(Press-News.org) LOS ANGELES — Keck Medicine of USC has named Christian Pass chief financial officer, effective Jan. 12, 2026.
“Pass has more than 30 years of health care finance leadership experience with a proven history of cultivating high-performing teams and guiding organizations through critical financial and operational transformations,” said Rod Hanners, CEO of Keck Medicine. “He brings tremendous knowledge and skill to this position that will support the continued growth of the health system.”
As CFO, Pass will manage Keck Medicine’s strategic financial plans, financial and governmental reporting, budgeting, funds flow, revenue cycle, accounting and supply chain. He will collaborate closely with senior executives across the health system and the University of Southern California and lead financial activities and decisions that support the organization’s long-term sustainability.
“I look forward to using my expertise to further build upon Keck Medicine’s success,” said Pass.
Prior to joining Keck Medicine, Pass held senior leadership roles at the national health services organization Optum. In his most current position, he served as president overseeing provider clients and payvider clients (health care organizations that deliver care and manage the financial aspects of care).
Before working at Optum, Pass held several senior financial leadership positions at John Muir Health, a health system located in Contra Costa County in Northern California, culminating in his role as CFO.
Pass holds a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School.
###
To learn more about Keck Medicine of USC, please visit news.KeckMedicine.org.
END
Keck Medicine of USC names Christian Pass chief financial officer
Health care financial leader brings 30-plus years of experience to the role
2026-01-07
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Inflatable fabric robotic arm picks apples
2026-01-07
PULLMAN, Wash — A low-cost, simple robotic apple picker arm developed by Washington State University researchers may someday help with fruit picking and other farm chores.
The inflatable arm can see an apple, then extend and retract to pick a piece of fruit in about 25 seconds. Weighing less than 50 pounds with its metal base, the two-foot-long arm is made of a soft fabric filled with air that is similar to, but stronger than, the wacky inflatable arm-flailing tube men that are used in outdoor advertising. The researchers in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering recently published their work on the robotic arm in the journal, Smart Agricultural ...
MD Anderson and SOPHiA GENETICS announce strategic collaboration to accelerate AI-driven precision oncology
2026-01-07
HOUSTON and BOSTON, JANUARY 7, 2026 ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and SOPHiA GENETICS today announced a strategic collaboration that unites SOPHiA GENETICS’ AI-powered analytics with MD Anderson’s clinical and scientific expertise to accelerate data-driven cancer care through new tools that can accurately analyze, interpret and translate diagnostic results into clinical practice.
As part of the collaboration, MD Anderson and SOPHiA GENETICS are launching a series of research and development programs and co-developing an advanced next-generation sequencing oncology test. Built ...
Oil residues can travel over 5,000 miles on ocean debris, study finds
2026-01-07
When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists’ attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris to a 2019 oil slick along Brazil’s coastline. Using ocean current models and chemical analysis, the team explains in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology how some of the oily material managed to travel over 5,200 miles (8,500 kilometers) by clinging to debris.
“The research findings of our study would not have been possible without the dedication of the Friends of Palm Beach,” says Bryan James, lead author ...
Korea University researchers discover that cholesterol-lowering drug can overcome chemotherapy resistance in triple-negative breast cancer
2026-01-07
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is among the most aggressive types of breast cancer, lacking estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors and thus relying primarily on cytotoxic chemotherapy. Despite initial responsiveness, many patients experience rapid relapse driven by cancer stem-like cells that survive chemotherapy and seed metastasis.
Addressing this unmet need, researchers led by Professor Jae Hong Seo from Korea University have discovered that pitavastatin, a widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drug, can directly inhibit the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1, a key driver ...
Ushikuvirus: A newly discovered giant virus may offer clues to the origin of life
2026-01-07
The origin of life on Earth becomes even more fascinating and complex as we peer into the mysterious world of viruses. Said to have existed since living cells first appeared, these microscopic entities differ greatly from other forms of life. Composed of only genetic material, they lack the ability to synthesize proteins, which are essential for carrying out cellular activity and, ultimately, for life by itself.
As a result, scientists have long sought to unravel virus origins, how they evolve, and how they fit into the conventional tree of life. Professor Masaharu Takemura from ...
