Zumberge Individual Research Award

2022 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Priya Rajagopalan, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Mentor: Paul Thompson, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Voxel-wise Brain Mapping of Differential Genomic Effects of the Alzheimer’s Protective Genotype (APOE2) in Aging: Big Data Analysis in 15,500 Subjects

Bing Zhang, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Elucidating Microbiome Contributions to Sleep Disturbance in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Joseph Helfer, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Mentor: Sheel Ganatra, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Higher Structures in Symplectic and Algebraic Geometry

Sifat Muin, USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Mentor: Bora Gencturk, Viterbi School of Engineering 
Printed Strain Sensor Arrays for Large-Area Structural Health Monitoring.

Paromita Dubey, Marshall School of Business
Mentor: Jacob Bien, Marshall School of Business
Dynamic Regression Modeling of Object Responses and Euclidean Covariates

2020 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Karen Moss, Roski School of Fine Arts
Alison Knowles: A Retrospective

Myra Laird, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Mentor: David Raichlen, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
The comparative biomechanics of food processing behaviors in non-human primates

Tommaso Cremaschi, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Mentor: Francis Bonahon, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Hyperbolic 3-manifolds and Random Geodesic

Brian Lee, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Utilizing intracranial evoked potentials to identify optimal electrode position and neurostimulation parameters in medically intractable epilepsy

Mohamed Ndaoud, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Mentor: Stanislav Minsker, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Adaptive, fast and robust algorithms in high dimensional sparse linear regression

2019 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Darrin Lee, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Medial septal nucleus deep brain stimulation in a glutamate hypofunction model of schizophrenia

Shaama Mallikarjun Sharada, Viterbi School of Engineering
Catalyst Design at the Single-Atom Limit for a Hydrogen Economy            

Janna King, Sol Price School of Public Policy
Democratic Accountability, Congressional Hearings, and the Executive Branch     

2018 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Riana Anderson, School of Social Work
Reducing Racial Stress in Black Families: Improving Racial Socialization Competency through a Culturally-Informed Familial Therapeutic Intervention

Aaron Mazel-Gee, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Fukaya categories and homotopy theory

Jordan Davis, School of Social Work
Mindfulness for First-Time Offending Youth: Understanding Important Mechanisms of Change

Kimberly Gokoffski, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Molecular Signals That Underlie Electrical Field Directed Retinal Ganglion Cell Axon Growth

Jonathan Markowitz, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Perils of Plenty: Arctic Resource Competition and the Return of the Great Game

2017 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Adel Javanmard, Marshall School of Business
Inference on Sparse Network Data via Semidefinite Programming

Alexis Zoto, Roski School of Fine Arts
Interfaith imagery in traditional Albanian kilims

Britni Belcher, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Contextual, psychological, and metabolic factors associated with interrupting sedentary time in youth in free-living settings

David Quinn, Rossier School of Education
Teachers’ Stereotypes and Implicit Biases: Laying the Groundwork for a Research Agenda with New Measures and Applications in Education

Doug LaRowe, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Carbon, energy and microorganisms

Douglas Feldman, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Impact of DNA 6-methyladenine (6mA) modification on gene silencing in mice

Etienne Gaudette, School of Pharmacy
Disparities in Statin Therapy and their Lifetime Health Consequences

Kristi Lewton, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Hindlimb bone functional adaptation to leaping in small-bodied primates

Nan Jia, Marshall School of Business
A Study of the Clustering of Political and Economic Power

Sandy Zhang-Nunes, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications of Ultrasound for the Prevention and Treatment of Dry Eye Disease

2016 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Anoopindar Bhalla, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Methods to Personalize Pediatric PEEP Titration

Rita Burke, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Mixed methods to identify factors in disaster preparedness for children with special healthcare needs

Joon-Ho Choi, School of Architecture
User-Centered Integrative Building System Control Using Human Bio-Signals for Environmental Health and Sustainability

Leah Duker, Ostrow School of Dentistry
Environmental Predictors of Stress in Children Undergoing Chemotherapy Infusions

Joel Hahn, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Correlated Neuroactivational, Neuroanatomical, and Behavioral Analyses of a Novel Hyperaggression Model

Xuejuan Jiang, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Helicobacter pylori Infection and Primary Open-angle Glaucoma among Mexican Americans: an Example of Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis?

