Clinical Research Studies at NCRC
What are clinical research studies and why they are necessary?
Clinical research studies involve the voluntary participation of human participants, under regulatory oversight and informed consent. There are different types of clinical research studies: clinical trials (or interventional studies) and observational studies. Clinical research studies are important because they add to generalizable medical knowledge and may lead to the development of new ways to improve health or to prevent, diagnose, or treat medical conditions. Clinical research studies may impact future generations.
A lead physician-scientist also called a principal investigator oversees each clinical research study along with a trained and qualified support team.
How can I take part in a study?
If you are interested in participating in a clinical research study, the study team will provide you with precise information about the purpose and course of the study. If you decide to participate, your participation is voluntary. You can withdraw your consent at any time.
Some studies are done online, while others involve one or more study visits (appointments). Some studies offer compensation.
View a list of studies currently enrolling at the North Carolina Research Campus.
Join a Clinical Research Study
Environmental Skin Exposure Study
Compensation:
Compensation of up to $750 for completing the study. Withdrawal from the study before completion will reduce compensation.
Eligibility:
- Identify as a woman between the ages of 18 and 65 and do not take hormones
- Have no history of skin disease, skin allergies, skin dryness, or skin sensitivities
- Do not smoke any substances
- Are not taking any oral/topical antibiotics or photosensitizing medications
- Have not used tanning beds in the last 6 months and are willing to avoid sun or UV exposure on your arms during the study by wearing long sleeves when outside
- Are willing to refrain from using body washes/soaps, perfume, lotions, creams, and sunscreens on your arms throughout the entire study (a body wash will be provided)
Participate:
Call 704-250-5492 or email kannapolis_studies@ncsu.edu for more info.
Metabotypes of Dietary Compounds Study
The Metabotypes of dietary compounds influenced by human gut microbiota will help researchers better understand how food plays an important part in our health and how the food is broken down after being eaten.
Compensation:
All eligible participants will be financially compensated.
Eligibility:
- Between 18-65 years old
- Willing to complete a 5-day food diary
- Willing to provide a stool sample
Participate:
Email us or call (704) 250-5798 to learn more.
OI Study
The OI study wants to hear about people’s experiences with leg prosthetic devices and ask what’s important to them when considering a new prosthesis. Our goal is to help improve the design of clinical trials focused on the development of osseointegrated (OI) prostheses.
Compensation:
All eligible participants will be financially compensated.
Eligibility:
- Ages 22 to 65
- Have a leg prosthesis (socket or osseointegrated)
- Comfortable reading and speaking English
Participate:
Email the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute or call 704-273-5456.
BACk Study
The Biomarkers to Advance Clinical Phenotypes of Low Back Pain (BACk) study looks at how acute back pain may transition to chronic back pain. This research will help us search for a deeper understanding of pain.
Compensation:
All eligible participants will be financially compensated.
Eligibility:
- Age 18 or older
- Experiencing sudden low back pain with no specific cause in the past four weeks
Participate:
Email the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute or call 704-273-5456.
All of Us North Carolina
North Carolinians, we need your help. Medical research hasn’t always seen you. We’re changing that. We are working with the All of Us Research Program, from the National Institutes of Health, to help speed up health research.
All of Us is looking for participants in Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, and surrounding areas. We hope that at least one million people will join from across the U.S. People who join will share information about their health, habits, what it’s like where they live, and if they will want information about their DNA. By looking for patterns in this information, researchers may learn more about what affects people’s health. Your participation is a legacy for future generations.
Compensation: N/A
Eligibility:
- Adults 18 and over living in the US
Participate:
Learn more or sign up online at joinallofus.org/north-carolina
Email us at allofus_unc@unc.edu or call (800) 561-0315.
Children’s Health Study
The Children’s Health Study is to identify genes and lifestyle factors that affect children’s health status and overall well-being.
Compensation:
All eligible participants will be financially compensated.
Eligibility:
- Kids and teens ages 5-19 and their parents
- Located in Cabarrus and neighboring counties
Participate:
Email vorugantiresearch@unc.edu or call (704) 250-5055 to learn more.
