Research Areas

Our goal is to conduct research that changes lives in South Carolina, across the nation and around the world. We work collaboratively with faculty members across departments and schools on the USC campus as well as with local and international colleagues.

Areas of Study

School of Medicine researchers currently are investigating a myriad of topics at the basic science, translational and clinical levels; however, the significant portion of our research can be categorized into several thematic areas.

Our current areas of focus include neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory pathways and pediatric health.

Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies for Neuropsychiatric and Neurologic Disorders

Much of our work relating to neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders originates in our Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience.

Areas of study:

Neural plasticity and individual differences in stress disorders and addiction
Targeting signaling pathways and circuits in neurodevelopmental disorders and aging
Mechanisms and prevention strategies for metabolic diseases and stroke

Mechanisms for Prevention, Detection, and Therapeutics of Cardiovascular Disease

Many of the researchers in our Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy and Cardiovascular Translational Research Center specialize in research related to cardiovascular disease.

Current areas of study:

Mechanistic and engineering approaches to pathological vascular remodeling
Mechanisms and prevention of myocardial fibrosis and remodeling
Biomarker profiling and personalized therapeutics in cardiovascular disease

Inflammatory Pathways in Health and Disease and Novel Interventional Strategies

Inflammation is increasing being linked to chronic disease. Researchers in our Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, our COBRE Center for Dietary Supplements and Inflammation and our NIH Complementary Alternative Medicine Center regularly pursue projects related to inflammatory pathways.

Current areas of study:

Use of botanicals, diet and exercise (Complementary and Integrative Medicine) to treat Inflammatory Diseases
Epigenomic/Genomic profiling of Inflammatory Diseases (autoimmune diseases, diabetes, obesity, allergies, infections, cancer, PTSD)
Role of Microbiome and Metabolome in the regulation of immune dysfunction

Pediatric Health and Mitigating Adult Disease Development

Understanding the development of disease in children is crucial to helping curb increasing rates of chronic disease in adult populations. Researchers in our Department of Pediatrics are engaged in a variety of clinical studies aimed at both prevention and treatment of disease in children.