Ilya Lekht, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Role of quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasound in yttrium-90 (90Y) radioembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma

Jessica Marglin, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Nationality on Trial: Jews and the Making of the Modern Mediterranean

Gourab Mukherjee, Marshall School of Business
High-Dimensional Prediction under Asymmetric Check Loss

Annie Nguyen, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Social support and the caregiving needs and preferences of older adults living with HIV

Emily Smith-Greenaway, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Unintended Fertility in sub-Saharan Africa: Refining Measurement and Understanding of its Prevalence and Consequences for Children

Zhuo Wang, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Chemogenetic study of the role of prefrontal cortex in resting state brain network

2015 Zumberge Individual Awardees

James Finley, Ostrow School of Dentistry
Elucidation of the Neuromechanical Factors Underlying the Adaptive Control of Locomotion

Mimi Kim, Keck School of Medicine
Food‐Seeking Behavior in Childhood Obesity

Kevin King, Keck School of Medicine
Cerebrovascular reactivity as an early predictor of brain hypoperfusion, microvascular injury, and cognitive decline

Alireza Moshaverinia, Ostrow School of Dentistry
Regenerative treatment of peri‐implantitis with mesenchymal stem cells encapsulated in nano‐reinforced
photocurable hydrogel

Nathan Perl‐Rosenthal, USC Dornsife College
Citizens on the Ocean: Maritime Subjects and the Making of the Modern World

Han Wang, Viterbi School of Engineering
Large-area Synthesis of Black Phosphorus Thin film and Atomically-thin Layers

Yongxiang Wang, Marshall School of Business
The Economics of Death Ceilings: Motivating Chinese Regulators

2014 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Alison Hirsch, Architecture, USC School of Architecture
Landscape Architecture as ‘Thick Description’ – Ritual, Performance, Memory

Ann Owens, Sociology, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Hispanic Neighborhood Ascent across U.S. Cities

Barbara Sargent, Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry
Development and Validity of an in-home infant Kicking Activated Mobile (iKAM)

Diana O’Brien, Political Science, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Representing Women: Presence, Power, and Policy

Jon-Paul Pepper, Otolaryngology, Keck School of Medicine
Peripheral nerve grafts engineered from mature human fibroblasts

Karen Woo, Surgey, Keck School of Medicine
Defining Surgical Quality in Dialysis Access: a RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Study

Liana Asatryan, Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmaceutic Econ & Policy, USC School of Pharmacy
The role of P2X7 receptors in alcohol-induced neuroinflammation and degeneration

Megan Rosenbloom, Health Sciences Libraries, USC Libraries
Travel support for death history book research

Neetu Khanna, Comparative Literature, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Progressive Feeling: Visceral Realisms and Marxist Aesthetics in the Literature of Decolonizing

Smaranda Marinescu, Chemistry, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Metal-Organic Surfaces for Solar Energy Conversion

Xin Tong, Information & Operations Management, Marshall School of Business
Information Exchange in Social Networks: a Finite Population and Communication Perspective

Zsolt Toth, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Keck School of Medicine
Regulation of the establishment of KSHV latency by the Latency-Associated Nuclear Antigen (LANA)

2013 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Ansgar Siemer , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Keck
The Structure of a Functional Amyloid in Long- Term Memory

Beatriz Ilari, Thornton School of Music
The Effects of Extracurricular music and sports on children’s brain, cognitive, motor and social development: A Cross-sectional study

Benjamin Graham, International Relations, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Social Networks, Political Risk, and Foreign Direct Investment?

