call for volunteers
Hereditary Causes of Breast and Ovarian Cancers
Specialists at the Center for Human and Molecular Genetics at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical
School in Newark, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and the Institute for Health, Health
Care Policy and Aging Research at Rutgers University are conducting a study on genetic
counseling for familial breast and ovarian cancer in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. The
goal is to examine how individuals respond to genetic counseling for inherited breast and
ovarian cancer genes and to the availability of genetic testing. The team, which includes
psychologists, hopes to learn what factors motivate or discourage individuals from being
tested. They will focus on changes in family relations, surveillance and health practices,
and psychological well-being. All participants must be of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and
have either a personal history or a strong family history of early onset breast cancer or
ovarian cancer. Genetic counseling and testing will be provided free of charge. Genetic
testing is optional Ñ those who are interested only in counseling are encouraged to
participate. Participation, test results and information discussed are confidential.
For more information call Jill Baran, MS, at 973-972-3304.
Seizures in the Elderly
The Department of Neurology, in conjunction with the Veterans Administration, is
conducting a five-year study to evaluate antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in the elderly
population. The purpose of the study is to determine which AED may provide the most
effective treatment with the fewest side effects. To be eligible, volunteers must be age
65 and older, US veterans, and
have had a recent onset of
spontaneous epileptic seizures. Participants will receive free clinic visits, seizure
medication, laboratory tests and parking.
For further information call Tricia Seuffert, RN, at 732-235-7728 or David M. Treiman, MD, at 732-235-7732.
Facial Pain Study
Researchers at UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School in Newark are seeking women between
the ages of 18 and 65 who suffer from facial pain (TMJ) or temporomandibular disorders
(TMD). The purpose of the study is to determine the causes of facial pain and the
appropriate treatment. Volunteers must never have used oral appliances or bite plates for
treatment. Participants are required to complete daily questionnaires at home for two
weeks before undergoing a free six-week treatment program. They will receive compensation
of $300 upon completion of the study.
Women between 18 and 65 years of age without facial pain are also needed for this research project. They will be asked to complete daily questionnaires at home for two weeks and will be paid $100 when the study is completed.
The project is directed by Karen Raphael, PhD, and Joseph Marbach, DDS. For further information call project coordinator Margaret Spier at 973-972-8043.
Comprehensive Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening
The Women's Wellness Center in Newark is offering a comprehensive breast and cervical
cancer screening program for 500 women over age 40 who live in Essex County. Services
include Pap tests, mammograms and breast self-exam teaching. To be eligible, a woman must
be at least 40 years old, reside in Essex county, meet income eligibility guidelines and
have limited or no health insurance. House calls are made to single locations such as
apartment buildings, churches or senior centers for groups of 15 or more women who
qualify. Portable mammography is available to provide service on site.
For further information on the study, contact the Women's Wellness Center at
973-972-2777.
Chronic Shoulder Pain in Manual Wheelchair Users with SCI
A study is being conducted in the Research Department at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange on the use of acupuncture and Trager psychophysical integration (a form of massage therapy) in the treatment of chronic shoulder pain in people with spinal cord injuries who use manual wheelchairs. Spinal cord injured individuals, age 18 and older, who use manual wheelchairs and are currently experiencing shoulder pain that has persisted for at least three months are being sought to participate in a 15-week study. Following five weeks of in-house monitoring of shoulder pain levels, participants will receive five weeks of acupuncture or five weeks of Trager psychophysical integration. Participants will monitor their pain levels and medication use throughout the study. During this phase, 10 acupuncture or 10 Trager treatments will be given at no cost to the participants. Those who participate will receive $175. Screening for entrance into the study will take place at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation facility in West Orange.
For more information call Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, at 800-248-3221 or 800-648-0296, extension 2259.
Asthma and Allergy Studies
Volunteers are needed to participate in several studies for the evaluation and treatment
of asthma, pneumonia and bronchitis at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark. For the
asthma study, participants must be between the ages of 12 and 59 and must be willing to
participate in a one-hour study for the assessment of lung function and symptoms. The
pneumonia and bronchitis studies require volunteers to be age 12 and older, and to have
active disease at the time of the studies. Eligible
participants will be provided physical examinations, laboratory tests and medications at
no cost. All studies have monetary compensation.
For additional information call June Tarantola, LPN, at the Asthma and Allergy Research Center, 973-972-2762, or e-mail Dr. Leonard Bielory at bielory@umdnj.edu.
Women with Spinal Cord Injuries are Sought for Sexual Response
Study
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange was awarded a three-year grant from
the National Institutes of Health to conduct a study of the physiologic effects of sexual
functioning in spinal cord injured individuals and to test new methods to improve sexual
satisfaction. Fifty women, particularly those with incomplete injuries, with a spinal cord
injury at or below the level of T6, are being sought to participate. Those who complete
the study will receive compensation for travel expenses and an honorarium of $500.
For more information call research assistant Marie Dziekan, MA, at 800-248-3221, extension 2711. The principal investigator for this study is Marca Sipski, MD.
Acupuncture Treatment for Pain Following Spinal Cord
Injury
The Research Department at Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education
Corporation in West Orange is conducting a study on acupuncture for the treatment of pain
following spinal cord injury. Volunteers age 18 or older, who sustained a spinal cord
injury at least six months ago, and who are currently experiencing pain that has persisted
for at least six months following injury are eligible. Participants will receive eight
weeks of acupuncture at no cost, which will include 15 treatments, following an eight-week
assessment period. Participants will monitor their pain levels and medications on a daily
basis. They will receive $300, $20 per treatment session, for their participation in the
study.
