PDF version of this chapterDepartment of Pathology
Hoffman Medical Research Center 204
2011 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles 90089-9092
M.S. Student Advisor: Cheng-Ming Chuong
(323) 442-1296
Ph.D. Student Advisor: Florence M. Hofman
(323) 442-1153
FAX: (323) 442-3049
Faculty
Clive R. Taylor, Professor and ChairHarold E. Lee Chair in Cancer Research: Michael F. Press
Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. Chair in Medicine: Edward D. Crandall
Rita and Edward Polusky Chair in Basic Cancer Research: Michael Lieber
Gavin S. Herbert Professorship in Vision Research : David R. Hinton
Professors: V. Askanas (Neurology); P.T. Chandrasoma*; C.-M. Chuong; R.J. Cote (Urology); E. Crandall (Medicine); L. Dubeau; W.K. Engel (Neurology); A.L. Epstein; P.S. Gill (Medicine); F.H. Gilles (Neurological Surgery, Neurology); E.D. Gomperts (Pediatrics); S. Govindarajan; D. Hinton (Neurological Surgery, Ophthalmology); F.M. Hofman (Ophthalmology, Neurological Surgery); R.W. Jelliffe (Medicine); M.N. Koss; M.R. Lieber (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology); T.M. Mack (Preventive Medicine); C.A. Miller (Neurology); B.N. Nathwani; P.K. Pattengale (Molecular Microbiology and Immunology); M.F Press; F.P. Quismorio, Jr. (Medicine); N.A. Rao (Ophthalmology); S. Rasheed; C. Patrick Reynolds (Pediatrics); P. Roy-Burman (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)*; R.P. Sherwin; D.K. Shibata; I. Shulman; M.R. Stallcup (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology); T.J. Triche (Pediatrics); H. Tsukamoto
Associate Professors: C.C. Bergmann (Neurology); T.C. Chen (Neurological Surgery); T.D. Coates (Pediatrics); B.H. Gross (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medicine); J.P. Handlers (Dentistry); T.A. Khwaja; A. Kovacs (Pediatrics); B.W. Kovacs (Obstetrics and Gynecology); J.R. Landolph (Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology); H. Liebman (Medicine); S.E. Martin; P.R. Meyer; S.B. Turkel (Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics)
Assistant Professors: S. Bellusci (Surgery); R.D. Ladner; E.R. Lawlor (Pediatrics) , P. Malik (Pediatrics); M. Russell (Emergency Medicine)
Adjunct Professor: W.M. Blackmore (Physiology and Biophysics)
Clinical Professors: A.M. Abrams (Dentistry); M.D. Appleman; K.D. Bauer; C.A. Bell; J.N. Carberry; J. De La Torre-Bueno; K.A. Frankel; S.B. Gilbert; B. Gottlieb (Medicine); D.N. Halikis; D.S. Harrington; D.V. Hoang; R.E. Horowitz; D. Kon; O.T. Kuzma (Medicine); D.H. Mills; J.M. Mirra; D.L. Moyer; W.N. Parnassus; G.C. Ponto; C. Rogers; A.A. Roscher; L. Sathyavagiswaran (Medicine); K. Sheibani; S.V. Sostrin; P. Thornton
Clinical Associate Professors: M.I. Abbott; J.S. Allan; H.M. Bauer; W.F. Burgos; M.H. Cheng; M.M. Cosgrove; J.T. Gmelich; C.I. Goldsmith; C.J. Hanna; R.M. Hathout; A.M. Hernandez; P.C. Hsieh; L.G. McCarthy; J.M. McDonnell; O.S. Miller; H. Muensch; C.C. Osborn; H.Y. Pak; M. Pietruszka; R.M. Protzel; J.K. Ribe; M.E. Rose; K. Saeger; S.F. Selser; R.M. Silton; C.P. Treling; T.R. Wells
Clinical Assistant Professors: A.R. Abrams; I. Alhenawi; I.S. Arulanantham; B. Bodey; X. Bu; E. Carpenter; J.A. Chan; O. Chinwah; P. Colman; D. Darvish; E. Dinovo; S.S. Erlich (Neurology); P.L. Fitzgibbons; B.D. Florentine; M.D. Haimowitz; N. Heard; A. Hieshima; R. Karjoo; T. Kim; M. Kiyabu; D.L. Krasne; B.J. Le Berthon; J. Nachazel; V. Nelson; J.A. Pachiarz; B. Platz; B.J. Poletti; A. Rechdouni; S.K. Reddy; D.R. Rogers; S. Sadeghi; S. Sahgal; L. Scheinin; R.K. Schmidt; W.M. Schultheis; T.A. Sherwood; S.D. Stewart; J.A. Taddie; J. Toh; D.D. Tschirhart, Jr.; R.R. Turner; E.A. Wagar; C. Williams; J. Wollman; P. Yetur; S. Zneimer