Cary Frydman, Finance & Business Economics, Marshall School of Business
Neural Decoding of Investor Preferences

Changhan Lee, Gerontology
Targeting Obesity and Type 2 diabetes by a novel mitochondria-encoded peptide

David Bridel, Dramatic Arts,  School of Theatre
Clowns Across Continents: When Cultures Collide

David Rose, Mathematics, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Categorified quantum groups and knot homology

Eunjung Lee, Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine|
Implementing Alzheimer’s disease research in the California Teachers Study cohort

Jeremy Goldbach, Social Work, School of Social Work
Understanding Minority Stress in LGDT Adolescents

Laura Ferguson, Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine
Is a new global guidance on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV acceptable to women diagnosed with HIV during pregnancy?

Melanie Goldfarb, Surgery – Clinical Faculty, Keck School of Medicine
Thyroid Nodules and Cancer in Pediatrics, Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors of Head and Neck Radiation

Michael Bowdish, Surgery –Clinical Faculty, Keck School of Medicine
Characterization of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), citrulline, and I-arginine levels in patients with pulmonary hypertension secondary to left heart disease before and after left ventricular assist device implantation

Minlan Yu, Computer Science, Viterbi School of Engineering
Real- time measurement for data center networks

Olivia Harrison, French and Italian, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Transcolonial Maghreb: Reading Palestine in Maghrebi Literature

Sandrah Eckel, Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine
Nonlinear mixed effects models for multiple flow exhaled nitric oxide

Weiwei Hu, Mathematics, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Model Reduction and Feedback Boundary Control of a Thermal Fluid with Application to Control Design of Energy Efficient Buildings

Youngmin Choe, East Asian Language and Cultures, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Tourist Distractions: Traveling and Feeling in South Korea’s Reconciliatory Cinema

2012 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Sanjeev Baniwal, Department of Orthopaedics, Keck School of Medicine Role of Prolactin-induced protein in regualting cytoskelton dynamics and proliferation of breast cancer cells 

Todd Chang, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine Multimedia in the Assessment of Clinical Decision Making Skills among Pediatric and Emergency Medicine Residents 

William Halfond, Department of Computer Science, Viterbi School of Engineering Estimating Mobile Software Power Consumption Using Program Analysis

Houchun Hu, Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Human Brown Adipose Tissue 

Jimi Huh, Institute for Prevention Research, Keck School of Medicine Ecological Contexts of Smoking among Korean American Emerging Adults 

Eve Kelland, Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine Humanizing mouse CNS stem cells: defining functional human CXCR1 expression in murine neural stem cells and their use in developing a humanized CXCR1 mouse for assessing the pathology of demyelinating diseases 

May Anne Kim-Tenser, Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine The Use of Minocycline in Intracerebral Hemorrhage 

Aaron Lauda, Department of Mathematics, Dornsife College of the Letters and Sciences Odd categorification of quantum groups 

Anne Schuckman, Department of Urology, Keck School of Medicine Human Papilloma Virus as a Novel Prognostic Factor in Penile Squamous Cell Carcinoma 

Susan Sigward, Department of Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy, Ostrow School of Dentistry
The Development of Postural Strategies in Children 

Sheila Sofian, School of Cinematic Arts
Truth Has Fallen 

Kelly Turner, School of Social Work
An Experimental Examination of the Use of Standardized Clients to Develop Military-Specific Clinical Skill among MSW Students

2011 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Xiaoyi Gao
Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine
Multiple Testing Corrections for Imputed SNPs in Latino Genome-wide Association Studies

Erick Guerrero
School of Social Work
Implementation of Co-occurring Disorder Treatment in Behavioral Health Services in L.A. County

Shinwu Jeong
Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine
A Novel Anti-inflammatory Peptide Therapeutic for Dry Eye Disease

Rongjie Lai
Department of Mathematics, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Computational Geometry and Applications to Medical Imaging

Shuanglong Liu
Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine
Melanin-targeted PET imaging of Melanoma Using Quinoxaline Derivatives

Yan Liu
Department of Computer Science, Viterbi School of Engineering
Granger Graphical Models for Scientific Discovery in Biology, Social Science and Climate Science

Amy Merrill-Brugger
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ostrow School of Dentistry
Defining the Distinction between Cell Surface and Nuclear Activities of FGFR2 Signaling During Skeletal Development

