Duke University

This study is testing whether adding a new oral drug called asciminib to the standard treatment trastuzumab can help shrink tumors in the brain for people with HER2+ breast cancer that has spread there. It will first find the safest dose and then see how well the combination work…

This study is testing whether a combination of gentle brain stimulation and virtual reality therapy can improve vision loss caused by a stroke. Researchers will use a technique called low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to stimulate the vision areas of the brain, followed by …

This study is testing whether the medication tirzepatide, which is approved for weight loss and diabetes, can safely reduce high pressure inside the skull for people with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). The trial will involve 60 adults with IIH and a high body mass in…

This early-stage study is testing whether applying the topical medication minoxidil (commonly used for hair loss) to the skin for two weeks before breast reconstruction surgery can improve blood flow to the surgical area. The goal is to see if this reduces skin healing problems a…

This study is testing a community weight loss program that has been specially adapted for women who have completed treatment for breast cancer. About 25 participants will attend virtual group sessions for six months, then join in-person community groups, while researchers track t…

This early-stage study investigates whether metformin, a medication typically used for diabetes, is safe and well-tolerated in older adults with COPD who do not have diabetes. Researchers will enroll 45 participants to see if metformin changes certain blood markers related to agi…

This small pilot study is testing whether a program where pharmacists help people with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) manage their multiple medications is practical and acceptable. The goal is to see if this approach can make medicines safer to use and help reduce b…

This study aims to adapt and test a phone-delivered support program designed to prevent suicide among people with alcohol use disorder in Tanzania. Researchers will work with 30 participants from an emergency department to see if the culturally adapted program is practical and ac…

This large Phase 3 trial aims to find safer and more effective treatments for talaromycosis, a serious fungal infection that is a leading cause of death in people with advanced HIV in Southeast Asia. It will test if a single strong dose of a newer, less toxic drug works better th…

This study is testing whether a vaginal probiotic can help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women. Researchers will give 156 women with frequent UTIs a 3-month course of a commercially available probiotic containing 'good' bacteria called Lactobacillus crispat…

This study is testing whether a special clinic where heart, kidney, and diabetes doctors work together as a team can help people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. It will compare this team approach to usual primary care to see if it improves blood pressure and cholesterol c…

This study aims to design and test a system where drones deliver Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to people experiencing cardiac arrest in rural communities. Researchers want to see if drones can reach patients faster than traditional emergency services like ambulances or…

This study is testing if a drug called secukinumab can help patients with advanced melanoma safely restart a powerful type of cancer treatment called immunotherapy. It focuses on patients who had to stop their previous immunotherapy due to serious side effects like severe skin ra…

This study is testing if a remote, text-message-based program is practical and helpful for people who smoke lightly or occasionally. The program aims to help participants quit by teaching them to manage cravings triggered by specific situations. Researchers will compare two group…

This small pilot study is testing whether a new phone app, combined with therapy skills training, is practical and acceptable for people leaving the hospital after a suicide crisis who also misuse alcohol. The goal is to see if the app can help people use coping skills in their d…

This study is testing a new program called CROSSROADS for adults who recently survived a drug overdose and were seen by community paramedics. It compares standard paramedic care to an enhanced program that also provides free legal help for issues like housing or benefits that can…

This study will test a brief telehealth counseling program delivered by nurses to people living with HIV in Tanzania who are experiencing thoughts of suicide. The goal is to see if three counseling sessions can reduce suicide risk and help people stay engaged with their HIV care.…

This study is testing a new decision-making tool designed to help Black and White patients with a common heart rhythm problem (atrial fibrillation) understand the risks and benefits of taking blood thinners to prevent strokes. The goal is to see if this tool improves the quality …

This study is testing a new measurement tool that surgeons use during spinal fusion surgery. The tool helps the surgeon see and adjust the spine's alignment in real-time to match their pre-surgery plan. Researchers will follow 100 patients to see if using this tool leads to bette…

This study is testing whether a gentle, non-invasive brain stimulation applied overnight can reduce abnormal brain activity linked to seizures and improve sleep quality in adults with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. Participants will stay in a sleep lab for six nights to h…

