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Volunteers

Our mission is to offer individuals the opportunity to participate in clinical research by managing scientifically feasible and ethical clinical trials.

Why should I consider volunteering?

Clinical studies that are well-executed and well-designed are a good approach for eligible volunteers to:

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Take an active role in your healthcare and improve your quality of life.

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Obtain access to new investigational treatments

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Help other individuals by contributing to research

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What our volunteers are saying

My experience as a participant in a medical research study was very positive. I was unaware of the importance of medical research when Shana with the Renal Disease Research Institute (DNA/RDRI) reached out to me. She and Dr. Fischbach patiently walked me through the process for a research study that would last multiple years and could impact ever person suffering with the same genetic kidney disease my family had suffered with for many generations. I was able to read and re-read the consent documents and lab results. All of my questions, and there were many, were answered with honesty and deference. I never once felt as if my contribution to the study was taken for granted. I am glad I was able to participate for five years.

I am coming up on my 4th year working with this research team. They are a very knowledgeable group of nurses, doctors and researchers. They have always answered all of my questions and quickly addressed any concerns I may have. They are a committed staff, accommodating, and have actually treated me like friends and family versus a patient.

While I was a little anxious about joining a study, the experience has been extremely positive. The staff has always been very kind and accommodating. In general, most visits are very similar to a typical check-up. In fact, sometimes I am able to ask the physician questions about my kidney disease and get answers as issues or concerns come up. The study doctors were really great. Every research staff member has always been extremely kind. Shana, in particular, did her best to move appointments when I needed a different time and was very accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

A clinical trial is also called a research study. Under the supervision of a medical doctor and other research professionals, volunteers receive investigational treatments. These investigational treatments are made by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. These companies work with qualified physicians, also referred to as investigators, to oversee clinical trials to establish the benefits of investigational drugs.

In a clinical trial, a participant is usually assigned to a study group. Participants in one study group may receive a placebo while other participants may receive an investigational treatment.

A placebo is defined as an inactive product used to evaluate the experimental treatment’s helpfulness. The participant, research staff, and physician may not know which participant receives a placebo and which receives the real treatment. Not knowing which volunteers are receiving the real treatment allows the research staff and physician to impartially observe the participants during the study. In spite of which treatment participants receive, however, the level of medical care and attention that they receive is the same.

This decision is entirely up to you. There are a number of reasons why people participate in a clinical study:

  • Some participants have a medical diagnosis that is being managed effectively but wish to help scientists find out more about it so that new treatments can be developed.
  • It is possible that there is not a current treatment for a particular disease, or that the existing treatment has difficult side effects. Volunteering in a clinical study could offer treatment options that may otherwise be unavailable.
  • People sometimes choose to volunteer for a study even if it does not help them directly. For them, knowing that others could benefit from their efforts is rewarding.
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Clinical research studies are necessary to prove that a medicine or treatment is both safe and effective. 

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