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Marcel Nimni

Last updated 09/29/2021

Marcel Nimni

Dr. Marcel Nimni, a dedicated educator and researcher over the course of his 54-year USC faculty career, had consistent grant support and published prolifically-more than 200 papers, several books and over 20 book chapters. He also has 16 patents to his name, most of which have to do with bone graft material and injectable composites containing collagen. Dr. Nimni is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the New York Academy of Sciences. After a two-year appointment as a research associate, he became an assistant professor in the Schools of Dentistry and Medicine in 1964. He was associate professor of medicine and biochemistry from 1968 to 1972, and was promoted to professor in 1972. In 1991, he joined the department of surgery as Professor of Surgery, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and was awarded Professor Emeritus of Surgery status in 2018.

In 2014, Dr. Nimni donated $1 million to the Department of Surgery to establish a laboratory at the Keck School to further research in tissue engineering and targeted drug delivery. The gift honors the memory of his wife, Fabiola Cordoba, who died after a 6-year battle against pancreatic cancer. Some of his additional honors include the Founders  Award for developing the first functional heart valve bioprostesis and discovering Type II Collagen while focusing on rheumatology.  In March of this year, he published a paper in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition entitled Collagen and Derived Peptides as Nutritional Supplements for Integumental Care addressing the proliferation of the use of oral supplements of collagen and gelatin-derived products to improve skin care.