This study aims to understand how a person's everyday surroundings can trigger a return to smoking after quitting. Researchers will recruit 500 adults who want to quit and ask them to take photos of their environment with their smartphones for two weeks. Using artificial intellig…

This study aims to help people living with HIV who have their virus under control but struggle with high blood pressure. Researchers will design and test a support program to help participants take their blood pressure medication more consistently. The goal is to improve blood pr…

This study aims to find the right dose and check the safety of montelukast, a drug used for asthma, in very premature, critically ill infants who are at high risk for developing a serious chronic lung condition called Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). It will involve 28 infants w…

This study is testing a new way to perform an ultrasound during a mammogram to see if it can find breast lumps better than the standard ultrasound method. Researchers will compare the new technique, which uses a special open paddle during compression, to the current standard of c…

This study is testing new, simpler surgical tools designed to help doctors in Uganda diagnose abdominal cancer. Surgeons will use a special camera that connects to a laptop and a manual retractor to perform biopsies on 12 patients with suspected abdominal tumors. The main goal is…

Researchers at Duke University are testing a robotic camera system designed to help emergency department staff diagnose problems with the front of the eye. The study will compare how well ER doctors can spot issues using their standard exam versus using pictures taken by the robo…

This study is testing a new robotic eye scanner designed to improve the detection of tears in the outer part of the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye). Researchers want to see if this automated scanner can find these tears as well as or better than the cur…

This study is testing a new, portable eye imaging device that takes pictures in just seconds. Researchers want to see if it's easy to use and if the images are clear enough to help doctors accurately diagnose common eye problems. They will enroll 70 people who are already getting…

This study aims to prevent HIV infections and help manage opioid addiction for people transitioning from jail back to the community. Researchers will test whether long-acting injection treatments work better than daily pills at keeping people on their medications. The study invol…

This large study aims to see if finding and treating very early heart artery plaque in people who are otherwise considered low-risk can prevent heart disease from getting worse. It will screen 1,500 middle-aged adults using special heart scans and then test if taking two common m…

This study is testing whether giving extra protein shakes helps older adults recover better after a serious injury. Researchers will compare patients who get the shakes to those who receive standard nutrition advice. The goal is to see if the extra nutrition helps patients regain…

This study compares two already-approved eye drops (Upneeq and Lumify) to see which one works better at temporarily lifting droopy upper eyelids in adults. Fifty participants will try both drops in a random order, with photos taken before and after to measure the lift. The goal i…

This study is testing a new program called SickleFit, which combines personalized exercise with nutrition counseling for adults aged 35 and older who have sickle cell disease. The main goal is to see if the program is safe, practical, and acceptable to participants. Researchers w…

This study is testing a new support program designed to help women who have had pelvic radiation therapy use vaginal dilators more consistently. Vaginal dilators can help prevent painful narrowing of the vagina, a common side effect of radiation, but many women struggle to use th…

This study is testing whether a specific type of nerve block (an Erector Spinae Plane block) can better control pain after spinal fusion surgery. Researchers will compare two different numbing medications to see which one helps patients use fewer opioid painkillers, feel less pai…

This study is testing a new program called CALM, designed to help Black adults with asthma cope with stress. Researchers want to see if the program is practical and acceptable to participants, and if it might help people stick to their asthma medication and better control their s…

This study is testing whether taking a Vitamin B6 supplement can help reduce mood-related side effects, like anger and distress, in brain tumor patients who are taking the anti-seizure drug levetiracetam. About 50 patients will take Vitamin B6 daily for 8-12 weeks while continuin…

This study aims to find out if one type of anesthesia works better than another for a procedure to improve knee motion after total knee replacement. Researchers will compare spinal anesthesia (numbing the lower body) with general anesthesia (being fully asleep) in 128 adults with…

This study is testing whether a mobile app called CALM can help veterans who struggle with anger, impulsivity, and daily tasks due to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It will involve 100 veterans and a family member or friend, who will eithe…

This study is testing whether a one-month music program, delivered through a phone app, can help people with dementia fall asleep faster and sleep better. It will also check if the music reduces stress for the family members who care for them. The researchers will enroll 144 peop…