Clinical Instructors: P. Javaherbin; G.N. Pontrelli
Professors of Clinical: R.K. Brynes; H.N. Canawati; .K.-M. Chan; J. Cicciarelli (Urology); D.B. Endres; J.C. Felix (Obstetrics and Gynecology); T.S. Greaves; A.L. Hiti; C.B. Inderlied (Molecular Microbiology and Immunology); Y. Iwaki (Urology); G.C. Kanel; A.J. Keyser; L.A. Khawli; W.S. Matthews; J.M. Nelson; P.W. Nichols; S. Saxena; A.E. Sherrod
Professors of Research: J. Groffen (Pediatrics); E. Heisterkamp (Pediatrics)
Associate Professors of Clinical: D.W. Anderson; R. Atkinson (Neurology); N.J. Barr; D.B. Casebolt; C. Cobb; D.L. Commins; A.N. Fedenko (Orthopaedic Surgery); R.D. MacPhee; W.Y. Naritoku; Z. Pavlova (Pediatrics); D.E. Schofield (Pediatrics); S.R. Shi; H. Shimada; G.D. Zeger
Assistant Professors of Clinical: C.A. Amezcua; M. Burnett (Neurology); A. Correa; W. Cozen (Preventive Medicine); R. Datar; I. Gonzales-Gomez; D. Hawes; S. He (Ophthalmology); L.K. Kelly; N. Klipfel; Y. Ma; H. Montforte-Munoz; G. Pinsky; A.S.S. Raza; V. Richters; M. Sibug Saber; R. Soni; K. Tsoulas; M.S. Vadmal (Medicine); J. Zheng
Visiting Clinical Professors: A.M. Gown; G.A. Panglis
Professors of Research: J. Groffen (Pediatrics); E. Heisterkamp (Pediatrics)
Associate Professors of Research: N. Berndt (Pediatrics); R. Widelitz
Assistant Professors of Research: M. Anderson; Y.-P. Han (Surgery); P. Hu; T. Jiang; V. Kaartinen; R. Masood; R.A. Moats (Radiology); K.A. Nash; L. Wu
Research Associate Professor: S.M. Brennan
Research Assistant Professors: T. Howard; N. Marten; E. Ojo-Amaize; K. Rich; A. Tang
Visiting Research Professor: T. Oki
Visiting Research Assistant Professor: T. Shichinohe
Resident Clinical Instructors: S. Cernosek; V. Chan; M. Charara; L.-S. Chen; E. Elkhouly; K. Elliott; P. Jinadasa; D. Karunasiri; E. Khanafshar; S. Wu Kirschbaum; J.C.-C. Kuo; S. Lim; Y.C. Lin; J. McDavit; M. Moatamed; W. Naing; Y. Ouyang; J. Pan; S. Pullarkat; J. Rice; S. Sasu; I. Sehgal; M. Shah; R. Simenthal-Pizarro; R. Tadros; A. Tafazzoli; H. Tan; C. Toms; S. Turla; Y. Wang; W. Xing; G. Yakoub; M. Yong; J.R. Zhang
Emeritus Professors: F.S. Buck; S.B. Chandor; J.W. Parker; A. Richters; D. Tatter; R. Terry; N.E. Warner; E.T. Wong
Emeritus Associate Professors: A.D. Cramer; R.M. Nakamura
Emeritus Assistant Professor: A.-L. Wittman
Emeritus Clinical Professors: H.S. Aijian; R. Aller; W.K. Bullock; M. Greenblatt; G.G. Hadley; W.H. Kern; J.A. Kernen; E.B. Reilly; H.J. Sacks; D.S. Shillam; R.J. Schroeder; S.C. Sommers; P.R. Thompson
Emeritus Clinical Associate Professors: W.C. Smith; J.K. Waken
Emeritus Clinical Assistant Professor: R.L. McClure
Emeritus Professors of Clinical: M. Biddle (Molecular Microbiology and Immunology); J.F.P. Dixon; T.T. Noguchi (Emergency Medicine)
Emeritus Associate Professor of Clinical: W.P. Lewis
Emeritus Assistant Professor of Clinical: R.B. Hopper
Emeritus Professor of Research: T.L. Lincoln
The Department of Pathology provides training for both medical and graduate students. Medical students are trained in general, systemic and cellular pathology, providing them with an understanding and visualization of the basic processes underlying symptoms and clinical courses, as well as the ability to evaluate laboratory findings. This department also contributes to the instruction of residents at the LAC+USC Healthcare Network, providing these residents with an intense program in clinical and anatomical pathology, as well as the REACH Residency Program, which sponsors one year of research dedicated to basic clinical or nontranslational research.
