Health Sciences South Carolina announced the award of its first endowed chair matching grant, committing $5 million toward the establishment of the SmartState Center in Brain Imaging. The Center will serve as the impetus for an industrial cluster in the multidisciplinary field of brain imaging, integrating the intellectual resources of the University of South Carolina (USC) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) with new physical resources so the universities can compete together for funding, projects and people.
USC President Andrew Sorensen hailed the award as a “victory” for legislators and the people of South Carolina. “When the General Assembly agreed to make funding available to our state’s research universities through the South Carolina Research Centers of Economic Excellence Act, they created a window of opportunity for transforming South Carolina’s economy. Today, HSSC has responded by committing $5 million to advancing brain imaging clinical research and patient care. The SmartState Brain Imaging Center will allow USC and MUSC to accelerate the pace of research by leveraging USC’s expertise in cognitive neuroscience, computer science, engineering and public health and MUSC’s international reputation in brain imaging and new brain therapies, making South Carolina more competitive nationally and internationally,” Sorensen said.
The SmartState Center in Brain Imaging targets research projects focused on neuro-degenerative disease like stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease; serious health threats that are all too common in South Carolina. By working together, USC, MUSC, Palmetto Health, and Greenville Health System can use brain imaging to address real challenges and have a direct affect on the health status of all South Carolinians.
