Education in the Charleston Alcohol Research Center

The Charleston ARC plays a significant role in providing a fertile ground for training the next generation of alcohol researchers. The ARC is closely aligned with our NIAAA-supported institutional (T32) training program that supports pre-doctoral (graduate) students and postdoctoral fellows in alcohol research. The program strikes a balance in supporting both basic researchers and clinical investigators, a goal that is in step with the translational research emphasis and philosophy of the Center.

Trainees enrolled in the Neuroscience Graduate Program in MUSC’s College of Graduate Studies and the Psychology Internship Program in the Department of Psychiatry are mentored by many Center faculty in alcohol-related research projects. MUSC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) and Drug Addiction Research Training (DART) program provide opportunities for undergraduate students to work in Center faculty research labs.

Scientific Enrichment and Professional Development Activities

The Charleston ARC is committed to promoting and maintaining a vibrant intellectual environment that benefits the professional growth and development of faculty, trainees, students, and research staff. This includes providing updated information and resources that highlight the problems and medical ramifications of alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder, as well as informing investigators of new scientific advancements, technology, experimental tools, and research-related skills. The ARC helps coordinate and foster these activities through the Addictions and Neuroscience Seminar program along with other local seminars and workshops and attendance at national/international conferences.

The ARC also participates in a robust mentoring program that is especially valuable to early-stage investigators and senior postdoctoral fellows. The value of team science and integrative research approaches both within and outside the Center is facilitated by the open and collaborative research culture at MUSC.