Infant Nutrition and Cognitive Study
The Infant Nutrition and Cognitive Study is to determine if eating eggs during breastfeeding will increase nutrients important for brain development in the milk and subsequently, improve infant cognition.
Compensation:
Eligible participants will be compensated up to $225.
Eligibility:
- Healthy lactating women at 12-15 weeks postpartum with babies who were born at 38 weeks or after
Participate:
Email the Cheatham Nutrition and Coginitive Lab or call (704) 250-5018 to learn more.
HONOR Study
The HONOR Study is currently seeking providers of diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) to Black adults with type 2 diabetes for a 60 minute virtual interview.
Compensation:
Providers will be compensated $100 for their participation.
Eligibility:
- Provide DSMES
- Treat patients who identify as Black adults with type 2 diabetes
- We want your perspective on factors that influence your patients’ eating behaviors and patterns
Participate:
Call (704) 250-5093 or email LFLstudies@unc.edu or visit https://bit.ly/providerscreener
Fecal Metabolome of African Americans Study
The Fecal Metabolome of African Americans Study will help researchers better understand how food plays an important part in our health and how the food is broken down after being eaten.
Compensation:
All eligible participants will be financially compensated.
Eligibility:
- Between 18-65 years old
- BMI between 18-25 or 30-40
- African American descent
Participate:
Email sanglabncat.com or call (704) 250-5798 to learn more.
The Agile Study
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are studying innovative ways to promote healthy eating and physical activity in young adults using a smartphone app and digital health tools. We are seeking volunteers to enroll in a 6-month research study that tests a smartphone-delivered weight loss program designed specifically for young adults.
Compensation: N/A
Eligibility:
- Currently age 18-39
- Have a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 45 (use the calculator here to compute your BMI)
- Are interested in following a program to support you in building healthy eating and activity habits to help you manage your weight
- Own a smartphone with data and text messaging plan
Participate:
Additional eligibility criteria apply. More information about the study can be found at www.joinagile.org.
Find out if you are eligible here.
This study (IRB #20-0765) was approved by the UNC-CH Institutional Review Board on 7/26/22.
Duke Volunteer Registry
The Duke Volunteer Registry is for people who would like to join future research studies. We will use your health information to help determine whether you may be eligible for future research studies. We will contact you about studies you may be able to join.
Compensation: There is no compensation for joining the registry.
Eligibility:
- Age 18 or older
- Valid email address
- We need both healthy volunteers and people with medical conditions
Participate:
Email the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute or call (704) 273-5456 to learn more.
PREVENTABLE Study
Could taking a commonly used heart medication prevent dementia? By taking part in the PREVENTABLE Study, you could help us learn if taking a statin is helpful to preserve cognitive function in older adults.
Compensation:
All eligible participants will be financially compensated.
Eligibility:
- Age 75 or older
- Not taking a statin
- Do not have heart disease (heart attack or stroke)
- Do not have dementia
Participate:
Email the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute or call (704) 273-5456 to learn more.
Enrollment Closed
Food as Medicine
We are interested in looking at the effects of consumption of study nutritional formulations on heart and gut health.
APOL1 Study
The APOL1 Study will help researchers better understand why people of African ancestry are four times more likely to develop kidney disease than Caucasians.
PROMOTE Study
The PROMOTE Study is about Type 2 diabetes and will see whether a test product can improve insulin sensitivity.
Fish Oil Supplement Study
The Fish Oil Supplement Study is to evaluate the effect of a fish oil supplement on human health.
Satisfy Study
Researchers at the School of Social Work and the Nutrition Research Institute, UNC-CH are conducting a 6-month research study where participants will learn how to self-monitor their episodes of hunger and fullness and improve their eating behaviors.
Fructose-Liver Fat Study
The Fructose-Liver Fat Study is to identify genetic and dietary factors that affect the risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Transitions Low Back Pain Study
The Transitions Low Back Pain study will look at how acute back pain may transition to chronic back pain.