The main research divisions in the Department of Psychiatry are:

Ranked 20th in the nation among departments of psychiatry in total research funding from the National Institutes of Health, MUSC psychiatry is the single largest research department in the College of Medicine.  Nationally recognized translational research is carried out in the Department’s Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs which includes a major Alcohol Research Center and involves extensive collaboration with basic science and other clinical departments.  The MUSC addictions program was ranked 8th in the nation by US News & World Report. 

Psychiatry researchers carry out clinical trials, including participation in national clinical trials networks, lead a center on women’s health, a family services research center, a national crime victims center, and a new brain imaging center of excellence.  Studies are underway utilizing transcranial magnetic stimulation, and a mood disorders clinic has been expanded to include a vagus nerve stimulation treatment and research program for patients with refractory depression. 

Researchers in geriatric psychiatry are focusing on Alzheimer’s disease, and extensive research is being carried out on posttraumatic stress disorder, particularly in the mental health division of the Veterans Administration hospital, located just two blocks from the Institute.