The Department of Pathology has both a Master of Science and a Ph.D. program. The two-year M.S. program provides training in the latest technologies and concepts of biomedical research and provides the graduate with enhanced opportunities for positions in biotechnology companies, teaching colleges and various health department/governmental positions. The Ph.D. program provides the student with training to be an independent scientist. Faculty members provide a cutting-edge scientific environment in the fields of cancer research, neurodegenerative disorders, AIDS and other disease processes.
With more than 96 full-time faculty and more than 34 residents-in-training, the USC Department of Pathology is one of the largest pathology departments in the United States. The department is particularly strong in areas of hematopathology, immunocytochemistry, immunopathology, neuropathology, and AIDS-related research. The department maintains ongoing research interests in hematopathology and neuropathology and has begun to expand its base in radioimmunoimaging and immunotherapy, utilizing monoclonal antibodies. It also has ongoing research projects in the new areas of molecular and genetic pathology.
The department provides diagnostic laboratory services for the LAC+USC Medical Center, the Norris Cancer Hospital, the Doheny Eye Hospital, USC University Hospital and the USC Clinical Reference Laboratories. Approximately 40 of the department's full-time faculty members work in service laboratories throughout the LAC+USC Medical Center, where they are supported by 34 residents and fellows and a technical and clerical staff numbering in excess of 500. The Norris Cancer Hospital and Research Institute houses three full-time pathologists, two fellows and approximately 25 clerical and support staff.
Graduate Programs
Admissions
Applicants to the graduate program in pathology must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with an undergraduate major in one of the natural sciences; a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for undergraduate work is required. Applicants must submit undergraduate transcripts and letters of recommendation from two undergraduate teachers with their application. All applicants must take the general portion of the Graduate Record Examinations. Foreign applicants whose first language is not English must submit the result of their Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Personal interviews by members of the department's Graduate Committee are required whenever practical.Original application materials, except letters of recommendation, should be sent to the Office of Admission, University of Southern California. To expedite consideration of the application, applicants should also send photocopies of the application, transcripts, and GRE scores to the department's Graduate Committee. Letters of recommendation should be addressed directly to the secretary, Graduate Committee.
Applications are considered for admission to both the fall and spring semesters.
Internships and Residency Programs
The Department of Pathology offers four internships and 30 residency positions in its fully approved five-year training program in anatomic and clinical pathology at the LAC+USC Medical Center. Training is offered in autopsy and surgical pathology, neuropathology, cytology, microbiology, hematopathology, immunohematology, clinical chemistry, toxicology, immunopathology, radioisotopes, cytogenetics, instrumentation, management, computer techniques, electron microscopy, and other specialty areas. One year of basic or clinical research is required for completion of the residency program.Research Residency Program
The REACH research residency program is a comprehensive five year program which includes one year of sponsored research in the third year. In addition to the anatomic and clinical pathology courses described above, REACH residents will be required to perform experiments, analyze data, present their work at scientific meetings and write at least one manuscript of publication quality. This program is designed for residents interested in academic career goals and in cutting edge biomedical research.Fellowship Program
A limited number of fellowships are offered in immunopathology, hematopathology, surgical pathology, oncology, neuropathology, and pediatric pathology. Postdoctoral positions in viral and chemical carcinogenesis, slow viral diseases, immunopathology, environmental toxicology and related fields are also available.Master of Science in Experimental and Molecular Pathology
The Department of Pathology offers a program for the master of science degree with a major in experimental and molecular pathology. The primary objectives of this program are to provide the necessary theoretical and practical training in experimental pathology that culminates with the master of science degree. Goals of the program are to train students in preparation for senior research staff or senior technician positions in academic or industrial institutes, further M.D. or Ph.D. study, consultantships requiring multidisciplinary backgrounds or advanced teaching positions in community colleges.Admissions Admission requirements are similar to those of the doctor of philosophy degree. The prerequisite for applicants to this program in pathology is a bachelor's degree with an undergraduate major in one of the natural sciences. A minimum GPA of 3.0 in the natural sciences (including mathematics) is usually required. Applicants must achieve a competitive score on the general portions of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). In addition, the department requires at least three letters of recommendation from faculty members who can evaluate the applicant's potential for graduate work. Demonstrated proficiency in the English language is required. Special circumstances may provide consideration for conditional admission.
