Research Areas

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We take on today’s most pressing health challenges.

Our researchers are at the forefront of biomedical discovery, driving innovative solutions to some of the most critical health challenges in our communities, including cancer, stroke, health disparities, addiction, inflammation and fibrosis, and digestive diseases, among many others. A deeply collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach is central to our work, strengthening both the reach and impact of our research.

About Research at MUSC

Our areas of focus.

Our expertise in multiple areas has led to significant breakthroughs with lasting impact. Explore the links below to discover how the work we do across South Carolina is advancing health care and improving lives on a global scale.

Addiction Sciences

As one of the nation's premier academic settings for the study and treatment of addiction, we are home to some of the most distinguished and widely respected leaders in alcohol and substance use research.

Stroke and Spinal

We are at the forefront of research in rehabilitation and stroke. Our Stroke Recovery Research Center focuses on reducing the incidence of stroke and improving the delivery of acute stroke care in South Carolina.

Cancer

Hollings Cancer Center is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. The center unites more than 200 experts in treatment, research, education, prevention and control, and outreach.

Community Health

We are dedicated to engaging community members and academic partners in all aspects of the research process to promote health, reduce the risk of illness and disease and build community resilience.

Health Disparities

We are focused on eliminating ethnic, socioeconomic, and rural disparities in health. We are playing a vital role in solving critical health challenges in South Carolina including heart disease, stroke, cancer, and mental illness.

Digestive Diseases

We bring together gastroenterologists, surgeons, and radiologists who have special interests in dealing with various digestive problems. It is our vision to be the nationally recognized leader in multispecialty patient care, research, and education in digestive disorders.

Drug Discovery

Our outstanding basic science and clinical researchers work with leaders in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to advance the development of innovative therapies and medicines, including for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory diseases and neurological disorders.

Oral Health

Integrated with a new, state-of-the-art dental education and treatment facility, our Department of Oral Health focuses its research on head and neck cancer and it is fully integrated with research and treatment programs in the Hollings Cancer Center.

Neuroscience

Disorders of the brain, nerves, and spine are among the most complex in medicine. We have one of the nation’s largest teams of top specialists pooling their expertise to provide a collaborative approach to new developments in neuroscience.

Inflammation and Fibrosis

Our clinical research program provides patients with opportunities to participate in disease registries and novel clinical trials, including both early studies of new therapies and large-scale trials, while our basic science researchers focus on disease mechanisms, diagnostics and development of new therapies.

Collaboration Information for Clinical Research Sponsors & Contract Research Organizations (CROs)

MUSC is the proud home of the South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research (SCTR) Institute’s Research Opportunities & Collaborations program. This program is designed to work with industry sponsors, contract research organizations (CROs), government agencies, health care institutions, and other potential research collaborators to pair clinical research opportunities with MUSC Investigators.

Health Sciences SC

Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) is an inclusive public/private health organization established in 2004 as the first statewide biomedical health data and research collaborative in the United States.

SCTR

The South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research (SCTR) Institute is a statewide, NIH-funded institute that provides consultative expertise, resources, training, and funding to support research teams. Our goal is to accelerate scientific discoveries from the laboratory to clinical and public health practice to improve the health of patients and communities across SC and beyond.

Zucker Institute

The Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization (ZI) independently evaluates and manages the intellectual assets owned and generated by MUSC. We’re dedicated to transforming these assets into products and services that meet critical medical needs globally.

SmartState at MUSC

Created in 2002 by the South Carolina General Assembly to help transform the state’s economy, the SmartState program aims to recruit world-class researchers and scientists to serve as Endowed Chairs at the state’s three research-intensive universities, including MUSC.

SCbio

As one of the fastest-growing industries in our state, SCbio champions life science professionals to build the bonds of a strong community for networking, funding, services and growth.

SCIRF

The South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Research Fund promotes research to develop better understanding of causes and effective treatment strategies for paralysis, sensory loss, and other consequences of spinal cord injury (SCI) and disease.

SCRA

The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) was chartered in 1983 by the state legislature to fuel South Carolina’s innovation economy by accelerating technology-enabled growth of academia, entrepreneurship, and industry.

Turning innovations into action.

The collaboration between faculty, staff, students, and our partners accelerates the movement of scientific discoveries to patient and public health care that improves lives. Our research support offices facilitate the sharing of resources and expertise, streamlining research-related processes to bring about large-scale change across all areas of the research lifecycle