Featured Research Centers
USC’s research centers and institutes pursue interdisciplinary research in environmental science, information technology, health promotion and biological sciences, to name a few topics. Here are some of our featured centers and institutes.
Alfred E. Mann Institute of Biomedical Engineering
AMI-USC is devoted to research, development and commercialization of new biomedical technologies to improve human health and well-being.
Biomimetic MicroElectronic Systems
This National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center, based at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, is advancing the science and engineering of new biomimetic microelectronic systems and developing technology to treat such conditions as blindness and paralysis.
Brain & Creativity
The Brain and Creativity Institute works to gather new knowledge about the human emotions, decision-making, memory, and communication, from a neurological perspective, and apply this knowledge to the solution of problems in the biomedical and sociocultural arenas.
Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research
The Broad Center is a leading institute for the investigation into the biological mechanisms that control stem cell behavior, and translation of this research into new therapies for a wide variety of diseases and conditions.
Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI)
C-DEBI is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Science and Technology Center on the deep biosphere. Its mission is to explore life beneath the seafloor and make transformative discoveries that advance science, benefit society, and inspire people of all ages and origins.
Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events
CREATE is the first university center of excellence funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is to improve the nation's security through the development and application of tools for assessing the risks and consequences of terrorism.
House Ear Institute
The House Ear Institute (HEI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing hearing science through research and education to improve quality of life.
Information Sciences Institute
ISI is a national leader in university-based information processing research, including developing advanced computer and communication technologies.
Institute for Creative Technologies
ICT is a national center for research in virtual reality and computer simulation.
Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research
IPR advances interdisciplinary research and education to improve the health and well-being of individuals and whole communities at the local and global levels.
Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics
The mission of the Schaeffer Center at USC is to promote health and value in health care delivery through innovative research and policy in the United States and internationally.
Norman Lear Center
The Norman Lear Center is a nonpartisan research and public policy center that studies the social, political, economic and cultural impact of entertainment on the world.
Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
USC/Norris was designated by the National Cancer Institute as one of the country's leaders in cancer treatment, research, prevention and education.
Religion and Civic Culture
The Center for Religion and Civic Culture at USC creates, translates, and disseminates scholarship on the civic role of religion in a globalizing world.
Saban Research Institute at Children’s Hospital
One of the top five independent pediatric research institutes in the country, the Saban Institute conducts biomedical research involving the molecular and clinical understanding of childhood development.
SETI Institute
The SETI Institute, a USC affiliate, explores, studies and explains the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe including work in astrobiology and search technology.
Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI)
SC CTSI promotes translation of scientific discoveries into new tools for clinical and community health.
The Southern California Earthquake Center
SCEC sponsors research of earthquake phenomena in Southern California, including fault-system dynamics, earthquake physics, seismic wave propagation, and seismic hazard analysis.
USC Energy Institute
The USC Energy Institute fosters the development of new approaches to fuels and energy in order to create economically viable and environmentally sound communities worldwide.
Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies
The Wrigley Institute, based on Catalina Island, is the focal point of USC's research into marine biology and marine environmental sciences.
Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute
The Zilkha Institute studies the genetic basis of neurological diseases and behavioral disorders.