The Institute for Genetic Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC is an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to applying the latest genetic and molecular technology to the study and treatment of human disease.

The Institute for Genetic Medicine (IGM) aims to transfer new genetic understandings of disease to patient care and public health. It fulfills its mission through conducting research, training scientists, forming alliances with private sector technology developers and informing the public about the importance of basic biomedical research.

IGM Investigators

IGM researchers from a spectrum of disciplines work side by side to expedite the transfer of scientific discovery from the laboratory bench to the hospital bed. IGM labs are staffed by more than 100 scientists, including faculty, Ph.D.-level scientists, students and technical staff.

Working together, IGM basic scientists and clinicians conceive new treatments and new vehicles to deliver targeted therapies.

Exploring Genetic Roots of Disease

Many diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, have a strong genetic component. In other cases, environmental exposures may trigger disease. But most diseases are caused by the interplay of genetics and the environment. IGM scientists work to tease out genetic causes of disease, explore interactions between genes and the environment, and identify populations whose genes may put them at higher risk for disease.

Fixing the Genetic Code

Scientists are making daily breakthroughs in the field of human genetics—finding genes associated with disease and learning how genetic mutations lead to disease. Genomics, the study of the human genome, promises to both help scientists in their search for genetic problems as well as in their search for solutions. Discovering these solutions is an area of intense research at the IGM, with faculty members focused on developing gene therapy techniques to target genetic diseases. The Institute also houses the USC Norris/IGM Joint Program in Gene Therapy.

IGM Facility

The IGM includes what faculty members call “collaboratories” – open laboratory spaces that encourage interaction among scientists from different fields and allow shared access to equipment. Specialized services include a transgenic mouse facility, a genomics microarray facility, bone research lab, lentivirus vector facility, confocal microscopy facility, cell microinjection facility, biotechnology business incubator, sequencing and SNP genotyping facility and a viral vector core facility.

In addition, the IGM has an art gallery space regularly filled with original pieces by local and recognized artists, helping to make the IGM a place that fosters creativity and ingenuity.