Research at the Keck School of Medicine is organized on a matrix structure. Faculty members are appointed in academic departments, but in addition may be cross-appointed in research institutes that have departmental status in terms of faculty hiring, space assignment, and annual budgeting. These institutes may also be independent organizations that are closely affiliated with USC and the Keck School.

Defined both by a physical space and research vision, the research institutes provide a place for in-depth, integrative studies. The institutes create intellectual, dynamic atmospheres that encourage the free exchange of ideas among faculty and students, key to innovation in science. They attract outstanding researchers interested in solving complex problems of biomedicine.

Health Sciences Campus

Eli & Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research at USC - The Broad Center is part of USC's strategy to take stem cell research developed in the university's laboratories and integrate it directly into therapeutic focus areas founded on outstanding clinical research programs at the Keck School of Medicine.

USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center - A research institute integrated with a state-of-the-art patient care facility, the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is a leader in cancer research, recognized for excellence for its programs in epidemiology, therapeutic investigations and translational research.

Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute - The ZNI joins basic and clinical neuroscientists in the search for the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Keck School Affiliates

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Saban Research Institute – Research at CHLA focuses on pediatric diseases and treatments and is ranked as one of the top pediatric research programs in the nation. The Saban Research Institute manages and leads all research endeavors.

Doheny Eye Institute – Sooner or later, research into the preservation of sight and the prevention of blindness will touch the lives of the majority of people in our country. Since its founding in 1947, Doheny Eye Institute has maintained an integrated approach to vision research, education and patient care.

House Ear Institute – HEI is renowned for developments in sensory aid technologies for hearing loss, understanding the basis of hearing and hearing-related disorders at the cell and molecular level, and diagnoses and treatment advancements to improve the quality of life for people with disorders affecting the auditory system and related functions.