Latest Chan Division News

New analysis of developmental screen finds autistic children showed heightened sensory, motor behaviors as infants ⟩
March 7, 2022

Autism Community and Partners Research

By analyzing more than 6,000 questionnaire responses, team of USC and UNC researchers identify areas during infancy linked to later neurodevelopmental risks.

By Mike McNulty (Photo/Adobe Stock) Early detection of autism within the community — in the home, at daycare, or during well child visits, for example — is critical to increasing access to early intervention services. But surprisingly, there are just a few tools that can reliably identify the…

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New study shows autism correlated with changing sensory preferences during early childhood ⟩
March 3, 2022

Autism Community and Partners Research

Results from a USC–UNC study suggest sensory issues in early infancy may be the first signs of a later autism diagnosis.

By Mike McNulty (Photo/Adobe Stock) Results from a new study published today in Child Development provide the first longitudinal evidence about the trajectories of sensory reactivity patterns during early childhood among a large community sample with diverse developmental outcomes. Many autistic…

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Peace garden, narrative research study selected for post-pandemic initiative funding ⟩
February 25, 2022

Awards Community and Partners Health and Wellness Pandemic Research

Innovative community-focused projects are part of USC Chan’s $2.5M ReSPONs Initiative.

By Mike McNulty Future site of the University Park Peace Garden (Photo/Courtesy of Camille Dieterle) Peace and understanding have been in relatively short supply throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To help restore them both in the wake of the past two tumultuous years, the USC Chan Division is funding…

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Park running in 2022 AOTA elections ⟩
February 16, 2022

Associations and Bodies Faculty Global Initiatives

Director of Global Initiatives looks to elevate association's mission on global stage.

Danny Park, director of USC Chan's Global Initiatives and associate professor of clinical occupational therapy, is running for elected position as the American Occupational Therapy Association's Alternate Delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. The election website is open…

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Trojans gather to celebrate Lunar New Year ⟩
January 31, 2022

China Initiative Community and Partners Diversity, Access, Equity Events Faculty International Students

Participants from 9 countries share, reflect and engage in occupations to mark the holiday.

By Danny Park Students celebrating the Lunar New Year (photo/courtesy of Cheng Kai (Jason) Lin) Nearly 50 students and faculty from the USC Chan Division and Peking University Health Science Center gathered together online to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday on Jan. 28. The Lunar New Year is an…

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Díaz appointed as division’s first-ever associate chair of diversity, access and equity ⟩
January 19, 2022

Diversity, Access, Equity Faculty

Jesús Díaz, associate chair of diversity, access and equity and associate professor of research Associate Professor of Research Jesús Díaz ’05, MA ’08, OTD ’09 has been named the first associate chair of diversity, access and equity (DAE) for the USC Chan Division. The appointment was…

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New study first to show figurative language comprehension relies upon brain’s motor regions ⟩
January 18, 2022

Research

USC neuroscientists demonstrate that, like literal language, abstract metaphors are embodied in the brain.

By Mike McNulty Sample test item courtesy of Lisa Aziz-Zadeh “Bend your ear.” “Grasping at straws.” “Kick the bucket.” English is filled with figurative language that makes meaning by evoking physical actions of the human body. During the past decade, a number of scientific studies have…

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Newly published review covers current brain-gut-microbiome and autism literature ⟩
December 16, 2021

Autism Diversity, Access, Equity Research Students

Co-first authors of Nutrients review supported by USC’s DIA JumpStart undergraduate pipeline program.

By Mike McNulty (Illustration by Martina/Adobe Stock) A new scoping review of nearly 200 publications covering the relationships between autism spectrum disorder and the brain–gut–microbiome system was published online today in Nutrients. The review synthesizes the growing body of research…

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A USC Chantastic Friendsgiving Celebration ⟩
November 22, 2021

Diversity, Access, Equity Events Global Initiatives International Students

by Dr. Danny Park On Thursday, November 18, the USC Chan student community came together to celebrate Friendsgiving in one of the largest in-person community gatherings hosted by the Division since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 90 students from all Chan academic programs…

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Work-from-home survey reveals pandemic’s impacts upon employees’ physical and mental health, productivity and daily routines ⟩
November 17, 2021

Faculty Health and Wellness Pandemic Research Technology

How to support office workers’ health and wellness, when the “office” can be located anywhere.

By Jamie Wetherbe MA ’04 In the spring of 2020, Associate Professor Shawn Roll and his research collaborators from across USC were two years into developing the next generation of intelligent workstations that can optimize employee productivity in the office. The team has diverse yet complementary…

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