The goal of this study is to understand how positive and negative social experiences affect epigenetic marks and gene function, and thereby influence lupus in African American women. This study requires one study visit to answer a few questionnaires and donate a blood sample. We are looking for volunteers with and without lupus to participate. For more information on the study details please click this link https://musc.co/sela. Compensation is available.

Underserved, racial and ethnic minority communities are experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 cases and associated mortality compared to whites due to long standing social and structural inequities that also drive disparities in chronic diseases such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Patients with underlying chronic diseases who are recovering from COVID-19 depend on the support of family and friends (informal caregivers/care partners) who are being exposed to the same pandemic and racial stressors, exposure that can affect the health and quality of life of both partners. The primary goal of this study is to test the efficacy of an adapted, telehealth-enhanced intervention that targets barriers impacting family illness management behaviors of Black/African American (AA) adult COVID-19 survivors and carepartner dyads for improved quality of life and COVID/chronic illness health related outcomes.

Older adults typically have trouble identifying the speech they hear, especially in noisy environments. Fortunately, compared to younger adults, older adults are better able to compensate for difficulties identifying the speech they hear by recruiting the visual system. However, the extent to which older adults can benefit from visual input, and how this influence relates to age-related changes in brain structure and function, have not been thoroughly investigated. The general purpose of this study is to determine how age-related changes in brain structure and function affect how well people hear and see. This study seeks participants with normal hearing to mild hearing loss, who also have normal or corrected-to-normal vision.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus; SLE), Systemic Sclerosis (scleroderma; SSc) and Systemic Vasculitis (SV) are relatively rare rheumatic diseases that disproportionately impact the African American community, and particularly African American women. The causes of lupus, scleroderma and vasculitis are unknown, but thought to include both genetic and environmental factors. We are enrolling lupus, scleroderma, and vasculitis patients, and healthy control subjects. This is not a drug study. The purpose of this study is to better understand the factors that predispose people to develop lupus, scleroderma, and vasculitis. Information about medical, social and family history, medications, physical exam findings, and laboratory tests will be collected for analysis. This study will involve approximately 1360 volunteers.

This study if for patients that have a blood disease and it's been determined that the best option for treating that blood disease is a cord blood transplant. Cord blood (CB) is blood that is taken from the umbilical cord and placenta of healthy newborn babies after childbirth. The cord blood collected from a newborn baby is called a cord blood unit. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers cord blood to be a biological drug. These are considered "investigational" products. This study will evaluate the safety of administration of the investigational cord blood units by carefully documenting all infusion-related problems.

The primary purposes of this study are to:
•Provide access to cord blood units for recipients whose best choice for a cord blood unit(s) do not meet all FDA standards, but do meet standards set by the NMDP on this study.
•Assess how well and how quickly blood counts return to normal after transplant in recipients on this study.