The USC Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology prides itself on maintaining a broad-based approach to various aspects of biochemical and molecular biological research. Each year, the department receives more than $16 million in research funding. The department is known for its strong research, excellence in teaching and leadership in the scientific and academic community.

The department is actively involved in the medical school curriculum and oversees master and doctoral programs in biochemistry and molecular biology. In 2001, the department joined the Department of Preventive Medicine to offer a Ph.D. in molecular epidemiology.

The department has strong ties with institutes and other departments, and schools, with a majority of the faculty holding memberships in the institutes and joint appointments in other departments and schools within the University.

National and International Recognition

Amy Lee, Ph.D. AAAS Fellow 2006

Ralf Langen, Ph.D.
Pew Scholar
John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation Distinguished Research Scholar Award Recipient, 2005

Laurence Kedes, M.D.
Provost's Medal Recipient, University of Messina, Italy

Judd Rice, Ph.D.
General Motors Young Investigator Award Recipient, 2004
Biomedical Science Pew Scholar Award Recipient, 2006

Wange Lu, Ph.D.
John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation Distinguished Research Scholar Award Recipient, 2007

Editorships

Peter V. Danenberg, Ph.D.
associate editor, Journal of Regional Cancer Treatment
associate editor, Clinical Cancer Research
associate editor, Colorectal Cancer Research

Cancer researcher Amy Lee elected to AAAS. »
Amy Lee, the Judy and Larry Freeman Cosmetics Chair in Basic Science in Cancer Research at the USC Norris Cancer Center, has been elected to the prestigious rank of Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Study suggests cellular stress response helps tumor cells to evade destruction.»
Cancer cells may be able to avoid destruction by anti-vascular and anti-angiogenesis agents through a cellular stress response that activates a pro-survival protein called GRP78, according to researchers from the Keck School of Medicine.

“When you look at the successful cancer therapies, they often lose efficacy over time because of resistance in the tumor cells,” said Amy S. Lee, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, associate director of basic sciences at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and principal investigator for this research.

USC/Norris director named president of AACR»
Peter A. Jones, director of the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, will assume the presidency of the American Association of Cancer Research, or AACR, in April.

Alzheimer’s Foundation lauds Keck School researcher as ‘distinguished scholar’»
The John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation has named Ralf Langen, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Keck School of Medicine, the recipient of its first Distinguished Research Scholar award.