances and Discoveries
- Rare type of melanoma shows reduced response to two-drug combination in new study
- Targetable mutations found in tumors: DH1 & KRAS identified
- Study links PFAS contamination of drinking water to a range of rare cancers
- Blocking STAT6-Bestrophin1-GABA axis starves brain metastasis
New Grants
- Major grant awarded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to USC Norris member Dr. David Tran and his team to pioneer a first-of-its-kind, heterogeneity-agnostic gene therapy that targets glioblastoma
- Alex’s Lemonade Strand Foundation awarded presented to Dr, Jinseok Park, a member of the USC Norris Tumor Immunology and Microenvironment Program, to investigate the role of the PAX3-FOXO1 fusion gene in defining each cell’s function in collective cell invasion and its contribution to increased metastatic potential.
Other
- Community Outreach and Engagement
- Valentine’s Day Grams – Institute for Arts in Medicine Program
November/December 2024
Featured Stories
- The Patient Voice – Mars Robles
- Rose Court Visits USC Norris
Honors and Recognitions
- Dr. Charleston Chiang who was selected as the recipient for the Dean’s Early Career Award for Excellence in Mentoring by the Keck School of Medicine of USC
- Congratulations to Drs. Heinz-Josef Lenz, Valter Longo, and Paul Thomas who were included in the Highly Cited Researchers list from Clarivate for 2024.
Scientific Advances and Discoveries
- USC Norris researchers uncover master switch that restores effectiveness of Tumor Treating Fields
- First genome-wide comparison of vapers and smokers finds similar DNA changes linked to disease risk
- New study explores new insights into innate resistance for immunotherapies in colorectal cancer
- Study demonstrates new precision combination therapy approach in non-small cell lung cancer cells and tumors expressing Onc-p53 alleles
September/October 2024
Featured Stories
- High Risk Like Me
- Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention Opens at USC Norris
Honors and Recognitions
- Mariana Stern, PhD for being appointed to vice chair of diversity, equity, & inclusion for the department of population and public health science.
- Congratulations to all of the USC Norris Members that recently received endowed faculty positions.
Scientific Advances and Discoveries
- USC researchers examine social and clinical drivers of stress responses among African American breast cancer survivors
- USC Norris researcher reveals that targeting stress induction of GRP78 by cardiac glycoside oleandrin dually suppresses cancer and COVID-19
- An early blood test can predict survival in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.
New Grants
- Dr. David Cobrinik, member of the USC Norris Epigenetic Regulation in Cancer Program, received a major grant from the National Cancer Institute to study the production and progression of premalignant retinoblastoma lesions.
- USC Norris members Drs. Frances Chow and Robert Hsu have been selected as recipients for the Career Development Award by the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program.
- Congratulations to Dr. Aram Modrek, member of the USC Norris Epigenetic Regulation in Cancer Program, who received the V Foundation Scholar Award.