Research & Innovation at the College of Medicine

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Advancing care for South Carolina.

Research is an important part of our mission for the State of South Carolina and our patients, and it is vital that we translate our discoveries into treatments and interventions that will improve human health. In the College of Medicine, our faculty, trainees, and students are engaged in a variety of basic, clinical, and translational research and activities to support this mission.

COM Research Statistics

$294M annual research funding

91% Students participating in research with faculty

67 Active faculty startups

637 US and international patents

Research Highlights

Discoveries made in the College of Medicine improve health outcomes in our local community and beyond.

Cardiometabolic Disorders

The Cardiac Research Institute is one of the nation’s leading centers for heart failure research, bringing together investigators in cardiovascular biology, translational science, and clinical research. It uses cutting-edge approaches such as single-cell biology, proteomics, metabolomics, and genetic analysis in preclinical and clinical specimens.

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Digestive Disorders and Disease

The Digestive Disease Research Core Center brings together investigators studying digestive and liver diseases and provides them with core resources and collaborative opportunities to further their scientific inquiries. The central theme is focused on the continuum of organ injury, inflammation, and fibrosis - leading to disease.

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Neural Circuits and Brain Stimulation

To meet South Carolina's pressing need for comprehensive brain care, the MUSC Brain Research Institute provides cutting-edge neurological research and care. It's goal is to build a basic, translational, and clinical research community focused on disorders of brain development, such as autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, brain injury, seizure disorders, and neonatal/pediatric brain trauma.

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Personalized Oncology

Today’s research leads to tomorrow’s cures. Cancer faculty in the College of Medicine are also members of Hollings Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. Hollings is committed to advancing scientific discoveries by bringing our work in the lab to patients who need new options and better outcomes

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Fibrosis and Inflammation

MUSC has a well-established interest in treating and researching autoimmune disorders and fibrotic diseases, bringing together clinical, translational, and basic researchers. The clinical research program provides patients access to disease registries and clinical trials, from early studies of new therapies to large trials. Basic researchers focus on disease mechanisms, diagnostics, and therapy development.

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Departmental Research

The College of Medicine is home to departments engaged in a wide range of basic, clinical, and translational research that drives discovery and innovation.

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Centers & Institutes

The College of Medicine hosts numerous specialized centers and institutes across the health science disciplines. Their cross-disciplinary expertise is focused on research into alcohol treatment and substance use, stroke prevention and education, cardiovascular health, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other critical areas.

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Research Cores

Researchers in the College of Medicine have access to a broad range of research cores, each featuring advanced instrumentation and expert support. The specialized instrumentation, technical expertise, and collaborative support found in our cores are here to accelerate your research.

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Research Excellence Awards

To celebrate the impactful research coming out of the College of Medicine, we are pleased to showcase some of the College’s standout publications. Periodically, COM leadership highlights selected papers that were nominated and published in high-impact journals, with an active, full-time COM faculty member as the first or last author.

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Scientia Magazine

Discover how our groundbreaking research is shaping the future of health care. Scientia, MUSC's annual research magazine, is released each spring to highlight our most impactful discoveries and boldest innovations.

Read Scientia (PDF)

Internal Funding Opportunities

We’re committed to supporting our researchers throughout the various stages of their careers, from providing bridge funding for established investigators to helping promising early-career clinician-scientists fund their research. We also support new research teams through the Team Science Program and College of Medicine Program Project Grants.

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