Faculty
Biological Sciences has more than 60 full-time faculty members, as well as more than 20 faculty with joint appointments and 15 visiting or adjunct professors. Among its many distinctions and honors, the Ph.D. program faculty includes two members of the National Academy of Sciences, four members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and 18 holders of endowed chairs and professorships.
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William McclureProfessor of Biological SciencesContact Information E-mail: wmcclure@usc.edu Phone: (213) 740-9181 Office: CEM 204 |
Education
- B.S. Chemistry & Biology, California Institute of Technology, 1/1959
- Ph.D. Biochemistry, University of Washington, 1/1964
Description of Research
Summary Statement of Research Interests
Professor McClure researches the effects of mild prenatal stress on the development of adult rats. His interest in this work comes from the hypothesis that the devastating human disease, schizophrenia, is caused, at least in part, by a prenatal effect: a challenge presented to the mother causes changes in the structure of the brain, which in turn lead to development of the disease when the affected child reaches young adulthood. Professor McClure is currently studying these animals as a useful model of schizophrenia. In his latest experiment, he has examined the effect of puberty on the development of the adult deficiencies in neuroanatomy. He plans to further examine this model in the future and determine what cells are involved, the neurochemistry of the changes, and the behavior of the animals.
Honors and Awards
- USC Presidential Medallion, 2003
- USC Associates Award For Excellence In Teaching, 1995