Brain imaging expert comes to MUSC
S.C. has the nation's second highest mortality rate from stroke and the fourth highest mortality rate from Alzheimer's disease
Dr. Paul Morgan One of the world's top brain imaging scientists will soon be working in South Carolina because of the state's Centers of Economic Excellence (CoEE) Program.
Dr. Paul Morgan, an expert in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), has been recruited as the first endowed chair for the Brain Imaging CoEE, one of 41 research centers funded by the State of South Carolina through the S.C. Research Centers of Economic Excellence Act.
The Brain Imaging CoEE is a public- private partnership between two of S.C.'s research universities, the University of South Carolina (USC) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and non- state partners Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC) (including member hospital Palmetto Health), Siemens, Central Carolina Community Foundation, and other private individuals. Each non- state partner has contributed a portion of the dollar- for- dollar match required to equal the state's $5 million investment.
Recruited from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, Dr. Morgan's appointment comes after an extensive international search by MUSC and USC. An established innovator in the medical applications of MRI, especially in the areas of childhood brain tumors and leukemia, Dr. Morgan will hold his appointment at MUSC, where he will be working on developing new therapies for childhood tumors and also will be seeking new uses for MRI equipment.
Research conducted at the Brain Imaging CoEE is particularly relevant in South Carolina, which has the nation's second- highest mortality rate from stroke and the fourth-highest mortality rate from Alzheimer's disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Morgan will lead a team of scientists researching new treatments and possible cures for neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Their findings could potentially lead to commercial developments in a number of industries, including medical device manufacturing and MRI hardware and software technology. The Center also has the potential to produce brain-related technologies, such as lie detection, with applications for defense and law enforcement.
Because the Brain Imaging CoEE includes a statewide network of high- - powered MRI machines at MUSC, Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center, and Palmetto Health, it also is extremely attractive to pharmaceutical and medical device companies that want to conduct clinical trials of new drugs and devices in South Carolina.
As Morgan explains: "The expansion of worldclass MRI facilities throughout South Carolina for both clinical and neurosciences research provides a unique opportunity for me to build a critical mass of researchers focused on undertaking successful and high impact translational research using advanced MRI techniques."
In addition to his CoEE endowed chair appointment, Dr. Morgan will serve as associate professor of radiology and radiological science, director of translational MRI research, and director of the Center for Advanced Imaging Research, all at MUSC.
"We are extremely pleased to have a scientist of Dr. Morgan's caliber join S.C.'s research community as the endowed chair for the Brain Imaging CoEE," says MUSC Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. John Raymond. "We welcome Dr. Morgan and look forward to being part of his leading- edge work."
USC Vice President for Research and Health Sciences, Dr. Harris Pastides, adds that S.C.'s CoEE Program and HSSC have given the state's research universities the opportunity to recruit some of the world's top scientists working in fields that can fuel the state's economy and improve health status. "The field of MRI research offers unlimited opportunities for the development of new technologies that can be licensed and commercialized. Dr. Morgan is known for his excellent organizational and interpersonal skills and his adeptness as a collaborator. He will make a fine leader for the Brain Imaging CoEE and its efforts to advance the state's economy and public health."
"Dr. Morgan brings the intellectual talent, experience and energy our state lawmakers were looking for when they established the CoEE Program," notes HSSC President and CEO Jay Moskowitz. "He will definitely serve as a 'spark' that will ignite many others in our state's research labs, hospitals, clinical training programs, and economic development efforts.
Dr. Morgan's work is about the people of South Carolina, says CoEE Review Board Chair Paula Harper Bethea. "There is so much potential for Dr. Morgan's research to make an impact on the health and well- being of South Carolinians and their families. He is another outstanding addition to the group of world-class CoEE researchers who are working to save and improve lives."
