Administrative Core

The overall goal of the Administrative Core is to coordinate the development of the Core Center for Clinical Research at MUSC. Our approach combines responsible management, fiscal accountability, comprehensive programmatic strategies, a pilot project program, and a multifaceted program evaluation.  Jim Oates, M.D., with assistance from Richard Silver, M.D., as Associate Director, and an Executive Committee that includes the core directors, health disparities experts and key research base members, direct the core.

Administrative Core Leadership & Staff

Director:

Jim Oates, M.D., Professor and Division Director, Rheumatology and Immunology; Vice Chair for Research, Department of Medicine

As Center Director, Dr. Oates is responsible for planning, directing, and implementing all aspects of the Center's activities. This includes monthly meetings with the Executive Committee and regular communication with project leaders, co-investigators, and advisory committees. He is responsible for selecting visiting speakers on subjects of interest to the CCCR and for all CCCR publicity. Dr. Oates reviews all Center publications and is accountable for the scientific and financial activities of the Center.

Associate Director:

Richard M. Silver, M.D., Distinguished University Professor, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology; Vice Chair for Development, Department of Medicine

As Associate Director, Dr. Silver assists with administrative and scientific aspects of the Center. As a well-established clinical investigator focusing on scleroderma, Dr. Silver's scientific expertise and ongoing collaborations are an asset in helping administer the broad spectrum of activities in the CCCR. He is responsible for overseeing the scleroderma component of the CCCR, recruitment of additional research base members from the scleroderma research community. He also is in charge of the pilot project program, including working with SCTR staff regarding adaptation and use of the web-based platform for soliciting applications, and assigning for review, peer-reviewing and collating scores, monitoring awards, and tracking progress of the pilot projects.

Administrative Coordinator:

Terri Lynn Mills, Administrative Coordinator, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology

Mrs. Mills has excellent organizational skills and is responsible for facilitating communication between all CCCR investigators, Advisory Committee members, and invited speakers. She performs all center-related word processing, records minutes at meetings, distributes memos and correspondence, coordinates travel arrangements, processes reimbursement requests, and maintains the Director's calendar and CCCR correspondence files.