In USC’s Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, half of the faculty members are assistant professors, poised at the threshold of their careers in biomedical research. One of these promising pioneers,

ALS researcher Justin Ichida, has been chosen as the first of four USC Richard N. Merkin Scholars. Ichida and his fellow scholars, yet to be named, will each receive three years of support to promote their research and facilitate collaborations with clinicians who can help transform eureka moments into patient cures.

“I’m honored to be the first Richard N. Merkin Scholar at USC. We look forward to using the generous support from the Merkin Family Foundation to identify new therapeutic strategies for patients living with ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases,” said Ichida, who is also a New York Stem Cell Foundation–Robertson Investigator, and director of the Choi Family Therapeutic Screening Facility at the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC.

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