Recent Stories

Icon of how an artificial intelligence brain connects to concepts of technology, transportation, vision, the brain, ideas and health care.

2024 artificial intelligence faculty experts list

April 03, 2024, Gregory Hardy

University of South Carolina researchers explore how artificial intelligence can be used for advancements in health care, education, manufacturing, energy, disaster management and transportation. They are also helping shape and inform the ethics and policies surrounding these emergent solutions.

Gates to Horseshoe of USC campus

2024 Autism Acceptance Month: USC faculty experts list

March 28, 2024, Gregory Hardy

April is Autism Acceptance Month. The CDC estimates that 1 out of every 36 eight-year-olds is affected by autism, a lifelong developmental disorder. As South Carolina’s leader in health sciences, USC has researchers across disciplines who specialize in autism.

Students perform during summer conservatory

USC youth summer camps 2024

March 01, 2024, Communications and Marketing

With only a few short months until summer, it’s time for parents to find summer activities for their children. USC offers a wide variety of summer camps for all ages and all interests from music to soccer, dance and engineering.

a person points at a scan on a computer screen

Improving care in the Stroke Belt

February 19, 2024, Communications and Marketing

As the state’s flagship institution, the University of South Carolina is well has many strengths in both research and treatment of stroke and aphasia — a common consequence of stroke characterized by difficulty speaking or understanding others’ speech. The research is critically important in the state with the seventh-highest incidence of stroke mortality in the U.S.

Adult male helps girl with book.

Strategies for Parents, Part I: Teaching problem solving to children

January 05, 2024, Gregory Hardy

It’s inevitable that children of all ages will struggle with the social and academic expectations of their years in school. Parents can easily feel overwhelmed with providing answers, especially as children continue to struggle with stress and anxiety from the disruptions of pandemic shutdowns. Cheri Shapiro, a research professor in the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work and the director of USC’s Institute for Families in Society, focuses her research on prevention of social, emotional and behavioral problems in youth and implementation of evidence-based interventions in community settings.

ASPH award winner, Huda Falous

Public health student recognized for community engagement, research

December 21, 2023, Lauryn Jiles

Committed to advocacy, community engagement and research, public health senior Huda Falous is the recipient of the Arnold School’s 2023 Undergraduate Student Award in Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Close up of American flag. Stars in left corner and stripes on right side.

Alumna builds on social work foundation to increase diversity in government

December 14, 2023, Carol J.G. Ward

Melissa Watson Ward grew up in a low-resource community in Columbia, South Carolina and has dedicated her career to helping people from communities like hers. When a career opportunity emerged to make a real impact on clients’ lives, she took it. Now she's training women and non-binary individuals to run at all levels of government from local to federal.

Gamecock Pharmacist IPE students

Collaboration, leadership break down barriers

November 13, 2023, Lauryn Jiles

USC’s Interprofessional Education program brings together students in the university’s 12 health science professional programs across six colleges and schools to help them have meaningful interactions with others training to be pharmacists, doctors, nurses, social workers, physical therapists and speech pathologists, among other fields.

woman in scrubs

USC faculty, alumni work to fill health care needs in rural areas

November 10, 2023

Living in a rural community brings lots of advantages: close-knit communities, easy access to nature, less noise and pollution, lower home prices. But a lack of population density also brings challenges, and access to health care is one of them. As daunting as the state’s health issues can seem, the University of South Carolina is well positioned to help.

Physician and medical student look at computer screen

Pediatric subspecialists move beyond urban hubs to visit rural patients

November 03, 2023, Megan Sexton

The South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare at the USC School of Medicine Columbia. works to improve health care delivery for rural communities by operating and facilitating a range of programs. Through one, the Department of Pediatrics sends subspecialists into areas outside the state’s urban hubs.

woman stands next to a wall with a sign that reads community health

Reaching the most vulnerable

October 23, 2023, Chris Horn

Fifteen years ago, Julie Smithwick was a community health worker focused solely on new Latino mothers and families in South Carolina. Today, she directs a new center at the University of South Carolina that’s training hundreds of community health workers who assist vulnerable populations with health and social needs ranging from children with disabilities to adults with chronic diseases and more.