Azin Shahryarinejad
Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine
Genetic Predictors and Epigenetics of Female Organ Prolapse

Susumu Takahashi
Department of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Towards Single Spin Detection Using Diamond Nanocrystals: Sensitivity Enhancement via Manipulating Spin Coherence Using High Magnetic Field

Terry Takahashi
Department of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Engineering RNA Binding Proteins with Novel Specifics

Heather Volk
Department of Environmental Health, Keck School of Medicine
A Birth Records Based Analysis of Autism and Air Pollution in Anaheim

Hsiao Huei (Juli) Wu
Department of Cell & Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine
MET/HGF Signaling in Hearing Development and Autism

2010 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Jernej Barbic
Department of Computer Science, Viterbi School of Engineering
Interactive Physical Simulation for Computer Graphics, Film and Games

Marco Bortolato
Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy
Role of Monoamine Oxidase in the Outcomes of Early Material Separation

Kai Chen
Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine
[18F]FMAU PET Assessment of Chemotherapeutic Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Ramen H. Chmait
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine
A Fetal Surgical Model for Neural Stem Cell Delivery and Myelomeningocele Repair

Yingying Fan
Department of Information & Operations Management, Marshall School of Business
New Methodologies for High Dimensional Sparse Models

Malancha Gupta
Department of Chemical Engineering & Material Science, Viterbi School of Engineering
Fabrication of Bio-Inspired Nanostructured Polymeric Materials

Roksana Karim
Pediatrics/Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine
Subclinical Atherosclerosis in HIV-infected Children and Adolescents

Kathleen Page
Department of Internal Medicine, Keck School of Medicine
Mechanisms Underlying Risk for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in Hispanic Youth with a History of Intrauterine Exposure to Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Mark Shiroishi
Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine
Assessing the Value of Perfusion and Permeability MR Imaging to Characterize Pseudoprogression and Pseudoresponse in Patients with High-Grade Glioma

Barbara Thompson
Department of Cell & Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine
Social Motivation in Children with and without Autism

Xuelin Wu
Department of Biology/MCB, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Identification of Early Molecular Events in Sugar-Induced Dedifferentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana

2009 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Curtis Cetrulo
Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine
Long-term Permanent Gene Expression in Myocutaneous Flaps

Roberto Delgado 
Department of Anthropology, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Variation in Diet, Behavior and Energy Budgets among Zanzibar Red Colobus

Alireza Dibazar 
Department of Anthropology, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Nonlinear Dynamic Modeling of Impaired Voice for the Purpose of Restoring Lost Function

Reyes Enciso
School of Dentistry
Differential Diagnosis of Periapical Lesions with Cone-Beam CT

Rahul Jain
Department of Electrical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
Economics of Quality of Service on the Internet

Zibo Li
Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine
Integrin α2β1 Targeted Imaging of Prostate Cancer

Keigo Machida 
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Induced by Hepatitis C Virus

Francesca Mariani
Department of Cell & Neurobiology, Keck School of Medicine
Skeletal Regeneration in Adult and Neonate Mice

Coralie Poizat
Department of Biochemistry, Keck School of Medicine
Role of LMPTP in Cardiac Contractility

B.J. Shen
Department of Psychology, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Anxiety and Progression of Subclinical Coronary Heart Disease

Gregory Stevens 
Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine
National Disparities in the Quality of a Medical Home for Children

2008 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Hossein Ameri
Doheny Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine
Subchoroidal Retinal Prosthesis for Sight Restoration 

Woojin An
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Keck School of Medicine
Development of Cell Permeable Histone H3 Tail Mimics as a Transcription Blockade 

Zemin Deng
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine
Discovery of X-linked Genetic Loci for Schizophrenia Using Next Generation DNA Re-sequencing 

David Etzioni
Department of Colorectal Surgery, Keck School of Medicine 
Adjuvant Therapy for Colon and Rectal Cancer in Los Angeles County: Analysis of Use, Strategies for Improvement 

