FIRST IN CLASS: SAMUEL GARZA

BROAD SPECTRUM

First in Class

Samuel Garza went from being a first-generation college student to earning entry as a PhD candidate in Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology at the USC School of Pharmacy. He has since marked another milestone by becoming the first student in the school to serve as president of USC’s Graduate Student Government. Here he discusses his research, student leadership duties—and why he treasures his acceptance letter to USC.

What sparked your interest in pharmaceutical science? While an undergraduate at Cal State Los Angeles, I took a special topics class on careers in biotech and pharmaceutical sciences. We had guest speakers with expertise in drug development, regulatory affairs, patent law and other areas. I didn’t yet know what I wanted to do with my career, but I found these topics fascinating and wanted to learn more about them.

What attracted you to the USC School of Pharmacy? When researching graduate programs, I found the USC School of Pharmacy to be the most successful at placing its graduates into industry positions. The faculty expertise, curriculum and network at the school really position students for success.

You work in Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos’ lab and are soon to publish some of your research. What can you tell us about it? My research explores the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the testosterone decline of aging men. I hypothesized that if we enhance mitochondrial activity, we may be able to restore steroid hormone production in cells that are deficient in steroid biosynthesis. I identified a preexisting compound designed to enhance mitochondrial function and used it in my experiments. The data suggest that this treatment can enhance steroid hormone production in compromised Leydig cell models.

What’s next for this project? I’ve designed animal studies where I will treat aging rats with the compound and measure their steroid hormone production. This will tell us whether targeting mitochondrial function is a sustainable model for maintaining testosterone formation as men age.

Somehow, you find time to balance your research with your student leadership role. What do your duties as president entail? As president, I’m the lead advocate for the more than 28,000 graduate and professional students at USC. This involves communicating with university administration and managing projects that enhance the graduate student experience. I’m proud to work with a strong leadership team—including Senior Vice President Elisa Stephens, who is also a School of Pharmacy PhD student.

How did it feel to address an audience of more than 8,000 at the USC New Student Convocation and what did you discuss? It felt exhilarating. I thought about my academic journey and how my experience might help others— especially how I got past the difficult moments throughout my journey. When I arrived at USC, I felt anxious and overwhelmed by the academic pace and new environment. But one thing kept me grounded: my acceptance letter. So, as I said to my fellow students that day: “Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed, think back to that acceptance letter, because by gaining admission to USC, we’ve all accomplished something incredible.”