For information call Sangeetha Nayak, PhD, or Sandra Agostinelli at 973-243-6970 or 800-248-3221, extension 6970. mation on the study, contact the Women's Wellness Center at 973-972-2777.
Cancer Clinical Trials
Scientists at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) in New Brunswick develop and
conduct clinical trials for oncology patients who do not respond to traditional therapies
and for those with cancers that do not have a standard treatment. The focus of these
studies is to develop new treatment options and drugs, as well as preventive and
diagnostic techniques to fight the disease.
CINJ is currently conducting 68 clinical trials for different types and stages of cancer. For information on cancer clinical trials at CINJ, call the Clinical Research Office at 732-235-7459.
Paget's Disease
Volunteers are being sought to participate in a new oral drug study for the treatment of
Paget's disease at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick. The study
requires hospitalization for three-day and seven-day periods. A monetary compensation of
$3,000 will be provided to those eligible to participate.
For further details and to find out if you qualify for the study, call Shelley Greenhaus, RN, in the Division of Endocrinology at 732-235-7751.
Postmenopausal Women
Postmenopausal women are being sought to participate in a 12-month study being conducted
at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick. Volunteers in good health
between the ages of 40 and 60 are eligible to participate. In addition, they must have
stopped having periods in the last five years to meet study criteria. Those accepted will
receive free physical and gynecological examinations, Pap smear, bone mineral density and
lab tests. Participants will receive $400 for completion of the study.
For more information call the Women's Health Research Section, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, at 732-235-7353 or 732-235-7925.
Postmenopausal Women Needed to Compare Standard Hormonal Therapy
with Soy
Healthy postmenopausal women between the ages of 40 and 66 are needed to participate in a
study to compare standard hormonal therapy (i.e. estrogen) with soy, in the form of oral
pills, at St. Peter's Medical Center in New Brunswick. The purpose
of the study is to evaluate the effects of soy on lipids, uterine lining, vagina, mood and
memory. To be eligible to participate, volunteers must be without spontaneous menses more
than one year, must have a uterus and have had a normal Pap smear and mammography within
the past year. Participants will receive $50 upon completion
of the study, which will last approximately four weeks.
Contact Yu-Ling Lai at 732-745-6683 for information.
High Cholesterol and Type II Diabetes Studies
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick is seeking volunteers to
participate in high cholesterol and Type II diabetes studies. To qualify for the high
cholesterol study, volunteers must be age 18 or older and be willing to participate in the
use of an investigational drug, a slow release form of Lescol, which may lower blood
cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
Volunteers with diabetes who are between the ages of 30 and 75 are needed to participate in an investigational drug study of a new combination pill for the treatment of Type II diabetes mellitus. Participants will receive a physical exam, study medications and relevant laboratory tests at no charge for both studies.
Contact Shelley Greenhaus, RN, at 732-235-7751 for additional information.
A New Crisis Intervention Drug for Sickle Cell Disease
Researchers at the Sickle Cell Center of UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark are testing a new sickle cell drug, Flocor, that may significantly reduce the duration and intense pain of crisis episodes. Flocor allows the red blood cells to
flow more freely and lessens blockages that create crises. The study will provide half of the patients with Flocor and the other half with a placebo. The infusions are coded, a technique that ensures the accuracy of the test results, so that neither the investigators nor the patients will know who is receiving the drug. All patients will receive conventional treatment, including pain medication, for their crises.
Patients who have been treated for sickle cell crises at UMDNJ-University Hospital or for sickle cell disease at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School's Sickle Cell Center are eligible to participate in this study. If you are interested, call principal investigator Margarette Bryan, MD, at 973-972-6257.
Two Psoriasis Studies
The Clinical Research Center at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick is seeking volunteers with psoriasis to participate in research studies being conducted at the school. Eligible participants will be provided physical examinations by board-certified dermatologists, laboratory tests and medication at no cost. Some programs have monetary compensation.
A second study is in need of volunteers age 18 and older to participate in a seven-month research study for the treatment of scalp psoriasis. For further details and to find out if you qualify for both studies, call study coordinator Amelia Sherr, RN, at 732-418-8484.
High Blood Pressure Study
Hypertension specialists at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick are conducting a research study to test medications for high blood pressure. To be eligible to participate in the study, volunteers must be males in good physical health between the ages of 45 and 65, have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, have a steady partner and have concerns
related to sexual function. Participants will receive free study medication and office visits, physical exams and lab procedures. Those who complete the study will receive financial compensation up to $400.
For more information call the school's Clinical Research Center at 732-418-8461 between 8 am and 4 pm.
New Oral Drug for Hyperparathyroidism
Volunteers who have been
diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism are needed to participate in a five-week clinical research study to evaluate a new oral drug, Gallium Maltolate. Volunteers must be age 19 or older and have parathyroid hormone levels greater than 65pg/mL and calcium levels above 11 mg/dL to be considered for the study. To be eligible, the participants must not have had any therapy to treat hypercalcemia for at least eight weeks prior to participating in this study. This study requires that a portion of the five weeks be spent in a clinical research center where participants will be closely monitored and blood
and urine samples can be tested. Volunteers will be compensated for their participation. Those who reside in other areas will receive financial assistance toward the cost of hotel accommodations, if needed.
For information contact research coordinator Kathy Pownall, RN, at 732-418-8461.