CURRENT STUDIES THAT MAY INTEREST YOU


Strategies to Promote Resiliency (SPRY) Study

Are you planning to have an elective surgery at UPMC? Are you 60 years of age or older and non-diabetic? You may be able to participate in a study to see if an investigational drug will help lessen complications and increase better outcomes after surgery. This study involves taking a study drug, optional blood samples, and completing questionnaires. Compensation is provided.

Age Range
AGE:   60 and up

Duration DURATION:  Up to 21 months
Location LOCATION: 

All UPMC Hospital Locations
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $200

COVID-19 Vaccine Multiple Sclerosis Survey Study - Participants with and without MS

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are seeking adults with and without a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis or other neuroinflammatory disease for a survey study to help understand your feelings about the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants in this research study may or may not have already received the COVID-19 vaccine. Participation involves completing multiple surveys over one year

NO IN-PERSON VISITS REQUIRED
 
Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  12 months
VISITS:  Multiple online surveys
Location LOCATION: 

Online
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

None

ENCORE fMRI Study for People with OCD

Do you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and are between the ages of 18-35? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to learn more about the brains of people with OCD. Compensation provided.

Age Range
AGE:   18 - 35

Duration VISITS:  2 visits
Location LOCATION: 

Oakland – Loeffler Building and UPMC Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center (MRRC) at UPMC Presbyterian
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $105 + travel/parking expenses

LATTICE Study

Do you have trouble with your memory or concentration? Are you age 60 or older? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to find out if the medication lithium can prevent or slow down memory loss. Compensation is provided.

Age Range
AGE:   60 and older

Duration DURATION:  2 years
VISITS:  Multiple
Location LOCATION: 

UPMC Presbyterian Hospital & Biomedical Science Tower 3 (Oakland)
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $820

All of Us Pennsylvania Research Program

You may be able to change the future of medicine. The All of Us PA Research Program is enrolling adults 18 years of age or older. This may be your chance to improve how your children and your children’s children receive medical care.

Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration VISITS:  one initial visit
Location LOCATION: 

Convenient locations near you including Altoona, Monroeville, North Hills, Oakland, Philadelphia, Shadyside, the South Hills and more!

Compensation COMPENSATION: 

$25.00 gift card

Multimodal Connectome Study – Congenital Heart Disease

Are you an adult between ages 18-60 years old who has Congenital Heart Disease? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a study to help researchers determine if differences in how the brain is formed and how it functions can predict behavior variations in different populations. Must be willing and able to undergo MRI scanning. Involves one study visit. Compensation provided.

Age Range
AGE:   18-60

Compensation COMPENSATION: 

$75.00


RESTORE Study

Do you experience dizziness or light-headedness or feel like you are going to faint when you stand up? Have you been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, pure autonomic failure, non-diabetic autonomic neuropathy, or dopamine beta-hydroxylase deficiency? You may be able to participate in a research study to see if a drug called droxidopa can help. Compensation provided.

Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  Up to 9 months
VISITS:  Up to 18
Location LOCATION: 

University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurology – Kaufmann Medical Building
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $700


MyPaTH Story Booth – COVID-19 Stories

Participants are invited to share how they are maintaining their health during the coronavirus pandemic, or to share what it is like being ill with COVID-19 and/or caring for a loved one who is ill with COVID-19. Participation in this research study involves one 45-minute session that takes place over the phone. Eligible participants must be able to read and understand English.

Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  About 45 minutes
VISITS:  No in-person visits
Location LOCATION: 

By phone
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

None

MyPaTH Story Booth 2.0

Interested in sharing your story about health, illness, or research? Patients and caregivers are needed to participate in a research study to help learn more about topics that are important to you and that may improve health and health care. Participation involves one 45-minute session that takes place over the phone. Eligible participants must be able to read and understand English.

Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  45 minutes
VISITS:  1 visit or phone call
Location LOCATION: 

By phone

SCS-90 Study

Do you have a leg amputation above the ankle and below the knee? Did your amputation occur more than 6 months ago? You may be able to participate in a research study to help develop a neuroprosthetic device that stimulates nerves with the goal of producing sensations that feel like they come from the amputated limb. Eligible participants are 22-70 years old. Compensation is provided.

Age Range
AGE:   22-70

Duration DURATION:  Up to 9 months
VISITS:  Up to 50
Location LOCATION: 

University of Pittsburgh - Oakland
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

up to $3,300

Fatigue in Patients with ALS

Have you been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)? You may be able to participate in a research study to help find out if breathing exercises result in immediate fatigue that may lead to complications in people who have ALS, and to find out if a small noninvasive sensor attached to the throat can measure swallowing fatigue. Involves 2 in-person visits. Compensation is provided.

Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  About 3 hours total
VISITS:  2
Location LOCATION: 

UPMC Presbyterian Hospital - Oakland
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $50

Cancer and Cognition Research Study - GIST

Do you have a newly diagnosed gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), but have not yet started treatment? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help learn more about possible changes in memory and concentration over time in people being treated for GIST. Participants will complete four assessments over one year via online surveys and telephone interviews.