This study is testing a support program called BRIDGE for parents of critically ill young children. It aims to help parents feel more prepared and less regretful when making very difficult medical decisions for their child, like whether to start or stop life-sustaining treatments…

This study tests two support programs designed to help older women manage pain and other difficult side effects while taking hormone therapy for breast cancer. Researchers will compare a clinic-based geriatric assessment program and a patient coping skills training program agains…

This study is testing a new support program led by nurses for women with advanced HER2+ breast cancer who are taking a specific drug combination. The program aims to help patients better understand their treatment, manage side effects, stick to their medication schedule, and cope…

This study is testing a brief telehealth program designed to help older women with breast cancer in underserved areas better manage their pain. Participants will learn coping skills in one main session followed by five short check-in calls. The goal is to see if this approach red…

This study aims to find the most effective way to educate caregivers of children with cancer in Tanzania. It will compare teaching via simple text messages versus more detailed video modules. The goal is to see which method better improves caregivers' knowledge and confidence, wh…

This project aims to see if using virtual care technology in certain hospital units leads to better patient safety and shorter hospital stays. It will compare three units using the new technology to three similar units using standard care over one year. The study will measure out…

This study aims to compare two different needle approaches for performing a common abdominal nerve block. Researchers will test both techniques on healthy volunteers to see which one provides better pain relief coverage. The goal is to gather information that could help improve p…

This study aims to see if a special educational session helps teenagers with epilepsy in Uganda understand their condition better. Researchers want to find out if this improved knowledge leads to better medication habits and less feeling of shame or stigma. The study will involve…

This study aims to understand how a targeted nerve block near the wrist affects blood flow and temperature in the hands of healthy volunteers. Researchers will measure changes in finger blood flow and skin temperature before and after the block, especially when hands are exposed …

This study aims to understand how two different therapies—hands-on massage and talk-based therapy—affect the body's stress and bonding hormones in people with long-term back or neck pain. Researchers will measure hormone levels and ask participants about their pain and mood to se…

This study aims to understand how poor sleep increases the risk of seizures in adults with epilepsy that is hard to control with medication. Researchers will use a comfortable, wearable EEG headband to monitor participants' sleep and brain activity at home over time. The goal is …

This study is testing a new training program for intensive care unit (ICU) doctors. The goal is to help doctors have better, more supportive conversations with families of critically ill patients who are on breathing machines. Researchers want to see if this program can make thes…

This study aims to learn more about how the lung cancer drug tarlatamab works in real-world patients. Researchers will collect blood samples from 25 people with small cell lung cancer who are being treated with the drug. By analyzing these samples, they hope to understand who res…

This research aims to better understand how two key hormones, insulin and glucagon, work together in the liver to control blood sugar levels. Healthy volunteers will undergo specialized tests where their blood sugar is carefully maintained while receiving hormone infusions. The g…

This study compares two different ways to numb the knee area for surgery. Healthy volunteers will receive both numbing techniques (one on each leg) to see which one better targets the correct nerves while preserving leg muscle strength. Researchers will measure how well each meth…

This study aims to test a new, advanced ultrasound machine called the T5 system. Researchers want to see if it can create detailed, real-time moving images of the head, neck, and airway, which current ultrasound technology struggles to do. They will enroll 100 healthy volunteers …

This study tests a training program for pregnancy doctors and nurses to help them better counsel patients about workplace rights and accommodations. It will see if this training leads to more documented counseling, fewer job-related problems like wage loss, and better health outc…

This study aims to see if purposely disrupting sleep with an alarm system can trigger seizures to happen sooner in patients being monitored in the hospital for epilepsy. Researchers will enroll 75 people with hard-to-control epilepsy who are already scheduled for hospital monitor…

This study aims to better understand how the brain works during thinking, memory, and language, and how epilepsy affects these processes. Researchers will work with 38 patients who are already having surgery for hard-to-treat epilepsy, using new, tiny electrode grids placed on th…

This study aims to understand how long DNA from the food we eat stays in our digestive system. Healthy participants will eat a special powdered food and provide stool samples over several days. Researchers will measure how quickly the food's DNA disappears from the samples to lea…