Amani Fawzi
Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine 
The Use of Ultrasound to Enhance Drug Delivery to Ocular Tumors 
Derick Han, Department of GI and Liver, Keck School of Medicine  New Strategies to Reduce Drug Induced Liver Injury 

Jinchi Lv
Marshall School of Business
High Dimensional Variable Selection and Covariance Matrix Estimation

Nerses Sanossian
Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine
Dysfunctional High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and the Brain 

Dong Song
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
Nonlinear Dynamic Modeling of Hippocampal System Function during Learned Behavior and Memory Formation 

Olga Solomon
Occupational Sciences, School of Dentistry
Animal Assisted Therapy as Socially Assistive Technology: Implications for Autism 

Wiebke Ziebis
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Letters Arts and Sciences  Animal-Sediment-Microbe Interactions at Pacific Methane Seeps

2007 Zumberge Individual Awardees 

Lisa Aziz-Zadeh
School of Dentistry and USC Brain and Creativity Institute
Neural Basis for the Perception of Prosody

Orlando Betancor
Department of Spanish & Portuguese, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 
The Life of Metals in Potosi

Yong Chen
Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering 
Designing Complex Internal Structures for Rapid Manufacturing

Eun Jin Lee
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering
Visual Controls in Retinal Development

Eric Ley
Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine
Increased Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Expression in Colon Cancer 

Aimin Li
Obstetrics & Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine
Effects of 17-a Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate on Infection-Induced Preterm Birth

Oliver Mayer
Playwriting, School of Theatre
Six-Play Thematic Cycle

Ruty Mehrian-Shai
Department of Biochemistry, Keck School of Medicine
Oligodendroglioma miRNA Profiling and Treatment Response

Christine Pollard
Department of Biokinesiology, School of Dentistry
Mechanisms of Articular Cartilage Changes Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Effect of Various Surgical Procedures

Anne Porter
School of Religion, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Community and Cosmology; Participatory Political Practice In Ancient Mesopotamia

Shirin Towfigh
Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine
Evaluation of Wound Probing to Reduce Wound Infection in Contaminated Wounds

Yan Zhou
Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry
Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Neural Crest Osteogenesis

2006 Zumberge Individual Awardees

Steven Anderson
Interactive Media Division, School of Cinematic Arts
Open Source Scholarship: Innovations in Digital Research, Publication and Pedagogy

Bettine Birge
Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Marriage and the Law in Mongol-Yuan China

Samantha Butler
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Mechanisms of Axon Guidance in the Developing Spinal Cord

Meiling Cheng
School of Theatre
Beijing Xingwei: Time-Based Experimental Art in China

Sarah Gualtieri
Department of History, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Race and Identity Among Arab Immigrants in the United States

Alexandra Hammond-Isfahani
Department of Spanish & Portuguese, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
White Negritude: Race, Writing, and Brazilian Cultural Identity

Young-Kwon Hong
Department of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine
A Novel Anti-Lymphangiogenic Therapy Against Kaposi’s Sarcoma

Jane Iwamura
Departments of Religion & American Studies, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Altared States: A Cultural History of the Japanese American Home Shrine

Elsi Kaiser
Department of Linguistics, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Investigating the Effects of Discourse Factors on Real-Time Pronoun Interpretation

Mohammad Pashmforoush
Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine
Defining the Molecular Pathways for Cardiac Conduction Cell Development

Judd Rice
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Keck School of Medicine
Identification of Histone H3 Lysine 9 Methyl-Specific Binding Proteins

James Spindler
School of Law
Do Mandatory Disclosure Rules Result in Better Information for the Marketplace?

Bangyan Stiles
Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy
The Mechanisms of PTEN Regulated B-cell Regeneration

Antonia Szabari
Departments of French and Italian and Comparative Literature, College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Less Rightly Said: Scandalous Words in the French Reformation

Maria Villacres
Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine
Role of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms on T-Cell Responses Following HIV Treatment

Song-Guo Zheng
Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine
CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T-Cells Generated Ex Vivo Cure Systematic Lupus Erythematousus