7 Research Opportunities You May Have Missed this Month
You can help create a healthier future.
Volunteers for registries, research programs, and clinical trials can help researchers learn how to slow, manage, and treat cancer and other diseases.
“With diverse research participation, researchers have more opportunity to create better prevention and treatments that work for all people,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.
Here are seven research opportunities based in San Antonio and beyond to explore!
1. Help Guide Cancer Research in South Texas
This research opportunity based in San Antonio comes from the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio.
They are searching for cancer survivors, caregivers, and community members in South Texas to be a part of coalition set out to refine cancer research across the region.
The Creando Conexiones: Cancer Health Equity Research Agenda coalition will participate in discussions and planning sessions once a month to create a research agenda made by people closest to the disease to benefit those with cancer.
“We know that research has the most impact when guided by voices of cancer survivors and community members,” said Dr. Rebecca Jones, assistant director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research and part of the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. “With their input, we can create research and programs that are truly responsive to our local cancer issues.”
Join the Creando Conexiones coalition!
2. Explore the Role Social Determinants of Health Play After Cancer
Another research opportunity based in San Antonio is the Avanzando Caminos study at UT Health San Antonio.
The study is focused on learning about the social, cultural, behavioral, mental, biological, and medical impacts on life following cancer.
To achieve this, the research team is looking for 1,500 Latino cancer survivors in South Texas to participate in a study that consists of seven visits over five years, each with assessment interviews, and some blood draws.
Latino survivors of breast, colon, kidney, liver, lung, prostate, stomach or cervical cancer who participate in the study could be eligible to receive $50 per visit.
Find out more by visiting the study website in English or Spanish.
3. Tackling Children’s Mental Health Through Physical Activity
A PhD student at Michigan State University is trying to understand the relationship between physical activity and mental and behavioral conditions in children by offering a free virtual study.
Latino children between the ages of 7 and 11 will undergo an exercise regimen twice-a-day to be completed 10-15 minutes a day for 12 weeks via an online self-led computer application.
Throughout the program parents will take measures and fill out rating forms to track their child’s progress and researchers will study the findings.
This free program is valued at $500, can be done from anywhere in the US, and families can earn up to $50 for participating!
To determine you and your child’s eligibility, take the 5 to 10-minute screening assessment.
4. Therapy for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers
Texas Tech University understands that to take care of those you love, you also have to care for yourself.
That’s why researchers at the university are offering free telehealth therapy for informal Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers looking to reduce their stress levels.
Eligible participants will meet once a week for 12-16 sessions with a therapist and fill out questionaries before, during, and after therapy. Participants can also earn $5 for each session they complete.
5. Join a Research Program with Everyone’s Health in Mind
The National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program is a revolutionary research program looking to provide healthcare that works for all of us by capturing the health data of over 1 million people living in the US.
This ambitious program will store DNA samples, family history, and responses to mental health questionnaires in a secure database and used by researchers to learn how factors such as socioeconomic status and genetics may impact diseases and other adverse health conditions.
Joining the All of Us Research Program is free, and participants who submit bio samples can unlock several cost-free benefits, including an ancestry and DNA report.
6. Join a Registry Focused on Brain Health
The International Low Grade Glioma Registry is a partnership between researchers, clinicians, patients, and care partners working together to focus on helping people initially diagnosed with low grade glioma brain tumors.
“Through the Low Grade Glioma Registry, we hope to learn more about the effects treatments have on the daily life of patients and care partners,” the Registry states.
Join the Low Grade Glioma Registry
7. Explore Clinical Trials Near You
Latinos continue to be among the most underrepresented populations in clinical research.
Dr. Amelie Ramirez, Director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is addressing this issue by creating new ways to encourage Latinos to volunteer for cancer and Alzheimer’s clinical trials, with support from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.
Ramirez is showcasing open clinical trials and uplifting the stories of Latino clinical trial participants on her Salud America! website.
She’s also raising awareness through social media events and webinars.
To find clinical trial information, visit the Salud America! clinical trials page.
Those looking for opportunities based in San Antonio can search the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio’s Find a Clinical Trial database to learn more about available clinical trials and eligibility requirements.
On a national level, visit clinicaltrials.gov to find a clinical trial near you.
The post 7 Research Opportunities You May Have Missed this Month appeared first on Salud America.