Centers and Institutes

The Allayee Lab's research interests are to use multi-disciplinary genetics to understand cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases. Current projects involve large-scale population studies in humans, gene-environment interactions, and functional experiments in model organisms.

The Aung Research Team is a translational environmental health science laboratory at the University of Southern California. Its mission is to utilize interdisciplinary science to accelerate the translation of research to inform policy and interventions and advance environmental justice.

The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center, funded by the National Cancer Institute, unites Florida A&M University (FAMU), the University of Florida (UF) Cancer Center, and the University of Southern California Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USC-NCCC) in a bi-coastal effort to address cancer health disparities through research, education, and engagement.

The Center for Applied Network Analysis (CANA) at USC hosts bi-monthly lab meetings where members present ongoing research in social network analysis. Workshops on analytical tools like R, STATNET, ERGM, and SIENA are also offered to aid members in mastering advanced techniques.

The Center for Genetic Epidemiology focuses on genetic epidemiology, aiming to understand genetic factors in diseases, gene-environment interactions, and the evolutionary impacts on health. Emphasizing diversity, they study varied populations to address disparities in disease risk and advance genomic medicine's translational impact, while recruiting faculty to support genome research and precision medicine initiatives.

The Center for Health Equity in the Americas (CenHealth) aims to address health disparities across the Americas through research, collaborations, and interventions. Supported by the Keck School of Medicine Dean's office at USC, CenHealth focuses on closing health equity gaps in vulnerable populations through national and international initiatives housed within the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences.

The Center for Population Health (CPH) at USC provides expertise and resources for population health projects, specializing in community-based research and understanding health disparities. With over 20 years of collective experience, our goal is to support the success of your project through our rich history in health behavior research.

Our focus is on advancing cancer genetic epidemiology amidst the challenges posed by big data and complexity. We strive to develop innovative statistical methods to aid in discovery, characterization, and prediction in cancer studies, integrating biological knowledge with epidemiological or clinical data. Ultimately, our aim is to provide tools for assessing the impact of preventive or therapeutic interventions based on modifiable risk factors.

The Center applies novel, multidisciplinary approaches in epidemiology, data science, multiomics, biology, community engaged research and environmental engineering to address key environmental health issues using a team science approach.

The Southern California Center for Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research, a collaborative effort between USC and UC Irvine, conducts interdisciplinary research on population health, health services, wellbeing, and medical outcomes among young cancer survivors up to middle age.

The Chinag Lab is a team of geneticists and computational biologists using advanced tools to explore the overlap of human medical and population genetics. Such findings will be pivotal for future medical studies and personalized medicine.

The Children’s Cancer Research Laboratory focuses on understanding childhood cancer causes, including genetic, environmental, and infectious factors, aiming to prevent the disease. Recent findings highlight links between inherited genetics, tobacco exposure, prenatal infections, altered immune development, and leukemia in children, while offering postdoc opportunities.

The Conti Lab performs research in genetic and environmental epidemiology. This includes development of statistical methods and applied collaborations. Methodological research aims to integrate multiple omic measurements, biological knowledge, and external prior information in statistical modeling, primarily focusing on the use of Bayesian hierarchical models. Current applied work involves collaborative projects in prostate, breast and pancreatic cancers, liver disease, and diabetes-related endpoints. These studies investigate mutliple omic layers, including the genome, exposome and metabolome.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Research Center aims to understand and address the impact of COVID-19 on diverse populations, especially in Los Angeles and beyond, focusing on health disparities. Through collaborative efforts, the CPRC conducts epidemiological research, identifies risk factors, assesses policy impacts, and develops prevention strategies, leveraging existing population-based studies and external funding to facilitate multidisciplinary research initiatives.

The Drug Use & Behavior (DUB) lab investigates the normalcy of drug use throughout history, aiming to understand both positive and negative effects of drugs on individuals and society. Employing behavioral pharmacology, Ecological Momentary Assessment, and surveys, the lab examines how social influences shape drug use patterns, with a focus on informing evidence-based drug policies, harm reduction strategies, and effective treatments for those experiencing drug-related problems.

The ECHO Program aims to enroll over 50,000 children in observational studies, encompassing diverse demographics to investigate the impacts of environmental factors on child health and development over time. Researchers utilize the wealth of data gathered from the cohort, which includes ongoing data collection, ensuring comprehensive insights into early environmental influences on children's health. Study sites across the United States and Puerto Rico collect data uniformly to facilitate collaboration and utilization of information by researchers.

The Epidemiology of Substance Use (EOS) Research Group is a team of faculty, staff, and students who are broadly interested in patterns of tobacco, cannabis, and other substance use in adolescence and early adulthood. We have a number of ongoing observational research studies aimed at addressing critical research questions relating to the public health impact of new and emerging products.

The Gazal Lab develops and applies statistical methods to understand the genetic basis of human disease, with expertise in combining population genetics, genetic epidemiology and functional genomics approaches.

The mission of the Gene Ontology Consortium is to develop a comprehensive, computational model of biological systems, ranging from the molecular to the organism level, across the multiplicity of species in the tree of life. The GO knowledgebase is the world’s largest source of information on the functions of genes. This knowledge is both human-readable and machine-readable, and is a foundation for computational analysis of large-scale molecular biology and genetics experiments in biomedical research.

The USC GRIT Lab is dedicated to carrying out research, programming, and training aimed at building sustainable, community-based public health programming around the world. Our lab is powered by USC students, faculty, and partners dedicated to our shared vision of decolonized, collaborative, global health practice.

