Shining chrome buildings, cutting-edge stem cell research and a fluffy Golden Retriever chasing tennis balls on a lawn. One of these things might seem out of place most days, but not on Thursday morning.
Behind the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine at USC Keck, the Well-being team from the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and the Humane Society of USC organized a mindfulness event including sweet treats, a photoshoot opportunity and, most importantly, a handful of bright-eyed and tail-wagging friends.
“Dr. [Francesca] Mariani, the director of well-being here at the stem cell laboratory of USC, reached out to me and asked if we can host a wellbeing event for them in hopes of allowing the students and staff of the hospital to de-stress during these trying times,” said Skyler Nahouray, founder and president of the Humane Society of USC.
The collaboration brought four therapy dogs to the lawn outside of the stem lab, two in the morning and two later in the afternoon. April and Maya, 3 and 5 years old respectively, took the morning shift, while 4-year-old Indy and 6-year-old Valentina wrapped up the party.
One of the attendees was graduate student Christian Chung, pursuing his Master’s in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Surrounded by both friends and strangers, Chung eagerly shook April’s paw, sharing a laugh with those around him.
“From a short-term perspective, you can view it as taking a break during your day, but also, if you view it from a long-term perspective, it’s a reminder that we do need to take breaks,” Chung said. “And that you do need to take time to detach away from work and school.”
For Nahouray, that was exactly what he was hoping the students would get out of the event.
“These people are all working countless hours,” he said. “[Now] they’re able to truly let their work step aside for a quick second and enjoy the bidirectional relationship between animals and humans we should all be experiencing.”
Hosting this event at the stem cell labs was critical for Nahouray, and being able to provide a space for students to have a moment of peace amidst the chaos of classes, labs and experiments was hugely important.
“I think that this event, in particular, is extremely meaningful because these individuals are the future of our technological advancements,” he said. “I think it’s amazing how we’re giving back to them because they do so much for us.”
Mariani said she was “thrilled that there’s an organization that could help” bring her vision of a relaxing event to life, especially from an organization within the university.
She said fostering community with events like this is her ultimate goal, especially following the lack of human interaction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Bringing people out of the woodwork and interacting with each other, I think, is really important for wellbeing and to be happy at your job and to be happy doing your research,” Mariani said.
For seventh-year Ph.D. student in developmental stem cell and regenerative medicine Claire Arata, Mariani’s initiative worked.
“Everyone loves dogs. Clearly there’s a good amount of people that came out promptly at 10 a.m,” Arata said. “It’s nice to just be able to take it easy for a morning and just hang out with everyone, not even necessarily to be with the dog, but to have a bit more of a community in the department.”
For those of you jealous of being able to hand out treats and rub furry bellies, the next USC Humane Society event is set for March 21, on the University Park campus at Founders Park.