USC WiSE

From a guided yoga session to a relaxing social hour with snacks, smoothies, turmeric shots, and face masks, the WiSE PhD Advisory Board and Viterbi W.E.L.L. thank everyone who joined us for a refreshing midweek reset 🧘‍♀️✨🍵 Stay tuned to more events from the WiSE PhD Advisory Board by signing up to our PhD student mailing list via the link in our bio!

A look back at last week’s WISE Faculty Distinguished Lecture! We’re so grateful to everyone for their attendance and support in making this such a meaningful event ❤️💛 A special thank you to our distinguished speakers, Professors Karen Lloyd and Corinne Packard, for sharing an insightful look into their incredible research and sparking curiosity and engaging conversation within our community ✨💡

Repost from @uscgradschool • In our next Thesis Talks session, we have Michella Rustom and she is PhD in candidate in Computer and Electrical Engineering. Swipe to read more about her. ✌️

Unwind and connect with others in the community with a free yoga class followed by a laid-back social hour. Come as you are or bring a friend! April 22nd, 1-3PM Location: PED SB2 Mats, refreshments, snacks, and face masks provided. Hosted by Viterbi W.E.L.L. and Wise PhD Advisory Board. Scan the QR code or click the link in our bio to RSVP! Viterbi's Yoga EngageSC: https://cglink.me/2nB/r408975

Catch our final seminar this semester on Tuesday, April 7 from 11 - 12 PM on Zoom! To register, visit tinyurl.com/stembytes4-7 or click the link in our bio! Speaker: Minh Bui Talk Title: Globus pallidus pars internus neuroanatomical connectivity and causal control of proprioceptive, fine motor actions The basal ganglia orchestrate diverse aspects of movement, yet the output channels by which the globus pallidus internus (GPi) engages specific downstream motor systems remain incompletely resolved. Here, we extend recent work on basal ganglia output architecture and examine the neuroanatomical connections and behavioral function of the GPi, using state of the art viral tracing tools and motor assays. Current findings outline a comprehensive input–output map for the GPi connections and suggest GPi function to the control of complex, proprioceptive-dependent movements. Speaker: Fatemeh Afshar Ghahremani Talk Title: Decoding Alternative Fuel Dynamics through Spectroscopy and Kinetic Modeling Developing cleaner fuels and understanding their reaction dynamics is vital for a sustainable energy future. Investigating these fuels at the molecular and transient level through spectroscopy and kinetic modeling provides crucial insights into plasma-assisted combustion processes. This knowledge guides the design of more efficient and environmentally friendly energy systems. 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚: 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙎𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮

Today’s article spotlight goes to USC PhD candidate in Computer Science, Miryam Huang, for her breakthrough research on the first quantum obfuscation for unitary programs and her historic win of the Machtey Award 👏✨ Check the link in our bio to read more about the groundbreaking work behind this achievement!

Join us for our next STEM Bytes seminar on Tuesday, March 24 from 11 - 12 PM on Zoom! To register, visit tinyurl.com/stembytes3-24 or click the link in our bio! Speaker: Allison Pataro Talk: Elucidating the Neuronal Mechanisms of the Cytokine GDF15 in Nausea and Appetite Loss Allison’s research focuses on the neuronal mechanisms of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a cytokine released in response to conditions like cancer, pregnancy, and exposure to toxins, that acts on the hindbrain to induce lack of appetite and nausea. These symptoms are common across many diseases and, when persistent, can seriously impact quality of life and treatment outcomes, yet current therapies are often insufficient. By elucidating the neuronal pathways engaged by GDF15, we aim to identify new targets for effective anti-emetic treatments. Speaker: Niki Tavakoli Talk: Metabolic Modeling and Analysis of Patient-Specific Colorectal Cancer Tumor-Stroma Communities Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a significant role in metabolic reprogramming due to their interactions with colorectal cancer (CRC) cells within the tumor microenvironment, however these effects remain poorly understood and affect potential therapeutic vulnerabilities. To systematically characterize cell-specific metabolic differences and identify therapeutic targets, we constructed genome-scale metabolic models using data from CRC cells and CAFs obtained from CRC patients, identifying metabolic reactions that differ between cell types and implementing targeted gene knockouts to characterize the resulting metabolic phenotypes. We then built compartmentalized community models that capture metabolite exchange between patient-matched CRC and CAF models, enabling us to understand how tumor-stroma crosstalk alters metabolism in a more biologically relevant context and both validate and find new metabolic targets. 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚: 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙎𝘾 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮

In honor of Women's History Month, celebrate the history and accomplishments of women with the WiSE PhD community on March 26th from 10AM–12PM in KAP 209! There will be snacks, refreshments, games, and socializing. We hope to see you there!

WISE is thrilled to share exciting news within the Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology community 🌍🌊 AGU Publications has named a new Editor-in-Chief of Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology and it’s none other than USC Professor of Earth Sciences, Dr. Sarah Feakins! 🔗 Explore this new chapter in leadership in the full article at the link in bio

Repost from @usc.president • Such a privilege to celebrate Amy Childress and Shrikanth Narayanan on their election to the National Academy of Engineering — one of the greatest honors in engineering. NAE membership recognizes extraordinary contributions to engineering research and practice, and reflects the global impact of Amy and Shri’s visionary work. Their achievements bring great distinction to USC and to the engineering community worldwide. *Click link in bio to learn more about Amy and Shri’s research.

WiSE invites you to the next WiSE Faculty Distinguished Lecture featuring two exceptional scholars in their field of research: 🌍 Karen Lloyd — Wrigley Professor of Earth Science and Marine & Environmental Biology 🧪 Corinne Packard — Professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Wednesday, April 15 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: Presentation: 2:30–4:00 | Reception: 4:00–4:30 PM 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: EEB 132 🔗 To register your attendance, click on the link in our bio Open to all members of the USC community! Light refreshments will be served during the reception.

On #InternationalWomensDay, WiSE honors the incredible the students, staff, faculty, and alumni who lead with brilliance and continue to uplift, empower, and inspire our community!💫👩‍🔬👩‍💻 #womeninstem #empoweringwomen #womenempowerment