Boosting the cell’s own cleanup
2026-01-07
Cells have a remarkable housekeeping system: proteins that are no longer needed, defective, or potentially harmful are labeled with a molecular “tag” and dismantled in the cellular recycling machinery. This process, known as the ubiquitin-proteasome system, is crucial for health and survival. Now, an international team of scientists led by CeMM, AITHYRA and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund has identified a new class of small molecules that harness this natural system to accelerate the removal of an immune-modulating enzyme called IDO1. The findings, published in Nature Chemistry (DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-02021-5), introduce a new concept in ...
Movement matters: Light activity led to better survival in diabetes, heart, kidney disease
2026-01-07
Research Highlights:
Light physical activity was associated with lower risk of death for adults in stages 2, 3 and 4 of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, a health condition that includes heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity.
A one hour increase in light physical activity each day was associated with a 14% to 20% lower risk of death.
The association between light physical activity and lower risk of death was most pronounced for people with advanced CKM syndrome.
Embargoed until 4 a.m. CT/5 a.m. ET Wednesday, January 7, 2026
DALLAS, ...
Method developed to identify best treatment combinations for glioblastoma based on unique cellular targets
2026-01-07
WASHINGTON – Researchers have developed a new computational approach that uncovers possible drugs for specific cellular targets for treating glioblastoma, a lethal brain tumor. This approach enabled them to predict more effective treatment combinations to fight the disease on an individualized basis. This laboratory and computational research effort was led by scientists at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“The cellular targets we identified could be key to effectively fighting a disease that has seen only one new targeted drug approved in the last two decades,” says Nagi G. Ayad, PhD, senior author, associate director for translational ...
Self-guided behavioral app helps children with epilepsy sleep earlier
2026-01-07
An evidence-based web-app helped children with epilepsy to fall asleep on average 16.5 minutes earlier.
A new UK-wide clinical trial led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has evaluated a self-guided behavioural sleep programme for the parents of children with epilepsy.
The programme, which is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, is called COSI (CASTLE Online Sleep Intervention) and consists of online videos and written guides based on clinically informed sleep intervention behavioural techniques.
“Sleep problems affect more than 80% ...
Higher consumption of food preservatives is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes
2026-01-07
Higher consumption of food preservatives, widely used in industrially processed foods and beverages to extend their shelf life, has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. These findings are the result of work carried out by researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Paris Cité University and Cnam, within the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN). They are based on health and dietary data from more than 100,000 adults participating in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study, and ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
How sleep disruption impairs social memory: Oxytocin circuits reveal mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities
Natural compound from pomegranate leaves disrupts disease-causing amyloid
A depression treatment that once took eight weeks may work just as well in one
New study calls for personalized, tiered approach to postpartum care
The hidden breath of cities: Why we need to look closer at public fountains
Rewetting peatlands could unlock more effective carbon removal using biochar
Microplastics discovered in prostate tumors
ACES marks 150 years of the Morrow Plots, our nation's oldest research field
Physicists open door to future, hyper-efficient ‘orbitronic’ devices
$80 million supports research into exceptional longevity
Why the planet doesn’t dry out together: scientists solve a global climate puzzle
Global greening: The Earth’s green wave is shifting
You don't need to be very altruistic to stop an epidemic
Signs on Stone Age objects: Precursor to written language dates back 40,000 years
MIT study reveals climatic fingerprints of wildfires and volcanic eruptions
A shift from the sandlot to the travel team for youth sports
Hair-width LEDs could replace lasers
The hidden infections that refuse to go away: how household practices can stop deadly diseases
Ochsner MD Anderson uses groundbreaking TIL therapy to treat advanced melanoma in adults
A heatshield for ‘never-wet’ surfaces: Rice engineering team repels even near-boiling water with low-cost, scalable coating
Skills from being a birder may change—and benefit—your brain
Waterloo researchers turning plastic waste into vinegar
Measuring the expansion of the universe with cosmic fireworks
How horses whinny: Whistling while singing
US newborn hepatitis B virus vaccination rates
When influencers raise a glass, young viewers want to join them
Exposure to alcohol-related social media content and desire to drink among young adults
Access to dialysis facilities in socioeconomically advantaged and disadvantaged communities
Dietary patterns and indicators of cognitive function
New study shows dry powder inhalers can improve patient outcomes and lower environmental impact
[Press-News.org] Keck Medicine of USC names Christian Pass chief financial officerHealth care financial leader brings 30-plus years of experience to the role