Basic Science Research

The mission of the Neonatal Research Program at the Keck School of Medicine of USC is to encompass the entire spectrum of modern medical research by connecting its strong developmental basic science research program, through the now well-established translational, developmental cardiovascular and pulmonary research initiatives, to the evolving epidemiology and outcomes research initiatives. In addition, the program is designed to provide basic science, translational physiology as well as outcomes and epidemiology research opportunities in the training of the fellows and young faculty in the USC Division of Neonatal Medicine. A recently renovated, 1500-square foot state-of-the-art laboratory serves as the basic science research base at the General Laboratories Building at the Los Angeles General Medical Center campus. The focus of research at this site is on lung development and pathogenesis of neonatal chronic lung disease known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) with an emphasis on elucidation of the role played by inflammation. The program includes full-time postdoctoral fellows (both PhDs and MDs) as well as clinical fellows in the Neonatal Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program. The clinical fellows rotate through the laboratories during their research time. They interact closely with postdoctoral fellows and are closely supervised by Dr. Parviz Minoo, the Director of Research at the USC Division of Neonatal Medicine. The divisional research program has been funded by grants from various funding agencies including, but not limited to, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Hastings Foundation. Divisional basic research activities are about to start in the Saban Research Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles campus. This part of the program will primarily focus on vascular pulmonary development and will complement the ongoing basic research focusing on parenchymal lung development at the Los Angeles General Medical Center campus.