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Addiction Sciences Research

As a research organization, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC has an outstanding history of advancing knowledge in the field of addiction. Some of the most well-known and respected leaders in the field of alcohol and chemical dependency research are conducting studies at MUSC.

Center Grants

MUSC is home to five internationally recognized program project grants that focus specifically on addictions research. Find all current addiction-related NIH funding awarded to MUSC investigators.

Research Grants

Some individual research projects within the Addiction Sciences Division are:

  • PTSD Research

Areas of Research

Examples of current interdisciplinary topics under study are:

  • Alcohol, tobacco, and drug craving, withdrawal, and/or relapse prevention;
  • Brain circuitry underlying the addictive process;
  • Treatment of co-occurring PTSD and addiction;
  • The influence of stress on alcohol, tobacco, and drug cravings;
  • New medications for alcohol, cocaine, and nicotine dependence;
  • E-cigarette use/abuse/effects;
  • The use of real-time interventions on substance use;
  • The influence of alcohol and drugs on the adolescent brain in both humans and animals;
  • Biological markers of heavy alcohol use;
  • Structural and functional brain changes associated with the transition from alcohol and drug use to abuse.

The ASD faculty are leaders in utilization of the latest brain neuroimaging and genetics techniques in addictions research.

Specialized Center of Research Excellence on Sex Differences 

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