South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center logo and South Carolina State University logo

The South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center (SC CADRE), a partnership between MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and South Carolina State University (SCSU), aims to create a diverse future generation of cancer researchers specially trained to improve cancer health outcomes for South Carolinians.

The center is co-directed by Marvella Ford, Ph.D., at Hollings and Judith Salley, Ph.D., at SCSU. The center’s mission is to incorporate community engagement as these two institutions join forces to build a lasting, sustainable, translational cancer research structure at SCSU and further strengthen a research education pipeline that will provide a new diverse generation of cancer researchers.

Given the longstanding academic partnership between these two institutions, each entity’s research and educational strengths, and the community relationships they have to draw upon, the SC CADRE is poised to transform cancer health outcomes in the state.

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Cores

The SC CADRE Cores oversee outreach, engagement, research, education, evaluation and management for the program.
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Research Projects

SC CADRE research projects are co-led by researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and South Carolina State University.
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Shared Resources

The SC CADRE Shared Resources provide support, education, training, expanded research capacity and analytical resources.

SC CADRE Themes

  • Evaluate the relationship between obesity and prostate and breast cancer disparities.
  • Investigate how advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may serve as a novel biomarker related to cancer, cancer disparities and obesity.
  • Include in the research base a population unique to the US southeastern coastal region, the Sea Island/Gullah population.

Publications

If you are publishing research that involves the SC CADRE grant, please cite the relevant grant number:

graphic that says Cite it Submit it Share it and lists the SC CADRE grant numbers U54 CA210962 (MUSC) and U54 CA210963 (SCSU)

SC CADRE Publications

SC CADRE researchers and collaborators publish their findings on a wide range of topics in leading industry journals.

View Publications

News Highlights

Taryn Sparkman, an SCSU undergraduate who conducts summer cancer research at MUSC with support from SC CADRE. She is also a LOWVELO scholar.

White Coat Ceremony

The MUSC Hollings Cancer Center white coat ceremony inspires HBCU students to pursue research careers.
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Engaging Undergrads

A special course on topics in cancer research for undergraduates at SC State University culminated in a tour at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.

Dr. Gerard Silvestri and Dr. Marvella Ford stand together in a garden

Expanding Screenings

With a grant from The Duke Endowment, a new project at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center has ambitious goals to increase screening rates for five cancers.
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Cancer Health Equity Symposium

Consider "place, space and ancestry" when investigating health disparities, said the keynote speaker at a cancer health equity symposium at Hollings.

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Next Generation

A dozen undergrads, mostly from historically Black colleges, are spending the summer concentrating on cancer research at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.

Alexander Alekseyenko, Ph.D., left, and Marvella Ford, Ph.D., right

Data Dive

A new joint program at MUSC and Clemson University will offer training in how to harness big data to identify and address health inequities.

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Yogic Breathing

A Hollings researcher is investigating how yogic breathing may help cancer patients’ quality of life and health.

Dr. Gerard Silvestri and Dr. Marvella Ford stand together in a garden

SU2C Grant

Hollings received its first Stand Up to Cancer grant that will make it part of a group addressing lung cancer disparities.
Dr. Janae Sweeney stands in the biorepository at South Carolina State University

Biorepository Expands

The collaborative biorepository project between MUSC and SCSU is expanding with the hopes of reaching more medically underserved communities.