History has shown that the best way to optimize patient care is the take what we learn in research labs and apply it in a way that enhances patient care. That is the vision of the Charles P. Darby Children’s Research Institute (CRI). Opened in February 2005, the CRI is the largest and most comprehensive pediatric research facility in the Carolinas. The work being performed in the 150 state of the art laboratory modules raises the level of care not only at MUSC Children’s Hospital but also throughout the entire region. It allows our hospital to translate cutting-edge research into the latest treatments for the children of South Carolina. The 121,000 sq ft building provides space for researchers in 14 programs, each with investigators representing multiple departments and disciplines. The faculty of The Children’s Heart Center realize that participation in both laboratory and clinical research as the path towards a better future for our patients and their families. We are involved in a wide variety of projects with the hope for future impact and have received numerous grants to support these projects. Just a few of the most important include: - Understanding the basic development of the heart with the potential for identifying methods to modify the structure of the heart for a “natural” repair.
- Bioengineering of tissue structures such as vessels or valves made from a patient’s own cells to use in a surgical repair.
- Development and testing of proteins that help tissue heal without scars.
- Development and testing of new techniques for catheter ablation to treat heart rhythm abnormalities.
- One of 8 primary participating centers in the Pediatric Heart Network of the National Institutes of Health, a group that pioneers new clinical strategies for caring for children with heart disease.
- Development and participation in numerous clinical trials at MUSC to improve our patient care and procedural outcomes.
This commitment to research is evident in that the fellows and faculty of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology have amassed an impressive contribution to the field of Pediatric Cardiology and generated as author or co-author (2002-2007 numbers): - 176 papers in prominent peer reviewed journals
- 180 abstracts presented at international, national and regional meetings
- 25 chapters in prominent textbooks
- 222 invited talks to share their expertise at international, national and regional meetings
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