NO IN-PERSON VISITS REQUIRED
 
Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  1 year
VISITS:  4 assessments (no in-person visits)
Location LOCATION: 

Online & By Phone
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

None

Movement Disorders Research Registry

Do you have a movement disorder? If so, you may be able to participate in the Movement Disorders Registry. This registry is a list of individuals who are interested in being contacted about future research studies.

NO IN-PERSON VISITS REQUIRED
 
Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration VISITS:  None Required
Location LOCATION: 

By email or phone

COVID-19 and Multiple Sclerosis Survey Study – Participants with and without MS

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh are seeking participants with and without a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis for a survey study to help better understand the risk and impact of COVID-19. Participation in this research study involves completing multiple surveys online over the course of one year.

NO IN-PERSON VISITS REQUIRED
 
Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  1 year
VISITS:  No in-person visits; multiple online surveys
Location LOCATION: 

Online
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

None

Mood and Personality Research Study

Have you been diagnosed with (or tested for) borderline personality disorder (BPD), and are aged 18-45? You may be able to take part in a research study to help learn more about brain function in people with BPD. This study involves interviews and an MRI scan. Participants will be compensated.

Age Range
AGE:   18 - 45

Duration VISITS:  Multiple
Location LOCATION: 

Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic and UPMC Presbyterian
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $175

A Sensorimotor Microelectrode Brain-Machine Interface

Do you have limited or no ability to use both hands due to a cervical spinal cord injury, or a brainstem or spinal stroke? Are you age 22-70? This study involves the implantation of multiple sensors in the brain for approximately 1 year. Once the sensors are placed, participants will undergo training to learn to use brain activity to control computer cursors, video games, and a robotic arm.

Age Range
AGE:   22 - 70

Duration DURATION:  25 months
VISITS:  Multiple
Location LOCATION: 

UPMC Presbyterian Hospital – Oakland
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $14,810 & travel costs

Electrode Headgear Testing Study

Do you use an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device or do you have ALS? If so, you may be interested in helping researchers by testing a newly designed dry electrode headset. Involves 1 session lasting up to 4 hours that will include communication tasks, such as copying sentences and describing a picture, along with completion of an online survey. Compensation is provided.

Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  Up to 4 hours
VISITS:  1
Location LOCATION: 

Forbes Tower – Oakland or ICAN Talk Clinic – Carnegie, PA
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

$50.00


Real World Testing of AAC-BCI

Do have a have a severe disability, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, or locked-in syndrome? If so, you may be interested in participating in a study that would provide an augmentative and alternative communication system with brain computer interface access that could be used in the home. Eligible participants require wheelchair assistive technology.

Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  Up to 2 years
VISITS:  Monthly visits to your home
Location LOCATION: 

ICAN Talk Clinic – Carnegie, PA & your home
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

None

ForAging: Facilitating Optimal Routines in Aging

Are you age 60 or older and do you have difficulty managing daily tasks such as shopping, paying bills, managing medications, etc.? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a research study to help find out if regular sessions with a rehabilitation specialist can help older adults improve their performance of daily activities. Compensation is provided.

Age Range
AGE:   60 and older

Duration DURATION:  About 15 months
VISITS:  Varies
Location LOCATION: 

UPMC Presbyterian Hospital & Participant’s Home
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $300

Remote Wheelchair Maintenance Training Program

Do you use a wheelchair as your primary means of mobility (over 40 hours a week) due to a traumatic spinal cord injury? If so, you may be interested in participating in a research study to find out if an online training program designed to teach people how to improve wheelchair maintenance techniques is effective. Compensation provided.

NO IN-PERSON VISITS REQUIRED
 
Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  Varies
Location LOCATION: 

Online
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Varies based on participation

Dementia with Lewy Bodies Consortium (DLBC)

Do you have diagnosed or suspected dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), mild cognitive impairment that may progress to DLB, or Parkinson’s disease dementia? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help learn more about DLB and find better ways to identify and treat the disease in the future. Compensation is provided.

Age Range
AGE:   40 - 90

Duration DURATION:  About 5 years
VISITS:  8 visits
Location LOCATION: 

UPMC Montefiore Hospital, UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, & Kaufmann Medical Building
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $1,350 + parking reimbursement

EASE Study: Managing Emotions for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Do you have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are 18-21 years old? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help find out if a new program called Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement (EASE) can help young adults with ASD manage their emotions. Compensation provided.

Age Range
AGE:   18 - 21

Duration DURATION:  About 6 months
VISITS:  Multiple
Location LOCATION: 

Webster Hall - Oakland
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Up to $260

PROMOTE Study

Do you have a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis or a related disorder? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help better understand the factors that explain the differences among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Study involves answering questionnaires, reviewing medical records and participating in other optional research activities.

Age Range
AGE:   18 and up

Duration DURATION:  Up to 30 years
VISITS:  Multiple
Location LOCATION: 

University of Pittsburgh - Oakland

Senior Moments Study – Healthy Volunteers Needed!

Do you experience occasional “senior moments” with your memory? Are you an African American man or woman who is at least 60 years old? Do you have a family member or close friend who can accompany you on study visits? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to help identify memory problems at the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Age Range
AGE:   60 and older

Duration VISITS:  1 initial visit, with yearly follow-up
Location LOCATION: 

UPMC Montefiore
Compensation COMPENSATION: 

Parking Provided


RELATED RESEARCH AREAS:
  Brain and Nervous System