Join a study
GHRI recruits Group Health members and others to participate in studies that help us evaluate innovative ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease—all key to our mission of improving health and health care for everyone.
Because of how our studies must be designed, they often require highly specific eligibility criteria.
The Institute is currently looking for people to participate in the following research projects:
- Flu vaccine in postpartum women study
- HPV vaccine third dose study
- Menopause research
- ROAD study
(Improving care for teenagers) - Rotavirus vaccine study
- Tobacco-related research
Research at Group Health is reviewed by oversight committees that include Group Health staff and consumers. These committees ensure that:
- All studies have scientific merit
- All studies are consistent with Group Health's mission
- Study participants are informed of the risks and benefits of research
- Study participants give their informed consent to be part of the research
Participants' privacy and rights are protected. Researchers follow strict standards to guard the privacy of medical records and study information.
Participation is strictly voluntary. When people decide not to participate in a study, it doesn't affect their care at Group Health in any way.
If you qualify for one of the studies that's currently recruiting participants, please consider taking part. And, if you know others who might be interested, please pass the word.
Flu Vaccine in Postpartum Women Study
This study will evaluate two licensed influenza (flu) vaccines in women who are breastfeeding their babies. The purpose of the study is to learn more about the safety and possible benefits of the flu vaccines for the women and their babies.
Who can participate? Women who are 18-49 years of age who have delivered a full-term baby in the 28 to 120 days before the first study visit. To be in the study, the woman must be currently breastfeeding and expect to continue breastfeeding for at least 28 days after the first study visit. Breast milk must be at least half of the source of the baby’s feeding. Women who have already received a 2011/2012 flu vaccine cannot be in the study. Women who are allergic to eggs, have medical conditions or are taking medications that affect the immune system also may not be in this study. There are other conditions and circumstances that may make you ineligible for this study.
What is involved? If you choose to participate and you and your baby are enrolled in the study, you and your baby will be asked to come to the study clinic for four visits within a 28 day period. At the first visit you will receive a flu vaccine, either as a shot in the arm or a nose spray. Women who get the vaccine as a shot in the arm will also get a placebo nose spray, and women who get the vaccine as a nose spray will also get a placebo shot in the arm (a placebo is an inactive liquid that is not a vaccine). At each visit you will be asked to give a sample of breast milk (about 2 tablespoons). At the first and last visits, you will have a blood draw, and at the first three visits a nose swab will be taken from you and your baby. Babies in the study do not receive a vaccine or have blood drawn.
You will be paid $100 for each completed clinic visit, up to $400 total.
Lisa Jackson, MD, MPH, senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute, is the lead investigator for the study.
If you might be interested in participating and would like more information about the Flu Vaccine in Postpartum Women Study, call us at 206-287-2061 or toll-free at 1-866-883-6772 or send an e-mail to vaccine@ghc.org with your contact information and one of our staff members will call you.
To view the study forms see the Flu Vaccine in Postpartum Women Study on our Study Information and Forms page.
HPV Vaccine Third Dose Study
This study is being done to better understand how the timing of the second and third human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines affects the body’s immune response. The immune response will be assessed by blood tests.
Who can participate? 1) Adolescent girls aged 9-17 who have received two HPV vaccines and are willing to receive the third HPV vaccine at their usual clinic after the first study visit. 2) Adolescent girls who received the third HPV vaccine within the past month and were aged 9-17 at the time. Girls who have medical conditions that affect the immune system or are taking medications that affect the immune system may not participate.
What is involved? The study involves either 2 or 3 scheduled visits. These visits will take place at the study clinic in the Metropolitan Park East building next to I-5 in downtown Seattle. The first visit includes a blood draw for some participants. Girls who have not yet received the third HPV vaccine will be asked to get it after, but on the same day as, the first study visit.
Girls who get the third HPV vaccine on the same day as the first study visit will come back a month later for a blood draw. Girls who received the third HPV vaccine a month before the first study visit will not come back a month later. All girls will come back about six months after the first study visit for a blood draw.
A $50 check will be mailed after each completed clinic visit, up to $150 total.
Lisa Jackson, MD, MPH, senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute, is the lead investigator for the study.
If you might be interested in participating and would like more information about the HPV Vaccine Third Dose Study, call us at 206-287-2061 or toll-free at 1-866-883-6772 or send an e-mail to vaccine@ghc.org with your contact information and one of our staff members will call you.
To view the study forms see the HPV Vaccine Third Dose Study on our Study Information and Forms page.
The ROAD Study:
Reaching Out to Adolescents in Distress
The ROAD study is about improving health care for teenagers. Our first goal is to learn how many teen patients at Group Health are feeling down or stressed out. The next step is to test extra services designed to help these teens.
If you and your teen are interested in being part of the ROAD study, please call the project manager, Lisa Ross, at 206-287-2929.
What does the study involve?
The first step is a brief phone call to find out if parents and teens are interested in the study. After getting permission from the parent, we’ll also ask the teen a few questions about their mood and feelings of stress they may be having. This should only take about five minutes.
For teens who qualify, the next step is an interview at their usual Group Health clinic. The interview lasts about an hour and includes questions for both teens and their parents.
After the interview, we will ask some teens to continue into the next part of the study.
- Half the teens who sign up will be offered extra services in addition to their regular health care.
- The other half will continue to get care as usual from their regular doctor.
- All teens who sign up will also do two follow-up surveys by phone over the next year. Teens who complete both follow-up surveys will receive $40 as a thank you.
If you have questions about the study, please call the project manager, Lisa Ross, at 206-287-2929.
What if my teen isn’t feeling down or distressed?
We would still like to talk with teens who aren’t feeling down or distressed. It’s important that our results are based on the experiences of all kinds of teens. The first phone call will only take about five minutes. And the more teens we reach, the more helpful our results will be.
We’d like to be part of ROAD! What do we do now?
Please leave a message at 206-287-2929 to let us know the best time to reach you by phone. We will call you back as soon as possible.
Rotavirus Vaccine Study
This study will evaluate two licensed rotavirus vaccines that are routinely used in the United States. The purpose of the study is to compare the standard schedules, in which the same vaccine is given for all of the doses, with mixed schedules of rotavirus vaccine.
Who can participate? Infants 6 to 14 weeks of age who are Group Health members and have not yet received a rotavirus vaccine may participate. To be in the study, the infant must not have been born prematurely (less than 37 weeks gestation), and must not have any major illnesses or immune problems.
What is involved? Duration of participation in the study is 10.5 months. There will be either 3 or 4 in-person visits, and either 3 or 4 additional visits by telephone, depending on group assignment. Infants who participate will receive either 2 or 3 doses of licensed rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq® and/or Rotarix®) at the regularly scheduled well-child checks at the usual Group Health clinic. One month after the final rotavirus vaccine, the baby will have a blood draw.
You will be paid $75 for each of the 3 or 4 in-person visits, depending on group assignment.
John Dunn, MD, MPH, Group Health Pediatrician and Affiliate Investigator at the Group Health Research Institute, is the lead investigator for the study.
If you might be interested in participating and would like more information about the Rotavirus Vaccine Study, call us at 206-287-2061 or toll-free at 1-866-883-6772 or send an e-mail to vaccine@ghc.org with your contact information and one of our staff members will call you.
To view the study forms see the Rotavirus Vaccine Study on our Study Information and Forms page.
If you are currently enrolled in a GHRI study and are looking for study forms, please see our Study Information and Forms page.
If you would like to know where GHRI's research clinic is located, please see our Driving Directions to GHRI Clinic page.