Participate in Research
By offering hundreds of different clinical research trials, we do everything possible to help our patients today while improving the future health of our communities.
Participate in Research
By offering hundreds of different clinical research trials, we do everything possible to help our patients today while improving the future health of our communities.
Improving care through clinical research
Our clinicians and research scientists partner with top universities, other health systems, medical device and drug companies, and technology firms to improve health and quality of life through clinical trials. Our experienced researchers have contributed to breakthrough clinical trials that brought new and better treatments and therapies to adults and children in our care and around the world.
What are clinical trials and why are they important?
Clinical trials are medical studies involving people. They are the gold standard for verifying the safety and effectiveness of new medical treatments and testing new ways to prevent, detect and diagnose diseases. For example, a clinical trial may study whether an investigational drug is better than the existing standard of care currently used to treat the disease or medical condition.
Clinical trials are our best tool for continuously improving the practice of medicine and advancing patient care.
People participate in trials for a variety of reasons, including the desire to assist in scientific discovery as well as the potential for access to a broader range of treatment options. Many of our research options are available only in select programs across the country. Regardless of their reasons, every research participant contributes to medical advances that ultimately improve the health of future generations.
For more information about enrolling in a clinical trial, read our research participant FAQ and download our participant brochure in English [PDF] or Spanish [PDF].
Our clinical research specialties
Cancer
Our clinical trials advance every aspect of cancer care, from increasing long-term survival and detecting cancer earlier to reducing treatment side effects and improving quality of life. Advocate Aurora Health is one of limited community sites participating in the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program, which makes adult and children’s cancer clinical trials available close to people’s homes.
Heart disease
We investigate alternative ways to diagnose, treat and prevent heart and blood vessel disease. Many of these clinical trials have resulted in new procedures that reduce the need for open heart surgery and new drugs and devices that treat everything from coronary artery disease and heart failure to arrhythmia and hypertension.
Brain and behavioral health
Our researchers who specialize in brain and behavioral health lead research that helps to advance and improve treatment for conditions such as stroke, brain cancer, sleep disorders and rehabilitation following brain injury. Advocate Memory Center researchers lead trials to help discover better treatments for Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Child and family health
We’re dedicated to advancing care for all people. That’s why researchers at the Center for Child and Family Research and Advocate Children's Hospital are focused on discovering the best medicines, devices and therapies for children at every stage of development. We also study new ways to improve maternal and paternal health to help both children and families live well.
Other specialties
Our research teams also conduct clinical trials in the areas of endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatrics, mental health, population health, primary care, rare diseases, women’s health and more.
Clinical trials are not possible without volunteers like you
Clinical trials at Advocate Aurora Health – and the people who participate in them – are helping us rewrite the book when it comes to treating cancer, cardiovascular disease and many other serious conditions. This work would not be possible without volunteer participants. Your safety and peace of mind mean everything to us, which is why we are committed to providing prompt answers to any questions you may have.
Assuring your protection
Our participants’ safety, comfort and wellness are our highest priority, and we are deeply committed to maintaining the highest professional and ethical research standards.
We take specific steps to protect the safety, health and welfare of our research participants while carefully communicating with them every step of the way. These efforts include a thorough internal review and approval process for every research project.
The primary duty of Advocate Aurora Health’s Research Subject Protection Program (RSPP) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) is to oversee and safeguard the rights and welfare of every research participant.
Celebrating research participants
People who participate in research may receive no personal benefit for their contribution while their selfless acts benefit the greater good in the form of new drugs, treatments and techniques that improve countless lives.
To celebrate this contribution, we have made a donation on behalf of our research participants to Greater Gift, which provides vaccines to children in need worldwide through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Advocate Aurora research participants receive a certificate acknowledging our heartfelt appreciation for furthering our mission to help people live well through innovative research.
World-class research close to home
Helping people live well through innovative research