Tick in test tube

New institute puts USC on map for vector-borne illness research

October 16, 2023, Hannah Cambre

The Institute of Infectious Disease Translational Research will allow public health researcher Melissa Nolan to operate complementary studies at labs based in Columbia, El Salvador and Brazil, putting USC on the map as an international hub for maternal and infant health research.

Two female students sit in a classroom with large windows.

Social worker's research offers insight into experiences of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients

October 10, 2023, Carol J.G. Ward

Social Work professor Ben Roth is co-authoring a book about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. About 500 individuals in six states, including South Carolina, participated in interviews for the research. Roth’s team found that young people who received DACA benefited in important ways but also faced constant signals that make them feel like they don’t belong.

Palmer Bowles plays the marimba at Doka Coffee Farms.

Students explore global health perspectives in Costa Rica

September 20, 2023, Hannah Cambre

The Global Health in Costa Rica program is a three-week Maymester program for public health students, designed to immerse students in Costa Rican culture and the Spanish language while giving them real-world exposure to a universal health care system.

Julius Fridriksson stands outside with greenery in the background

Focus SC: New institutes will use cutting-edge research to solve South Carolina problems

September 19, 2023, Page Ivey

In May, the University of South Carolina announced that it will invest $10 million over the next four years in five new interdisciplinary research institutes that will address some of the Palmetto State’s biggest challenges, including health, education and water quality. USC Today talked with Vice President for Research Julius Fridriksson about the genesis and goals of the initiative.

EMT students transport patient to ambulance

Q&A with Dr. Elizabeth Mannion, EMT Training Program director at the School of Medicine Greenville

September 15, 2023, Laura Morris

USC School of Medicine Greenville was one of the first schools in the country to integrate Emergency Medical Technician training and certification into its first-year medical curriculum. Program director Dr. Elizabeth Mannion takes us behind the scenes to explain what students learn and how those skills are applied throughout medical school and in the real world.

USC Cocky Statue

ICYMI: Ten big things happening at the university

August 30, 2023, Lauryn Jiles

The university never sleeps, but it does slow down a bit during the summer. With the start of the fall semester, here’s a reminder of some recent happenings that you might have missed, plus a heads up about some major upcoming events.

melissa nolan stands outside a building

Breakthrough Star Melissa Nolan searches for innovative ways to curb impact of viral and insect-borne illness

May 16, 2023

Growing up in a poor area of North Georgia, Melissa Nolan saw the negative effects infectious disease could have on a community – and after working in Latin America, she saw how infectious disease interventions could mitigate these kinds of effects. At USC, the assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics is combining her domestic and foreign research interests for maximum impact.

School girl hula-hooping in a gym setting with other classmates.

Public health researcher plays key role in project aimed at addressing K-12 fitness

April 27, 2023

Russell Pate, a public health professor and director of the Children's Physical Activity Research Group, played a key role in SC FitnessGram, a project led by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control that aims to evaluate and improve health-related fitness among public school students.

daniela friedman stands outside a building

Breakthrough Leadership Award winner Daniela Friedman shepherds researchers in Office for the Study of Aging

April 14, 2023

Daniela Friedman grew up watching her mother suffer with cancer and struggle to make sense of the complicated information she received about her diagnosis and treatment plan. Today, that experience drives Friedman’s efforts to improve how health information is communicated to older and diverse populations.

Multiple black and white  scans of a brain with red highlights.

USC's neuroscience research offers hope for a range of conditions

February 14, 2023

The University of South Carolina is focused on the brain. From autism and aphasia to Alzheimer’s and other related dementias, university researchers are working across several academic disciplines to better understand how the brain works and to develop solutions that will improve people’s health.

 Dr. Gayenell Magwood wears a floral garnet and black scarf and red glasses frames.

