The past decade has seen an impressive increase in research in the area of women’s health due, in large part, to the efforts of NIH through the Office of Research in Women’s Health (ORWH). The Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) on Sex and Gender Factors Affecting Women’s Health is one of eleven specialized centers in the United States charged with the task of advancing research on women’s health and promoting institutional interdisciplinary research. It represents a collaboration between the Clinical Neuroscience Division, the Women’s Scholar Initiative, the Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs, and the Neuroscience Department of MUSC.
The MUSC SCOR is a productive interdisciplinary research center focused on treatment and relapse in substance use disorders in women. The MUSC SCOR serves as a focal point for women's health research at MUSC and is comprised of three core research components, an administrative core component, and a Pilot Project Program. Each core research component involves the investigation of the biological basis of sex differences in drug abuse reinstatement, craving and/or relapse, and treatment implications.
Specific Aim 1: To establish and maintain a multidisciplinary, translational program of research focused on gender-related issues in substance use disorders at MUSC.
Specific Aim 2: To provide common resources through the Administrative Core to assist investigators in increasing efficiency, maximizing scientific rigor and productivity, and collecting pilot data.
Specific Aim 3: To encourage and support the growth of gender-based research throughout the MUSC campus.
Specific Aim 4: To attract and mentor young investigators and new faculty in the area of research, particularly patient-oriented research, in women’s health issues.
Specific Aim 5: To provide a regional education and training resource for research in women’s health research.
