Physicians from around the world come to Charleston to receive training in cardiovascular imaging and participate in our research. MUSC runs a variety of very successful educational conferences on cardiovascular imaging, including our monthly cardiac CT course. MUSC faculty are in high demand as speakers at medical conferences around the globe.

Our collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to cardiovascular imaging, advanced equipment and our extremely active, international research group make MUSC a hotbed for cutting edge cardiovascular imaging research. Currently, state-of-the-art 64-slice CT scanners are available in the Emergency Department and the Heart & Vascular Center. At Rutledge Tower, we operate a Dual-Source CT scanner, the most cutting edge machine on the market for cardiac CT. MR scanners capable of cardiac imaging are available throughout MUSC. Immediate future plans for scanner updates include the installation of a Dual-Source scanner in the Emergency Department and upgrades of the existing MR scanner fleet. The future Heart & Vascular Center in the new hospital facility will be equipped with dedicated, cutting edge machinery, including MR scanners with the latest cardiac applications, Dual-Source CT, and SPECT-CT.

The major focus of cardiovascular imaging research at MUSC is non-invasive imaging of the heart, coronary arteries and other vessels throughout the body. Various research projects are ongoing, evaluating novel imaging techniques for coronary artery stenosis, assessment of myocardial infarction, diagnosis of acute chest pain, and congenital cardiovascular disorders, just to name a few.