Asian Health Institute

With the large hub of Asians living in the San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, it is one of the best cities to conduct research relating to the health and healthcare of the various subgroups of Asians. We encourage the increase of clinical research though partnership with the UCSF Research Department’s Resource Allocation Program (RAP) and extend our resources to help other researchers recruit Asians for their clinical studies.

The following are some of the current clinical studies open to recruit Asian participants:

Recruiting study participants

A UCSF Medical Student (Alice Lu) is recruiting participants for a one-hour Zoom interview for her research study about Trust in Smartphone Applications for Health Purposes. Please see the attached recruitment flyer for details about the study, who can participate, compensation ($20 gift card), and how to contact Alice to learn more or participate in the study. Download flyer.

New Approaches to Dementia Heterogeneity

The purpose of the study is to collect large amounts of information from various tests of brain function over time with the goal of improving early detection and clinical care for patients with dementia.

Download flyer.

Tobacco Use Study

Are you Asian or Asian-American, and 18 years and older? Are you interested in participating in an interview about tobacco? Take a survey for a chance to be selected for our study. If you qualify, you will participate in a one-hour interview discussing your opinion of tobacco use and anti-tobacco messages and earn a $60 Target Gift Card. You DON’T have to be a smoker to qualify.

Take the survey at http://tiny.ucsf.edu/asiantobacco

Download flyer

Caring for Asian Americans through Research and Education on Type 2 Diabetes (CARE-T2D)

A collaborative study between San Francisco State University and the School of Nursing at UCSF are recruiting parent-adult child dyads consisted of a parent age 45 or older with diabetes and an adult child age 18 or older with no diabetes.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to understand the family support for self-management of type 2 diabetes among Chinese and Filipino Americans, the two largest subgroups of Asian Americans in California. The findings from this research will help in developing culturally relevant interventions to promote diabetes self-management among Filipino and Chinese Americans

Procedures: If you agree to participate in this research:
You will complete several surveys that will take approximately 30 minutes to complete either online or paper copy.

Depending on availability, you may be asked to participate in a qualitative dyadic interview that will last approximately 30 minutes, individually and together (adult child and parent) for 60 minutes about diabetes and family support for diabetes management.

Compensation: Dyad who completed the surveys will get $20 Amazon gift card per person (one for parent, one for adult child)
Dyad who completed the interview will get $50 Amazon gift card per person (same)

For more information, please click on the link below:
English flyer
Chinese flyer

In Utero Stem Cell Transplantation for Fetal Alpha Thalassemia Major

Alpha thalassemia is an inherited disease that affects the ability of red blood cells to provide the body with enough oxygen. This conditional most commonly affects individuals of Southeast Asian ancestry including those whose families come from Southeastern China, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Hb Bart’s or alpha thalassemia major, is the most severe form of this disease and can be fatal in utero without treatment. UCSF is currently enrolling for a clinical trial to perform in utero stem cell transplantation to fetuses that are diagnosed with alpha thalassemia major.

For a detailed review of fetal interventions for fetal alpha thalassemia, please click here and for a video on the prenatal diagnosis of alpha thalassemia major and treatment options, please click here.

DELISH study

Do you have Type 2 Diabetes and want to improve your health? The UCSF Osher Center is recruiting adults for a research study investigating the effects of a carbohydrate-restricted diet on Type 2 diabetes. You may benefit from improved blood glucose, reduced medication need, improved diabetes symptoms, and reduced food cravings. There weekly group sessions for 3 months, which may be followed by monthly sessions for 9 additional months. You will complete 4 assessment visits over 12 months.

You may be eligible if you are 18+ years old, have Type 2 Diabetes, and have HbA1c of 6.5 or higher.

For more information and to see if you qualify, please click here, visit www.DelishStudy.org or call 415.353.9723.

"ALL OF US" - A Precision Medicine Nationwide Research Program

We count! Don't be left out of the one million participants! To learn more about this important genomic and gene mapping research:

• What is "All of Us" ?:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti50nS7B5vI
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20i7OpFQSTs - By Dr. Francis Collins
• Chicago's Asian Community joining "All of Us" :
  https://www.joinallofus.org/en

Incontinence Research Study

WOMEN – Do you experience urine loss when running, jumping, laughing or coughing? We are seeking volunteers for a noninvasive and medication free research study. If interested please click here

Mobile Health Tool for Lung Cancer Study

Lung cancer patients needed to participate in research with a mobile tool to improve communication between lung cancer patients and healthcare providers. If interested, please click here.

Health eHeart Study

An online study that anyone can join!!

