Vanderbilt University Medical Center

This study is testing if semaglutide, a medication already approved for diabetes and weight loss, can help control asthma in adults who are overweight and still have symptoms despite using standard inhalers. One hundred participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the…

This study is testing whether a special wound dressing containing a healing protein (rhPDGF-BB) can help large wounds on the head or neck heal faster after skin cancer surgery. The trial will involve 40 participants whose wounds are too big to stitch closed. Researchers will comp…

This study is testing if a compound called 2-HOBA can help people with Long COVID who also have POTS, a condition causing dizziness and a racing heart when standing. Researchers believe an overactive immune response after the initial infection drives these symptoms. Over 28 days,…

This study aims to find out which of two common sedative drugs is better for protecting brain function in infants and children who need a breathing machine in the intensive care unit. It will compare dexmedetomidine and midazolam in 372 young patients to see which one reduces del…

This study is testing whether giving iron supplements to people with POTS who have low iron stores can help increase their blood volume and improve their symptoms. It will involve about 12 adults with POTS and low ferritin levels. Participants will receive iron treatment and have…

This study is testing if nicotine patches can help older adults with depression who are struggling with thinking problems like poor memory and focus. Researchers want to see if adding a nicotine patch to standard antidepressant medication improves both mood and cognitive function…

This study is testing if a non-invasive brain stimulation technique can reduce cravings for cannabis in people with schizophrenia. Researchers believe the brains of people with schizophrenia may be wired differently, making them more vulnerable to cannabis use. They will use targ…

This study is testing a non-surgical radiation treatment for people with severe hand tremor from Essential Tremor or Parkinson's disease. It aims to see if this one-time, outpatient procedure improves patients' quality of life and reduces shaking. Participants will complete quest…

This study is testing whether regularly flushing a chest drainage tube with sterile salt water helps patients with severe lung infections. Researchers want to see if this common but unproven practice helps clear the infection faster, allowing the tube to be removed sooner and sho…

This study is testing a community-based program called COACH to help children with obesity, especially in rural, low-income, and minority communities where these services are often hard to find. Researchers will work with 50 community centers to adapt the program to fit local nee…

This study is testing a 3-month mobile health program called the Discovery Program to see if it helps teens and young adults (ages 13-21) better manage their type 1 diabetes. The program provides personalized messages and clinician support to help with daily challenges. Researche…

This study aims to compare two major weight loss treatments—new injectable medications (like Ozempic or Mounjaro) and gastric bypass surgery—to see how they differently affect the body. Researchers will follow 60 adults with severe obesity for one year, using body scans to measur…

This early-stage study is testing if a special gel can help quickly reconnect completely severed nerves in the hand. The gel, made from a common laxative ingredient, is applied during standard nerve repair surgery. Researchers hope it will allow nerves to start working again much…

This study is testing if a combination of high-intensity exercise and a supplement called CoQ10 can improve muscle strength and energy levels in people with advanced kidney disease on dialysis. The goal is to see if this approach helps fight frailty and muscle loss better than ex…

This study aims to see if giving stronger (high-dose) flu vaccines over two consecutive years provides better protection against influenza for people who have received a lung transplant. It will compare the immune response and safety of the stronger vaccine to the standard one in…

This study aims to improve treatment for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), a chronic and often debilitating pain condition affecting millions. Researchers want to see if matching patients to one of two common therapies—pelvic floor physical therapy or cognitiv…

This study is testing whether a home-based cardiac rehabilitation program delivered through a custom mobile app can help people with heart failure. The program aims to improve physical activity, quality of life, and reduce hospital visits by guiding exercise and healthy behaviors…

This study is testing if applying a topical ointment called tacrolimus (Protopic®) can help deep hand burns heal better. The goal is to see if reducing inflammation can prevent the burn from worsening into a more serious injury. Researchers will enroll 18 adults with recent therm…

This study is testing if a supplement called 2-HOBA can improve how the body's 'good' cholesterol (HDL) works in people with an inherited form of very high cholesterol. Researchers will give 72 participants either 2-HOBA or a placebo pill three times a day for six weeks. The main…

