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:

 

Research at Group Health is reviewed by oversight committees that include Group Health staff and consumers. These committees ensure that:

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.

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Dengue Vaccine Study

This study will evaluate the safety of and the immune response to an investigational dengue virus vaccine. The vaccine, DENVax, contains four weakened (attenuated) dengue virus strains.

A main purpose of the study is to compare the immune responses to the vaccine when two doses of the vaccine are given on the same day (one in each arm) to the responses when two doses of the vaccine are given 90 days apart. The study will also compare the immune responses to vaccine given by a jet injector to those given vaccine by needle and syringe. A jet injector is a device that produces a stream of vaccine that goes through the skin without a needle.

Who can participate? Adults in general good health who are at least 18 and not older than 45 can be in the study.

Who cannot participate? People with tattoos on the arms, shoulders, head, face, or neck may not be in the study. People who take any prescription or over the counter medications, vitamins, herbs, or supplements within 7 days before the first injection may not be in the study. People who have medical conditions that affect the immune system or are taking medications that affect the immune system may not be in the study. People who plan to travel to areas where there is natural dengue infection (Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America or Southeast Asia) at any time during the study period may not be in the study. There are other conditions and circumstances that may make you ineligible for this study.

What is involved? The study involves 14 visits over a ten-month period. The study visits will be at the Group Health Research Institute clinic in the Metropolitan Park East building in downtown Seattle. All visits include a blood draw, and two of the visits will involve study injections. To be enrolled in the study, all participants have an initial screening visit including a physical examination; collection of blood samples for tests of general health, hepatitis B and C, HIV, and proteins in the blood against dengue or West Nile Virus; and collection of a urine sample to check for general health and to do a drug screen for amphetamines, cocaine, opiates, and marijuana. If the drug screen is positive, participants will not be allowed to continue in the study.

Participants will be paid $75 by mailed check for each completed clinic visit, up to $1,050 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 Dengue Vaccine Study, call us at 206-287-2061 or toll-free at 1-866-883-6772, or e‑mail vaccine@ghc.org with your contact information.

To view the study forms see Dengue Vaccine Study on our Study Information and Forms page.

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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 HPV Vaccine Third Dose Study on our Study Information and Forms page.

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Pneumococcal Conjugate Dose Ranging Vaccine Study

The pneumococcus is a bacterium (germ) that is a common cause of serious infections, including bloodstream infections and pneumonia. Infants and persons over 65 years of age are at highest risk of these infections. There are currently two pneumococcal vaccines that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in adults 50 years of age and older: Pneumovax®23 (PPV23) and Prevnar13® (PCV13).

Why is this study being done? The purpose of this study is to see whether giving two injections of PCV13 to adults who have been previously vaccinated with PPV23 improves the pneumococcal immune response. The immune response to two injections of PCV13 in adults previously vaccinated with PPV23 will be compared with 1) response to one injection of PCV13 in adults previously vaccinated with PPV23 and 2) response to one injection of PCV13 in adults who have never received PPV23.

Who can participate? Adults 55 through 74 years of age in general good health who have either 1) never received PPV23 or 2) received one dose of PPV23 between three and seven years ago will be enrolled in this study. People who have medical conditions that affect the immune system or are taking medications that affect the immune system may not be in the study. There are also other conditions or circumstances that may make someone ineligible for this study.

What is involved? This study involves three visits within a 6 month period. The study visits will be at the Group Health Research Clinic in the Metropolitan Park East building in downtown Seattle.

The enrollment visit includes either one or two injections of PCV13, and all three clinic visits include a blood draw.

Participants will be paid $75 for each of the 3 in-person visits completed.

Lisa Jackson, MD, MPH, senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute, is the principal investigator for the study.

If you might be interested in participating and would like more information about the Pneumococcal Conjugate Dose Ranging Vaccine Study, call us at 206-287-2061 or toll-free at 1-866-883-6772, or email vaccine@ghc.org with your contact information.

To view the study forms see the Pneumococcal Conjugate Dose Ranging Vaccine Study on our Study Information and Forms page.

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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.