What Research Areas and Centers Does Morehouse School of Medicine Focus On?

Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) concentrates its research on health equity and the health of underserved populations, organized around named centers and institutes. According to the school's research pages, its portfolio spans cancer, cardiovascular disease, maternal health, neuroscience, primary care, digital health, natural products, and clinical and translational science, with a cross-cutting emphasis on health disparities and community-engaged research. The list below reflects the research units and programs named in MSM's site navigation; specific capabilities, leadership, and contact details should be confirmed on each unit's page.

Health Equity and Health Disparities

Two units anchor MSM's equity-focused research:

• Center of Excellence on Health Disparities — the school's central hub for disparities research.
• Office of Global Health Equity — extends the equity mission to global health work.

These sit alongside the school's stated mission to improve the health of people of color and underserved urban and rural populations in Georgia and the nation, which shapes how the research centers frame their work.

Disease- and Population-Specific Centers

The pairing of a cancer care and research unit with a community cancer health equity institute, and of a maternal health equity center with the broader disparities center, shows how MSM links laboratory and clinical work to community-level equity questions rather than treating them as separate tracks.

Clinical and Translational Research Infrastructure

MSM supports research through shared clinical and translational infrastructure:

• Clinical Research Center — a dedicated setting for clinical studies.
• Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute — a translational science partnership.
• Agile Clinical Trials (ACT) Training Program — training in clinical trial conduct.
• Human Research Protection Program and Institutional Review Board — the oversight structure for human-subjects research.
• Center for Laboratory Animal Resources — support for animal-based research.

For a prospective student or collaborator, this means MSM's research training and conduct are organized around a defined pipeline: training programs, a clinical research venue, translational partnerships, and formal human-subjects and animal-research oversight.

How to Use This Information

• Prospective students researching mentors or thesis areas should start with the center matching their field (for example, the Neuroscience Institute or Center for Maternal Health Equity) and then check the academic program pages for faculty and training links.
• Community or research partners should identify the center closest to the population or disease focus, since MSM's model pairs each area with a community or equity dimension.
• Anyone needing current details — active studies, faculty rosters, or contact information — should use the individual center pages under the Research section of msm.edu, as this overview reflects the units named in the site's navigation rather than their current programs.

The practical takeaway: MSM's research identity is best understood as health-equity research delivered through named disease- and population-specific centers, backed by clinical, translational, and training infrastructure. Match your interest to the relevant center first, then verify current activity on its page.