Science Never Sleeps

No one is ever ready to hear that they have a life-changing diagnosis. For patients and families, this news brings a whirlwind of emotions, fears, and uncertainties. This is especially true for patients who are diagnosed with lung diseases that can make it difficult to breathe, profoundly affecting daily life and leading to significant physical and emotional suffering. This is where palliative car...

For nearly a hundred years, science fiction stories have been giving us an idea of what living with artificial intelligence might be like. But we don't have to look to our favorite sci-fi to see artificial intelligence, also called AI, in action. It's already making an impact in our everyday lives whether we realize it or not. When you ask Alexa or Siri a question, unlock your phone using face rec...

The goal of biomedical research is to move healthcare innovations, like evidence-based programs and interventions, to places where patients can access them for their benefit. But there are often challenges to making this happen. One study estimates that less than half of clinical innovations make it into routine practice. This can be due to the time it takes to translate research into practice, a...

We inherit lots of things through our families. Sometimes they’re visible, like the color of our eyes or hair, and other things might not be so apparent, like how you react to caffeine or how athletic you are. These traits come from genes passed to us from our parents – we inherit two copies of each gene, one from each parent, and they act as the blueprints for our bodies. The genes we inherit can...

Language is the basis for all human connection. It allows us to communicate our ideas, express our feelings, and have discussions with the people in our lives. The language skills we develop as children lay the foundation for how we communicate as adults. Typically developing children begin speaking between 12-18 months and start regularly incorporating verbs around the age of 2. Research suggests...

As we age, our brains undergo changes that can lead to a range of cognitive issues that impact memory, decision-making, and overall mental sharpness. In a world where life expectancy continues to rise, the implications of cognitive decline extend far beyond the individual. The societal and economic consequences are vast, making the pursuit of effective interventions and preventive strategies more...

Potentially traumatic events that children may experience can include psychological, physical, or sexual abuse; community or school violence; racism-related traumas; witnessing or experiencing domestic violence; the sudden or violent loss of a loved one; and military family-related stressors like deployment, parental loss or injury. According to the Substance, Abuse, and Mental Health Services Adm...

As the highway for messages between the brain and body, the spinal cord is key to how we feel sensation and move our bodies. An injury to this critical pathway can be life-changing.  These injuries can impact all areas of a person's life, often causing full or partial paralysis and a range of complications from chronic pain to respiratory failure.  At one po...

When you think about how to be more healthy, one of the things you might think about is your body weight. When our body weight is higher than what is considered healthy for our height, we might be described as overweight or obese and some common health issues come to mind when we think about being overweight: Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. But body weight and related metabolic c...

Take a moment to think about the last time when you had an injury you could see. Maybe it was a scratch or scrape on your arm or leg, or even a cut on your finger. You probably knew what would happen next. Once the bleeding was under control, you expected a scab to form, and maybe wondered if you’d end up with a scar. At the center of this healing process was a cell called a fibroblast. Fibroblast...

Landing on the moon was the first big step in space exploration, opening a new frontier beyond our own atmosphere. Since then, researchers have been exploring the effects of space flight and micro-gravity on the human body. To stay in space for longer periods we need to understand the effects of space on our bodies. But can the things we’re learning about space flight and the human body provide an...

As we’ve weighed the options for protecting ourselves and our loved ones throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen just how important understanding the role of research can be. During the past two years we’ve had front row seats to research in action. We’ve heard about research that’s led to the discovery of variants, research that helped build the foundation of the vaccines, and research that helped us...

A conversation on how MUSC science innovates health care with Drs. Sunil Patel, Russell "Chip" Norris, and doctoral student Cortney Gensenmer on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, pulmonary support and palliative care have become critical healthcare needs. Dr. Kathleen Lindell, is well-versed in these issues. An associate professor in the College of Nursing, and the Mary Swain Endowed Chair in Palliative Care, Dr. Lindell has extensive clinical experience working to improve support available to patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IP...

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental disorder that is frequently mentioned but poorly understood. This episode's guest, Dr. Laura Arnstein Carpenter, specializes in Autism Spectrum Disorder and has much to offer us in understanding and clarifying this disease. Dr. Carpenter is a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. She received her PHD from Binghamton University an...

You may have noticed a label on one or more of your prescriptions advising you not to take that medication with grapefruit. That label is the result of the discovery of a compound in grapefruit that alters the absorption of certain medications, impacting the effectiveness of the drug. This discovery was made in 1996 by David Edwards and today's guest, Dr. Patrick Woster. Dr. Woster is Professor an...

Dr. Wally Renne is a Professor of Dental Medicine and Assistant Dean of Innovation in Digital Dentistry in the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine at MUSC. Wally was recently recognized as the world's best digital dentist from the International Digital Dental Academy, and was the recipient of the COVID-19 Innovation Award for 3D printing face mask designs to be used as PPE during the COVID...

Meniere's disease is an inner ear disease named after the physician who actually discovered it. The patients usually present with fluctuation of hearing loss, ringing in the ears, and episodes of dizziness characterized by a spinning sensation or an illusion of movement sensation that we call vertigo. Dr. Habib Rizk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surge...

One of the hardest addictions to manage or quit is smoking cigarettes. The CDC's latest analysis notes that smoking-related illness in the United States costs more than $300 billion each year, including nearly $170 billion for direct medical care for adults, more than $156 billion in lost productivity, including $5.6 billion in lost productivity due to secondhand smoke exposure. So what should we...

It is springtime, which means we are on the verge of regeneration of nature, our enthusiasm, and enjoyment of warmth and beauty. And so it is appropriate to turn our attention to regeneration as it relates to biomedical research and precision medicine as a tool in that research. Dr. Stephen Duncan is a professor and the chair in the Department of Regenerative Medicine and SmartState chair in liver...

The "War" on Cancer: Are We Winning? A Conversation with Dr. Denis Guttridge

The public has been hearing for months about the clinical trials conducted by various institutions and pharmaceutical companies related to the COVID-19 pandemic, but what does it mean to be involved in a clinical trial, and why would the public want to participate? What is the importance of clinical trials, what are the safeguards surrounding any clinical trial, and what do clinical trials offer t...

COVID-19: Is Our Past Our Future? A conversation with Dr. Mike Schmidt 

Dr. Lucinda A. Halstead is the Vice Chairman for Resident Education in the department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the Medical Director of the MUSC Evelyn Trammell Institute for Voice and Swallowing. Dr. Halstead founded the MUSC Voice Center in 1987 to support research and advanced care in laryngology, swallowing, voice, pediatric otolaryngology, and performing arts medicine. In...

Getting to the Genetic Heart of the Matter. A Conversation with Dr. Daniel Judge