The Exposure Analytics Lab uses advanced methods to study human exposure to environmental contaminants, emphasizing precision environmental health in areas such as air quality, health disparities, and climate change. The lab employs big data, sensors, and modeling tools to analyze exposures at both individual and population levels, exploring the cumulative impact on vulnerable populations' health and well-being.

The Herting Neuroimaging Lab uses advance neuroimaging techniques to investigate how the brain develops during childhood and adolescence. Our research focuses on both internal and external risk factors, like hormones, air pollution, and physical activity on brain outcomes like structure, function, cognition, and mental health.

I-CAIHRE strives to improve the health and well-being of California's American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities through community-informed research. We prioritize gathering data that reflects community needs and perspectives to drive sustainable improvements in health outcomes.

The USC Institute for Addiction Science (IAS) was founded in 2018 to harness the expertise of addiction scholars across disciplines, with support from various sources including the USC Office of Research Collaboration Fund and philanthropic donations. Under the leadership of Adam Leventhal and John Clapp, the Institute has grown rapidly, now comprising over 80 faculty members from diverse backgrounds and making significant strides in addiction research, training, and community engagement.

Established in 1980, the USC Institute for Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Research (IPR) is a renowned hub for interdisciplinary research and education, dedicated to improving public health globally. With a track record of prolific scholarship and innovative programs, including the longest-running National Cancer Institute T32 research training program, IPR is recognized as a leader in epidemiology and prevention science.

USC's Institute on Inequalities in Global Health addresses global health disparities through interdisciplinary research, education, and policy action.

The Klausner Research Group focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment of infectious diseases of global health importance like HIV/AIDS, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and infections in pregnancy that lead to preterm birth.

The Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program is a state-designated population-based cancer registry for Los Angeles County. The program routinely collects information on all newly diagnosed cancer cases, monitors cancer trends and patterns, and provides high quality data for advancing knowledge to reduce cancer burden and improve cancer care in all populations.

The MADRES Center investigates how environmental factors impact health during vulnerable life stages like pregnancy, infancy, and childhood. It focuses on understanding the connection between these factors and early cardiometabolic disease risk in marginalized populations.

The Mancuso Lab pioneers computational and statistical methods to uncover the genetic basis of complex diseases. They integrate molecular phenotypes with genome-wide association studies, distinguishing between rare and common variations. The lab also quantifies natural selection's influence on specific alleles' impact.

The Maternal Cannabis Lab at USC, funded by NIH and USC Institutes, investigates cannabis use during pregnancy and associated health disparities. Through qualitative and mixed-methods research, we delve into individual, interpersonal, and societal factors. Our studies analyze patient care, cannabis use patterns, beliefs, and opportunities for maternal health improvement. Our aim is to enhance understanding of cannabis use in pregnancy for healthier and more equitable experiences.

The Psychosocialbiology Of Women’s health & Emotion Research (POWER) Lab is led by Dr. Raina Pang. The POWER Lab work focuses on empowering women to improve their health through research and community based educational outreach about factors underlying women’s emotional and physical health. Current projects utilize Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) and behavioral pharmacology to investigate sex/gender differences and women-specific factors in consequences and mechanisms underlying tobacco addiction.

The REACH Lab at USC uses Intensive Longitudinal Data (ILD) methods to study the short-term processes influencing physical activity and eating behaviors in children, young people, and families.

The Shu lab is a computational genetics research group on mental and behavioral disorders in the Center of Genetic Epidemiology and the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at Keck School of Medicine of USC. The lab aims to understand the genetic etiology and epidemiology of mental and behavioral disorders through machine learning and statistical approaches.

The Southern California Center for Children’s Environmental Health Translational Research seeks to reduce childhood air pollution-related diseases, especially in environmental justice communities, through collaborative engagement and innovative solutions. With a focus on Urbanism, Air Pollution, Children’s Health, and Environmental Justice, the Center utilizes youth engagement, community science, urban design, policy solutions, and communication to address the issue.

The Southern California Center for Latino Health (SCCLH) aims to improve the well-being of Latino children and families. Some chronic diseases disproportionately affect Latino communities. We research the causes of these health disparities and develop solutions to improve Latino health.

The Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center (SCEHSC) is dedicated to reducing diseases and disabilities caused by environmental impacts by fostering multidisciplinary research partnerships and innovative approaches. With a focus on Environmental Exposures, Host Factors, and Human Disease across the Lifecourse, the center catalyzes research, supports academic development, engages with communities, and translates research findings to policymakers and the public.

The Southern California Evidence Review Center conducts comprehensive literature reviews for federal agencies and professional organizations, producing various evidence synthesis products to inform healthcare decisions. Endorsed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as an Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC), our team collaborates with experts from USC, RAND, UCLA, and the VA to advance evidence synthesis methods and provide evidence reports to support informed healthcare decisions.

The Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science is dedicated to generating scientific data to guide regulatory decisions at the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products and to train future tobacco regulatory scientists. Focused on the theme of Intersections of Products with Diverse Populations, our research examines the use and health impacts of specific e-cigarette products across different demographic groups, aiming to inform regulations that protect youth from tobacco product use while minimizing impacts on adult smokers.

The Wilson Lab studies genetic causes of pregnancy complications like preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome. We also survey survivors and their families to understand their decisions about future pregnancies and assess the risk for fathers of preeclamptic pregnancies.