Office of Research & Innovation (OORI)

Behavioral Science and Well-Being Policy Initiative
The Behavioral Science and Well-Being Policy Initiative brings together behavioral scientists, behavioral economists, behavioral decision researchers, and psychologists from across USC to develop insights from behavioral science and related fields and inform policies on well-being, as well as health, finances, climate change, and security. They also support the Behavioral Science Society for undergraduate students, graduate students and postdocs. Led by Wandi Bruine de Bruin, Jason Doctor, Arie Kapteyn, Gulden Ulkumen, Dan Simon and Leor Hackel.

Center for Mindfulness Science
The mission of the USC Center for Mindfulness Science is to to cultivate individual and societal awareness, well-being, and the relief of suffering through a scientific understanding of the impact of mindfulness and related practices on human consciousness and health.  They do this by advancing the scientific understanding of mindfulness practices and their impact on health and well-being. Led by Baruch Cahn, Shawn Roll, Randye Semple, David Black, Jordan Davis, and Eric Pedersen.

Center for Sleep Health using Bioengineering
Sleep health is increasingly recognized as an essential part of human health and well-being. The long-term goal of the Center for Sleep Health using Bioengineering (“SleepHuB”) is to position USC nationally as the leading institution that employs transdisciplinary approaches to solve important medical and societally relevant problems related to sleep deficiency. SleepHuB will be unique in that it will focus on addressing the critical issues in sleep health by incorporating technological and methodological contributions from bioengineering, artificial intelligence and data science. The center will also provide a unique environment for training new researchers with the multidisciplinary skills needed to address the complex problems related to sleep health in diverse populations. Led by Michael Khoo, Eric Kezirian, Sally Ward, Mara Mather, Hans Oh, Stacey Schepens Niemiec, Krishna Nayak and Richard J. Castriotta.

Collaborations in History, Art, Religion, Music
Religions and their historical contexts underlie a broad span of human activity from the creation of great art and architecture to deep-seated gender and racial bias, as well as the interrelationships between humanity, other living beings, and the natural environment. The academic study of religion, from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, is an urgent priority for institutions of higher education that seek to prepare members of their community to rise to meet the challenges of compelling social questions and grave global challenges. The Art, Religion and History Collaborative Group has an exceeding expansive constituency, deeply rooted at USC and reaching out to neighboring institutions, and an impressively wide range in perspectives on art, religion, and history. Led by Lisa Pon, Adam Gilbert, Frederic Clark, Andreas Kratky, Sonya Lee, and Lisa Bitel.

Collaborative for Embedding Mental Health Resources in Non-Traditional Spaces
The Collaborative for Embedding Mental Health Resources in Non-Traditional Spaces brings together faculty, staff and students from multiple schools at USC, along with community partners, to identify and amplify effective mental health practices that currently exist in the community; share methods of practicing self-care that might be overlooked by mainstream approaches; and determine ways to expand mental health services in non-traditional spaces such as skate parks, parks, and shopping centers. Led by Zoe Corwin, Rafael Angulo and Alan Green.

Community Health Equity Solutions
Community Health Equity Solutions (CHES) is a multidisciplinary collaboration of over 40 faculty/students between several USC schools, centers, institutes and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The CHES Collaborative addresses health disparities problems in diverse communities — such as poverty, food security, social justice, cancer, environmental justice, sustainability, immigration, and climate change — by working with representatives from disadvantaged populations and allowing them to actively be part of the solution-making process. Led by John Wilson, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Iris Chi, Robert Vos, and Lilyana Amezcua.

Institute for Addiction Science
The vision of IAS is to transform and unify the field of addiction science and substantially improve the lives of those touched by addiction. We aim to embody addiction science — a new transdisciplinary field of study operationalized by IAS that breaks down silos that have historically separated addiction scholars in different disciplines. By bringing scholars together and providing an infrastructure to stimulate synergy and collaboration, the IAS advances its mission to generate transdisciplinary addiction research and education programs that promote discovery and dissemination of novel and impactful approaches to understanding, preventing, and treating addiction. Led by Adam Leventhal, Daryl Davies, John Clapp, and Ricky Bluthenthal.

Law & Global Health Collaboration
Virtually all significant global health topics raise challenging legal issues which are better understood and addressed when considered from a multidisciplinary basis. Since 2016, the USC Law & Global Health Collaboration has stimulated multidisciplinary research and elevated work being done locally and globally, and has become known for cutting-edge and creative exploration of issues at the intersection of law and global health. Led by Sofia Gruskin and Laura Ferguson.

Metaplasticity and Megaplasticity: Changing the Brain from Synapse to Community
The USC Metaplasticity and Megaplasticity: Changing the Brain from Synapse to Community is a collaboration between Keck and Dornsife that aims to gain novel perspectives towards understanding both the parameters of lifestyle as well as investigating underlying mechanisms of neuroplasticity critical for developing brain resilience in aging and disease. Led by Giselle Petzinger, Michael Jakowec, Emily Roxworthy, Jesus Diaz, Daryl Davies, Terry Church, Patrick Corbin and Charlie Kaplan.

Strengthening Community-Engaged Sustainability Scholarship & Education
The Strengthening Community-Engaged Sustainability Scholarship & Education network aims to promote a just and transformative approach to community-engaged sustainability scholarship and education across USC. They deepen awareness of the value, science, and best practices of community-engaged research in addressing sustainability challenges; facilitate opportunities for sustainability scholars and students to initiate meaningful community-engaged research projects; and build capacity for student experiential learning around sustainability themes in partnership with faculty research initiatives. Led by Victoria Campbell-Arvai and Gale Sinatra.

Visualizing New Narrative Forms through Quantum Physics, AI, and Sustainability
The Visualizing New Narrative Forms through Quantum Physics, AI, and Sustainability collaboration is designed to drive new forms of pedagogical innovation and creative research at the intersection of art, science, and technology. The outcome will result in new types of narrative structure and media creation utilizing animated forms, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), interactive installation, documentary, and holography. While also visualizing science principles across quantum physics, biocomplexity and sustainability. Led by Kathy Smith, Gene Bickers, and Sheila Sofian.