The purpose of this study is to estimate the extent to which health care workers at MUSC who may have higher than average risk for exposure to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes an illness referred to as COVID-19, may have developed immunity to infection. Two groups of people will be asked to participate in this study. The first group is comprised of health care workers with a potentially higher risk of exposure who may have provided direct care or services for persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection as part of their work duties. The second group is comprised of employees whose job duties do not involve direct contact with patients. The purpose of the research is to determine if a certain marker in blood, IgG to SARS-CoV-2, can tell if participants may have been exposed to and now recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection and how seroprevalence changes over time during the current outbreak in this population of study subjects.

The goal of the study is to characterize the features of Infantile Hemangiomas before and after treatment. Certain characteristics of the hemangioma can be seen more clearly with a closer and more resolute image of the lesion (abnormal vessels etc.). Developing a greater understanding of these characteristics​ may help clinicians better predict the course of infantile hemangiomas in children.

Specific aim 1: to correlate images seen on dermoscopy with regression of the hemangioma.
Specific aim 2: to provide features that may help to predict a better response to treatment.

Trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) a form of nerve stimulation that is a safe and noninvasive way to activate the trigeminal nerve in the forehead. By stimulating the trigeminal nerve, we may be able to reduce sensitivity to various smells that are specifically sensed by the trigeminal nerve. This may help develop a new treatment for individuals that are over-sensitive to specific smells. The tools explored in this study are 1) Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (TNS) and 2) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). Both tools are non-invasive meaning that it does not involve any surgical procedures. TNS is a form of nerve stimulation that uses pulses of electricity delivered to stickers attached to the forehead. tDCS is a form of brain stimulation that uses sponges that are attached to your forehead which deliver a small, safe electrical current that activates your brain.

This study will examine the behaviors and brains of adults between the ages of 60 and 80. Our goal is to better understand changes associated with the aging process. This includes potential changes in behavior/cognition as well as potential biomarkers for these changes (i.e. biological data like DNA, brain scans or brain activity that are related to these changes). Participants in the study will complete a number of tests that measure their cognitive, language, and sensory abilities. We will collect information about their brains using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) and we will collect information about their genes using DNA extracted from blood samples. We will examine and compare the relationship between brain and behavior at 2 time points for the same 200 individuals. All data collected in this study will be stored in the Aging Brain Cohort repository study.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental health condition that increases suicide risk and affects up to 20% of military veterans and 8% of the general population. Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a highly efficacious, evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral therapy for PTSD. However, dropout rates are high (25-30%) and an estimated one-third of patients who complete PE remain symptomatic. This study directly addresses these limitations by obtaining patient perspectives on an innovative technology system that will help to personalize optimization of a critical component of PE: In Vivo Exposure (IVE).

This study explores the use of ear stimulation paired with magnetic brain stimulation to increase enhance plasticity in the motor area of the brain. In short - we are pairing 2 forms of brain stimulation and this study will have 5 different experimental visits during which healthy individuals will receive either real or placebo ear stimulation combined with real or placebo brain stimulation at the MUSC institute of Psychiatry. Motor outcomes will be recorded to determine if the combination of ear and brain stimulation increases cortical excitability.

The goal of this cohort and biorepository is to collect data and blood specimens on individuals with Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), pulmonary disease, and healthy adults to better understand the illness and ultimately improve the care and survival of those with these conditions.

This study will examine the neural circuitry associated with craving, behavioral disinhibition, and threat-reactivity. The study will involve 2 visits. During the first visit, participants will complete questionnaires and interviews in a private room and do some tests to measure alcohol use. During the second visit, participants will complete a neuroimaging scan of their brain.

Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) is a chronic autoimmune disease, characterized by dysregulation of immune cells in the blood and subsequent fibrosis and vascular dysfunction, associated with significant mortality and morbidity, disproportionately affecting women and African Americans, and without satisfactory treatments. Monocytes, a type of blood immune cells, are critically involved, but the mechanisms responsible for their deregulation in scleroderma remain largely unknown. The goal of this project is to understand how the regulation of monocytes differs between scleroderma and healthy individuals. Volunteers will be asked to provide a blood sample, for which modest compensation will be provided. This is not a drug study.

This is a laboratory study of the brain and bodily bases of emotional coping. The study examines how the brain and body respond in different coping environments, as well as how mental health concerns (anxiety, depression, etc.) affect responses in those environments. Participants wear sensors on their hands, arms, and head while performing a task where they control emotional images in different ways. In addition, participants answer a number of questions about mental health concerns they might have. Because anxiety, depression and related problems can fundamentally alter coping, this study could inform how such problems are identified and treated.