Registries Help Participants and Researchers
August 15th, 2018
Most people think of babies or weddings when they hear the word “registry,” but some registries can actually help to improve health. A “research registry” is a list of individuals who volunteer to provide information about themselves for researchers to study; most registries also ask participants to agree to be contacted about future research opportunities. Some registries collect information about people who have a specific disease or condition, while others enroll participants of any age and health status.
Thanks to our strong history of research in Pittsburgh, local residents have many options to join research registries. The Pitt+Me Registry at the University of Pittsburgh is open to children and adults of any age and health status, and features over 300 studies on a variety of topics. Another popular registry at Pitt is hosted by the Center for Social & Urban Research (UCSUR). In addition to health topics, the UCSUR Regional Research Registry features studies about social, economic, and policy issues.
Other research registries at the University of Pittsburgh focus on more specific populations or topics:
- For older adults, the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center has a Community Registry for people ages 60 and up who live at home, and a Platinum Senior-Living Research Registry for people ages 55 and up who live in senior-living communities.
- The Human Engineering Research Lab Registry offers research opportunities for people who use assistive devices like wheelchairs, scooters, and artificial limbs.
- The HIV Prevention Research Registry is open to adult men and women interested in studies aimed at stopping the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
- Other registries are available for people diagnosed with asthma, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and emphysema or COPD.
Outside of Pitt, at Carnegie Mellon University, any adult can sign up for the Center for Behavioral and Decision Research registry to learn more about studies related to behavior, economics, psychology, and marketing.
By joining a registry, you just might find a study that can help you or someone you love, or you may help a researcher make a new discovery. Are you interested in joining a registry? Visit any of the links in this article, or call the Pitt+Me Call Center at 1-866-438-8230 for more information.