This study is testing if using an add-on pill to lower the amount of insulin needed can improve heart and blood vessel health in people with type 1 diabetes. Researchers will compare people with type 1 diabetes to people with a milder genetic form of diabetes and healthy voluntee…

This study is testing if applying gentle, controlled heat to the abdomen at night can safely lower high blood pressure in people with autonomic failure, a rare nerve disorder. Researchers will compare the effects of real heat versus a sham (fake) treatment in 20 participants. The…

This study is testing whether a safe, non-invasive brain stimulation technique can help people with opioid use disorder who are taking medication like buprenorphine. Researchers will use a device called TMS to stimulate a specific brain area linked to craving and self-control. Ov…

This study is testing whether shorter behavioral lifestyle programs can be just as effective as the standard, longer program for helping children with obesity. Researchers are enrolling 900 children and their caregivers in Tennessee and Louisiana, randomly assigning them to recei…

This study is testing whether a sleep coaching program can help teenagers with type 1 diabetes. Researchers want to see if improving sleep duration and quality leads to better blood sugar control and sharper thinking skills. The trial will involve 150 teens and their caregivers, …

This study tests whether computer alerts in hospital systems can help doctors prescribe fewer unnecessary antibiotics to children with common lung infections like pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and asthma flare-ups. It involves 2,800 children at three U.S. hospitals. The goal is to sa…

This study is testing if adding a GLP-1 drug (like semaglutide) to the immunotherapy teplizumab can better manage early-stage Type 1 diabetes. Researchers will give 24 participants a liquid meal and measure their blood sugar, insulin response, and blood vessel health after taking…

This large study is testing whether a new computer alert system can help anesthesia teams better prevent nausea and vomiting after surgery. The system provides timely reminders based on each patient's specific risk factors. Researchers will enroll nearly 20,000 adults having plan…

This study is developing and testing an 8-week text message program for parents whose child was seen in the emergency room for a mental health crisis and sent home. The goal is to teach parents skills to find and use outpatient mental health services, build their confidence, and …

This study aims to see if training traditional healers to offer HIV testing can help more people in rural South Africa learn their status. It will compare areas where healers provide testing and support to areas with standard testing options only. The goal is to reach people who …

This study is testing whether a higher-dose flu vaccine provides better protection for lung transplant patients compared to the standard dose. Researchers will enroll about 270 people who received a lung transplant within the past 1-35 months. Participants will receive two doses …

This study is testing whether antioxidant supplements given around the time of knee replacement surgery can prevent long-term chronic pain. Researchers will enroll 148 adults aged 50+ with osteoarthritis who are scheduled for knee replacement. Participants will receive either the…

This study aims to prevent first strokes in children with sickle cell disease in Nigeria. It will test how well a daily pill called hydroxyurea works in 220 children aged 5-12 who are at high risk for stroke. The goal is to see if this affordable and practical treatment can safel…

This study is testing a new AI tool designed to prevent dangerous blood clots that form in hospitalized patients, which are a leading cause of death and disability. Over 2,200 patients at Vanderbilt hospitals will be randomly assigned to either receive prevention suggestions from…

This study tests whether a short educational video shown to parents in the children's hospital can encourage safer gun storage at home. Researchers will enroll 400 parents and randomly assign them to watch either a gun safety video or a medication safety video. They will then che…

This study is testing whether using artificial tears after radioactive iodine treatment for thyroid cancer can prevent a painful side effect called tear duct blockage. Researchers want to see if washing away radioactive particles from the eyes with these drops reduces inflammatio…

This study is testing whether a secure phone app called VoiceLove can help reduce postpartum depression and anxiety in mothers whose newborn babies are in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The app is designed to help mothers feel more connected to their baby and communicat…

This study compares two common treatments for low blood pressure when standing up in people with autonomic nervous system disorders. Researchers will test whether a medication called midodrine or wearing an abdominal compression binder works better to improve blood flow and reduc…

This study is testing a simple, non-drug approach to help people with autonomic failure who have dangerously high blood pressure when lying down. Researchers are comparing two ways of raising the head of the bed to see which one best lowers nighttime blood pressure. The goal is t…