Finding joy at USC

February 09, 2023, Nicole Meares

Gayenell Magwood focuses on community research and engagement, cardiometabolic risk and prevention, and cancer control and prevention. She is an endowed professor of nursing and is also passionate about her involvement with the American Heart Association and raising awareness for heart disease and stroke.

Morgan Romano poses in her Miss North Carolina crown.

Engineering alumna uses beauty pageants, philanthropy to inspire STEM interest in young girls

January 26, 2023, Kyndel Lee

Miss USA Morgan Romano knows all too well that only 28% of the STEM workforce is made up of women, and she's using her platform to spark interests in young girls and help create a pipeline for more women to purse careers in the STEM fields.

USC student nurses at bedside of a patient

U.S. News rankings: USC keeps top spot in online graduate nursing programs

January 20, 2023, Megan Sexton

For the third straight year, the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing is ranked No. 1 nationally for its online graduate nursing program, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual online programs rankings released Jan. 24.

map showing location of future USC health campus

USC selects lead development team for health sciences campus in BullStreet District

December 13, 2022, Dan Cook

The University of South Carolina has selected Gilbane to lead the planning, design, development and construction of the university’s health sciences campus in the BullStreet District in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. The initial engagement with Gilbane was presented to the Board of Trustees at its Dec. 13 meeting.

Eugenia Broude smiles while meeting with other faculty members.

Pharmacy researcher driven to find weapons in the fight against cancer

October 12, 2022, Margaret Gregory

College of Pharmacy professor Eugenia Broude had personal inspiration to pursue a career in science, and a newly awarded $3 million R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute will allow Broude and her co-investigators to continue their work in a groundbreaking area of breast cancer research.

VPR Julius Fridriksson

New vice president for research aims to mentor junior faculty

October 03, 2022, Craig Brandhorst

Julius Fridriksson loves a challenge. After climbing to the top of his field — and building out a research team of more than 40 faculty, post docs and graduate students at the Arnold School of Public Health — the onetime first-generation college student from a small village in Iceland agreed to become USC’s interim vice president for research in 2021.

A nursing student practices on a mannekin while a professor observes.

Columbia, Upstate campuses to receive Prisma Health funding for nursing programs

October 03, 2022, Kyndel Lee

The University of South Carolina’s Columbia and Upstate campuses are recipients of an investment in scholarships by Prisma Health to help counter the state’s critical nursing shortage.

A black and white pill opposite of a black and white background

Many drugs have mirror image chemical structures - while one may be helpful, the other may be harmful

August 16, 2022, Sajish Mathew

Many drugs have the same atoms and bonds but are arranged differently in space. These drugs are called chiral compounds — meaning they exist as two mirror images. Sajish Mathew writes for The Conversation on how these compounds are arranged in space can drastically change the effects they have in the body.

Man holding glass of water with prescription pills next to him on a table

Taking certain opioids while on commonly prescribed antidepressants may increase the risk of overdose

August 01, 2022, Ismaeel Yunusa

While doctors prescribe the opioid oxycodone to treat moderate to severe pain after surgeries and injuries, it can also become a common drug of abuse. Professor Ismaeel Yunusa writes for The Conversation on how taking oxycodone at the same time as certain antidepressants can increase the risk of opioid overdose.

artist rendering of new UofSC nursing facility at Lexington Medical Center

UofSC, Lexington Medical Center enter new partnership

July 05, 2022, Kyndel Lee

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing and Lexington Medical Center have partnered to build a state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab and teaching space to provide clinical training for UofSC’s growing nursing student population.

Doctor preparing a syringe and a woman with a face mask on is watching

Should you get a COVID-19 booster shot now or wait until fall?

June 28, 2022, Prakash Nagarkatti, Mitzi Nagarkatti

As COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths, many people have found themselves unsure whether to wait on new, updated formulations of the COVID-19 vaccines or to mix and match combinations of the original vaccine strains. School of Medicine Columbia professors Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation on whether you should get a COVID-19 booster now or wait until fall.