Darby Children's Research Institute

"We discover so you can recover"

It is a sincere pleasure to welcome you to our Darby Children’s Research Institute (DCRI). The DCRI serves as the research arm of the clinical divisions of our Department of Pediatrics at MUSC. As director of the DCRI, I oversee the research enterprise of faculty, composed of either basic scientists or physician scientists. We are unified as a community with a common goal to perform impactful science that can be translated to enrich the wellness of children both in the state of South Carolina and beyond. We also seek to promote the next generation of scientists and physicians to carry on our work. Founded in 2007 by Dr. Charles Darby, former Chair of Pediatrics, who understood that providing the best care to children involves both outstanding physicians and researchers, the DCRI is composed of state-of-the-art laboratories with faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students spanning various disciplines of childhood diseases and health. Specific areas of research interest include, but are not limited to: cancer and blood disorders; neonatal health and wellness; heart development and congenital disease; neuronal growth and brain disorders; skeletal development and bone disease; pulmonary development and disease; kidney function and acute injury; and neuromuscular disorders.

We invite you to take a look through our website to learn more about our research and institute activities, as well as the life, culture, and beauty that we enjoy daily in majestic Charleston and its surrounding areas.

Contact Us

Jasmine Ballentine
Assistant to Director
173 Ashley Avenue
Darby Children's Research Institute, Room 512
MSC 514
Charleston, SC 29425
Email: ballentj@musc.edu