This study is testing whether a single remote group therapy session can help people better manage pain and improve recovery after back surgery. Researchers will compare a pain coping skills program called Empowered Relief against basic education. Participants will complete survey…

This study is testing a new inflatable belt worn around the abdomen to see if it safely helps people with autonomic failure stand up without getting dizzy or fainting. Researchers will compare the real belt to a 'sham' belt with very low pressure in about 31 participants. The goa…

This study is testing if a CPAP machine, commonly used for sleep apnea, can safely lower high blood pressure that occurs when lying down in people with autonomic failure. Researchers will measure blood pressure changes in 12 participants while using different CPAP pressure levels…

This study is testing whether starting physical therapy (PT) within a few weeks after neck fusion surgery leads to better recovery than waiting several months. Researchers will compare two groups of 76 total patients to see if early PT improves pain, function, and the ability to …

This study is testing whether a new robotic surgery technique can be used for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Researchers will perform the procedure on a small group of eligible patients and carefully monitor their recovery. The main goal is to see if this minimally invas…

This study is testing if a CPAP machine, commonly used for sleep apnea, can help people with autonomic failure. These patients often have dangerously high blood pressure when lying down and severe dizziness when standing up. Researchers want to see if using CPAP at night can safe…

This study aims to understand how inherited pulmonary fibrosis develops over time in family members who are at risk. Researchers will follow 750 healthy relatives of people with this lung-scarring disease for up to 10 years, using yearly questionnaires, lung scans, and blood test…

This study aims to learn more about the nerves that control muscles in the neck. Researchers will carefully examine and measure these nerves in 50 patients who are already having neck surgery for head and neck cancer. The goal is to understand if stimulating these nerves could on…

This study is testing a new training tool for surgeons who perform kidney stone removal surgery. Researchers are using augmented reality goggles to track where expert surgeons look during a simulated procedure. The goal is to see if showing trainees this 'gaze guidance' helps the…

This study aims to better understand ARDS, pneumonia, and sepsis by observing 4,000 hospitalized adults with these serious conditions. Researchers will collect health data, questionnaires, and samples like blood and urine from participants during and after their hospital stay. Th…

This study aims to discover new biological markers that could help detect gastrointestinal cancers earlier. Researchers are collecting tissue, blood, urine, and stool samples from 5,000 people undergoing colonoscopy, endoscopy, or surgery. The goal is to identify substances that …

This study aims to find out if a low-dose buprenorphine skin patch is as good at relieving pain as the common pill oxycodone, but with a lower risk of abuse and addiction. Researchers will test 120 healthy adults who don't use opioids, giving them different doses of the patch, th…

This study aims to create a map of the normal bacteria and other tiny organisms that live on the surface of the eye. Researchers will observe 500 adults, some with healthy eyes and some with common eye conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration. The goal is to understand ho…

This study aims to understand why some people with a genetic risk for a severe lung and heart disease called Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) develop the condition while others stay healthy. Researchers will follow 150 people, including patients, healthy people with the risk…

This study aims to understand how weight loss surgery changes the bacteria in your gut and how those changes might improve heart health and diabetes. Researchers will follow 300 patients for up to 10 years after their surgery, collecting blood and stool samples to look for patter…

This study is testing a new training tool for surgeons learning to perform kidney stone surgery. Trainee surgeons wear special augmented reality glasses (HoloLens 2) that can show them exactly where an expert surgeon is looking during the procedure. The goal is to see if this 'ey…

This study aims to understand the long-term effects of curative therapies, like stem cell transplants, for sickle cell disease. Researchers will follow 750 people to see if these cures improve or worsen heart, lung, and kidney health over time compared to standard treatments. The…

This study aims to understand how two existing medications, midodrine and droxidopa, affect blood flow in the abdomen of people with autonomic failure, a rare nerve disorder that causes severe drops in blood pressure when standing. Researchers will compare the drugs' effects on 3…

This study aims to understand how the body's immune cells use sugar (glucose) for energy and building blocks. Researchers will give participants a safe, traceable form of sugar through an IV and then collect blood samples to see how different immune cells process it. The goal is …