This ground-breaking Health eHeart Study was covered in the Huffington Post and Gregory Marcus, MD, MAS, FACC, FAHA, FHRS, Director of Clinical Research, Division of Cardiology would like to share it with you: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-brown/with-a-few-clicks-you-can_b_5701498.html

Instead of using the link in the Huffington Post article, please click on this link to subscribe to the study for tracking purposes instead: http://hehstdy.org/1g4S3hq.

Other principal investigators in this study besides Dr. Greg Marcus include Mark Pletcher, and Jeffrey Olgin in the UCSF Cardiology Department.

There are very, very few longitudinal clinical studies for Asians in heart disease. I urge you to take part in this large and important longitudinal study! If there are enough Asian American participants in this study, we can do a subgroup analysis later to learn more about how best to tailor our attention to improve the heart health of Asian Americans! And besides, the participatory efforts can be a fun experience for you.

Past Clinical Studies

All of Us

Join us to learn how to improve yours and your family’s wellness! For more information please click one of the links below

• English
• Traditional Chinese
• Simplified Chinese
• Korean
• Vietnamese

Community of Voices

Come Sing in a New Community Choir!

Participate in a study to find out if singing in a choir helps you stay healthy, and get paid!

• Open to persons 60 years and older who are not currently singing in a choir
• No singing experience necessary
• Study involves singing in a weekly choir for 1 year
• Music will be in English
• Participation is voluntary and all information will be kept private
• Participants will receive $105 for completing three interviews

Currently Enrolling at:
Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center at 515 Cortland Avenue, SF, or
IT Bookman Community Center at 446 Randolph Street, SF

For more information, please contact the researchers directly:
Dana at (415)476-5903 or go to the study website: www.communityofvoices.org

The PI for the above study is Dr. Julene K. Johnson, Professor and Associate Director at the Dept. of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Institute of Health & Aging, UCSF.

Culture, Social Support & Quality of Life: Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors

Principal Investigator (PI) : Dr. Marjorie Kagawa-Singer, UCLA
Co-PI : Dr. Qian Lu, UH

Purpose of project : To understand how Asian American cancer support services have assisted Asian American women with breast cancer and their families in overcoming many of the challenges encountered throughout the cancer experience.

Study plan : Using individual interviews and focus group discussions with Chinese-, Japanese-, and Vietnamese-American breast cancer patients and survivors. Cancer survivors will also be asked to complete a survey packet, which can be done at home and then returned by mail.

Study Eligibility Criteria:

• Between the ages of 35-70
• within 1-5 years of diagnosis of breast cancer
• Self-identify as a Japanese- or Vietnamese-American woman with breast cancer
• Able to be interviewed in English or Vietnamese or willing to complete a survey packet In English or Vietnamese
• Willing to identify a family member or close friend to be interviewed

Study Incentives: Receive a token of appreciation worth $90 for research participants in the study

Contact information : Individuals wishing to sign up or have any questions about the study, please contact the project coordinator, Annalyn Valdez-Dadia, DrPH, MPH at (310) 825-8563 or (310) 794-6604.

Flyers: English Vietnamese

Filipino Study - Diabetes research subject recruitment

Pilipino Americans Go4Health Weight Loss Program to Prevent Diabetes

Dr. Melinda Bender, a Filipina research investigator at the UCSF, School of Nursing, Institute for Health & Aging wanted to help Filipino Americans who have one of the highest rates Type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity compared to most racial/ethnic populations. Filipinos with Type 2 diabetes are at high risk for developing further health complications such as metabolic syndrome and heart disease.

This is an important 6-month randomized controlled trial lifestyle intervention entitled, “Pilipino Americans Go4Health Weight Loss Program to Prevent Heart Disease (PilAm Go4Health),” for Filipinos with Type 2 diabetes on Metformin to reduce their heart disease risks. This culturally appropriate intervention study promotes weight loss through physical activity and healthy eating using a mobile app diary and pedometer every day along with joining a private Facebook group.

We need to recruit 40 Filipinos (men and women) with Type 2 diabetes on Metformin, and need your help to get the word out to the Filipino community about this important Filipino study. More info. as follows:

Qualification:

• English-speaking Filipino men and women
• Have Type 2 diabetes on Metformin
• 18 years or older
• Would like to lose weight and be more physically active
• No disabilities or serious medical problems limiting walking at least 20 minute continuously

Participants may be compensated up to $80 + keep the Fitbit pedometer ($60 value) for completing all 6-month study requirements.

If interested or if any questions, please contact the study office (Dr. Bender, P.I. or Carissa Villanueva, Study Coordinator): Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or Phone: (415)483-0992

This study was funded by: American Heart Association.