Course Requirements At least 34 units of graduate study are required. The required courses include INTD 531 (4 units), INTD 550 (6 units), INTD 551 (6 units), INTD 561 (4 units) or BIOC 510 (2 units), INTD 571 (4 units), PATH 552ab (5 units) and PATH 570ab (2 units). Fourteen or more course units must be taken in the Department of Pathology, 8 units may be pursued outside the department, and a maximum of 8 units of directed research in pathology may be applied to the degree. No more than 4 units of course work taken outside of USC should be applied toward the M.S. degree requirements. Students considering such an action should submit a petition to the pathology graduate committee and document a rigorous academic standard for the course (reading materials, texts and other performance criteria, lecture content, etc.). The pathology graduate committee reviews the petition and informs the student of its decision.
Master's Examinations/Master's Thesis
The Master of Science has the option of either a thesis or non-thesis course of study. Each student's program will be tailored to suit individual needs and background. Students who have extensive laboratory experience and require training mainly in the knowledge of pathology may opt for the non-thesis course of study. Students also have an opportunity to register for directed research (PATH 590). There may be circumstances under which some students will be allowed to register for up to 8 units of research without writing a master's thesis. For the thesis option, the student must take PATH 594ab Master's Thesis. For the non-thesis option, the student must take GRSC 810 Studies for Master's Examination the semester they plan to graduate.Doctor of Philosophy in Pathobiology
The department's graduate program in pathobiology prepares individuals for careers in research and teaching and leads to conferment of the Ph.D. degree. The program seeks to develop scientists who have a sound understanding of disease and are capable of creating experimental approaches to investigate its mechanisms. The program can be varied to fit individual requirements and goals. Areas of research include cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, molecular biology, virology and developmental biology.Course Requirements A minimum of 60 units of graduate study is required for the Ph.D. degree. Each student's program will include required courses plus a number of elective courses offered within and outside the department; the student must make up any prerequisite deficiencies before taking a required or elective course for which that background is necessary. Required courses include INTD 531 (4 units), INTD 550 (6 units), INTD 551 (6 units), INTD 561 (4 units), INTD 571 (4 units) or prior equivalent, PATH 552ab (5 units), PATH 570abcd (4 units), PATH 794ab (4 units). The remaining 23 units will consist of 8 units from the courses listed below, or any other graduate level course of interest to the student, research credits (not to exceed 14 units), and up to four additional units of dissertation research: BIOC 542, BISC 467L, INTD 504, INTD 555, MICB 502, MICB 542, MICB 551, MPTX 500, PATH 575, PATH 580, PATH 581, PATH 599, PATH 630, PHBI 562, PM 510L. During years I and II, students are advised to rotate through at least two research laboratories. The student must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for all course work, exclusive of research credits.
Screening Procedure The graduate committee members assess each newly admitted student's educational objectives and research interests, acquaints the student with the research activities of the department, and recommends a program of graduate courses and research. This committee must approve the student's program before the student may register for any course. The graduate committee evaluates the performance of each first-year student, and must approve the student's progress before the student may register for the second year. The committee's evaluation may include a written or oral screening examination.
Guidance Committee Not later than one month after being approved to register for the second year, each student must file for formation of a five-member guidance committee, one member of which must be from a department other than pathology. This committee guides the student in selecting a thesis advisor and advises the student during preparation for the qualifying examination and writing of a research proposal. This committee may also serve as a dissertation committee, for which the student may request changes in membership. The dissertation committee advises the student during dissertation research and evaluates the dissertation.
Qualifying Examination To be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, each student is required to pass both the written and oral portions of a qualifying examination, usually taken no later than the fifth semester of graduate standing. The examination is designed to test the student's core knowledge in pathobiology and to determine fitness and competence to undertake independent research on a disease-related interest. The written portion of the examination is prepared by the department's Graduate Committee and is offered once or twice each year.
The oral examination is administered by the individual student's guidance committee and is based in part on a written proposal which the student must submit two weeks prior to the oral examination. The written proposal must consist of a proposal for an original research project.
Dissertation and Oral Defense The written dissertation is prepared in a format commonly used by major peer-reviewed scientific journals that publish similar experimental results. When the student has substantially completed the research and writing of the dissertation, the department requires that the student orally defend the dissertation's research conclusions. Although attendance at the oral defense is open to all members of the department and other interested faculty, the examination is conducted and evaluated solely by the candidate's dissertation committee. The student may defend the dissertation at any time in the year mutually agreeable to the dissertation committee. It should be noted that the Master of Science degree is not automatically awarded to Ph.D. students who do not finish the Ph.D. program.