Administrative Core

The Administrative Core (Admin Core) is pivotal in steering and unifying SC-ADRC efforts to advance AD/ADRD research, orchestrating strategic priorities, facilitating collaboration, and ensuring accountability. By fostering communication and promoting synergy among researchers, the Admin Core cultivates an environment conducive to scientific breakthroughs.

The Admin Core also oversees a competitive DPP, encouraging high-impact AD/ADRD studies, particularly from early-career researchers. Through rigorous evaluation and continuous improvement, it guarantees the Center's long-term effectiveness and sustainability.

The SC-ADRC’s Principal Investigators, Drs. Steven Carroll, Lesley Ross, and Leonardo Bonilha, have a highly unique relationship with complementary expertise representing basic, translational, clinical, and population sciences in AD/ADRD research across the three institutions.

Ultimately, the SC-ADRC Admin Core serves as the linchpin connecting researchers, institutions, and resources, driving towards a deeper understanding of AD/ADRD and better therapeutic outcomes for those affected.

The SC-ADRC leverages resources, team members, and community partnerships across the three largest research institutions in SC, as well as the largest not-for-profit and private health systems in SC, to optimize collaboration, training, clinical, and educational opportunities across the entire state. This collaboration enables the SC-ADRC to operate in a rich and dynamic environment of AD/ADRD research that provides premium-quality, innovative, and collaborative research infrastructure and intellectual capital while reducing administrative burden and bureaucracy. MUSC, Clemson, and USC are research-intensive institutions with a depth of experience in administering complex federally funded center grants. The three institutions have complementary strengths: MUSC is SC’s only comprehensive academic health science center and the oldest medical school in the southern US; Clemson is the SC land-grant institution focused on community education, rural health, science, public health, computer science, and engineering; and USC is a comprehensive university with considerable strength in biomedical research, engineering, public health, medicine, social work, exercise physiology, computer science, and community engagement.
A strong area of innovation is our collective partnership with the RHJVAMC, which the SC-ADRC has a strong relationship with. The RHJVAMC provides comprehensive care to veterans along the SC and Georgia coasts and has a high-volume of VA- and NIH-funded research. This partnership will provide strong support for the SC-ADRC and our focus on veteran populations–a group which is at greater risk for AD/ADRD.
Together, MUSC, USC and Clemson are directly associated with the clinical care of multiple regions in the state of SC, ranging from urban centers to predominantly rural areas. This is particularly important since 27% of the population of SC resides in rural areas, including regions where the prevalence of ADRD is notably high. Of note, Clemson Rural Health serves rural and underserved areas without medical care, and it is participating in several cores of the SC-ADRC.