This study aims to understand why eating, especially carbs, makes symptoms like dizziness and fast heartbeat worse for people with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Researchers will test if a gut hormone released after sugar causes excessive blood pooling in the abdomen when …

This study aims to understand why some people develop a fast heart rate and dizziness when standing up after having COVID-19, a condition called post-COVID-19 tachycardia syndrome. Researchers will compare 60 people—30 with these symptoms and 30 without—to see if reduced nerve ac…

This study is testing whether a procedure called 'vaginal seeding' is safe and practical to study. Vaginal seeding involves gently swabbing a baby's nose with a sample from the mother's vagina shortly after a C-section birth. The goal is to see if this can change the community of…

This study is exploring a new way to treat obstructive sleep apnea by stimulating nerves in the neck. Researchers will test if activating these neck muscles, alone or combined with tongue nerve stimulation, helps keep the airway open during sleep. The goal is to gather detailed i…

This study is creating a large collection of tissue, blood, and saliva samples from people with head and neck cancer and from healthy volunteers. Researchers are also gathering detailed health information to build a database. The goal is to provide resources for future studies to…

This study aims to understand the brain activity behind reward-seeking and risk-taking behaviors in people with Parkinson's disease. Researchers will record brain signals from 75 participants during their scheduled deep brain stimulation surgery while they play a simple card game…

This study aims to better understand the full range of challenges faced by adolescents with tic disorders, like Tourette Syndrome. Researchers will track 351 teens over two years to measure their sensory sensitivities, coordination, and social well-being, comparing them to teens …

This study is testing if giving patients a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) when they leave the hospital helps them feel more confident and satisfied with their diabetes care. It will enroll 60 adults with diabetes who used insulin in the hospital. The main goal is to see if usin…

This study aims to understand how stress affects a person's response to opioid pain medication and their risk of misusing it. Researchers will enroll 120 adults with chronic back pain to measure their stress levels and then test their pain relief and feelings about the drug oxyco…

This study aims to build a detailed research database to help scientists develop better ways to detect, prevent, and treat Alzheimer's disease. It will enroll 1,000 adults aged 60 and older, including those with and without memory problems. Participants will be followed annually …

This study aims to understand how nerve activity affects blood sugar and blood pressure in people with obesity. Researchers will give 12 participants different pills (a placebo, a blood pressure drug, or a nerve-blocking drug) for two-week periods to see which one best improves t…

This research aims to better understand the underlying causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a serious lung and heart condition. It has three main goals: to study why women get PAH more often than men, to test if the diabetes drug metformin can help by improving how th…

This study aims to better understand the sensory symptoms and urges that often accompany Tourette syndrome and related tic disorders. Over 200 adult participants will complete a series of questionnaires each year about their sensory experiences, pre-tic urges, and quality of life…

This study aims to understand how a tight abdominal binder helps people with a nerve condition that causes severe drops in blood pressure when they stand up. Researchers will compare this physical therapy to a standard medication by measuring heart and blood flow changes while pa…

This study aims to learn if people with genetic forms of early-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) have a hidden, higher risk of developing dangerous, fast heart rhythms from their lower heart chambers (ventricular tachycardia). Researchers will observe 200 participants who are alread…

This study aims to understand how brain activity relates to thinking and memory problems in Parkinson's disease. Researchers will measure brain signals from 75 Parkinson's patients during their deep brain stimulation surgery while they perform simple thinking tasks. The goal is t…

This study aims to understand if people with specific genetic changes and early-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) have a hidden risk for dangerous, fast heart rhythms from their lower heart chambers. Researchers will look for this risk during a standard AF ablation procedure in 200 …

This study aims to understand if high blood sugar and changes in heart rate patterns are linked to heart problems in people with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Researchers will use wearable devices like glucose monitors and heart monitors on 10 male participants over two year…

This study aims to understand why some people develop long-lasting symptoms like fatigue, racing heart, and 'brain fog' after COVID-19, a condition often called Long COVID. Researchers will compare 150 people across three groups: those with Long COVID and POTS, those with POTS no…