UAB - Center for Clinical and Translational Science

The purpose of this study, known as DISCERN, is to compare two different treatments for a type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that does not show a marker known as PD-L1. This study will help us understand if using two types of immune therapy together with chemotherapy is better than using one type of immune therapy with chemotherapy. We're doing this by looking at changes in the subject's cancer's DNA in the blood after starting treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

CAPTIVA-MRI is an observational multimodal MR imaging study that is ancillary to the CAPTIVA trial [a 3-arm, double-blind Phase III trial conducted at approximately 115 StrokeNet sites randomizing patients with stroke attributed to 70-99% intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) to aspirin plus ticagrelor, clopidogrel, or rivaroxaban.] The primary goal of this ancillary study is to determine if MRI biomarkers can potentially identify ICAS patients who fail best medical management. The CAPTIVA-MRI study leverages the CAPTIVA trial design and implementation to capture information that will inform and facilitate the next generation of ICAS trials and the management of patients with ICAS.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effectiveness of unseparated whole blood (referred to as Low-Titer Group O Whole Blood) and the separate components of whole blood (including red cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate) in critically injured patients who require large-volume blood transfusions.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2023

open study

The over-arching goal of the Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography Imaging Screening Trial (CMIST) is to determine if dual-energy contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) can detect more cancers with fewer false positives than digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in women with dense breasts. Aim 1: To evaluate the performance of CESM compared to DBT at baseline for breast-cancer screening in women with dense breasts. Aim 2: To evaluate the performance of CESM compared to DBT at the 1-year follow up for breast-cancer screening in women with dense breasts.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2023

open study

This is a multicenter randomized clinical trial of 828 overweight and obese individuals with gestational diabetes designed to compare standard to intensive glycemic targets.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2022

open study

The purpose of this study is to assess sense of control and catastrophic symptom expectations as targets for Retraining and Control Therapy (ReACT- an intervention focused on changing behaviors and thoughts) for treatment of pediatric psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES, episodes resembling epileptic seizures but with no medical explanation). 11-18-year-olds diagnosed with PNES will engage in twelve sessions of ReACT. Sense of control over actions will be measured by the magic and turbulence task, a well-validated measure of sense of control. Participants will complete the cold pressor test (CPT) in which participants hold their hand in cool water for as long as possible up to 3 minutes. Catastrophic symptom expectations in response to the CPT will be measured by Pain Catastrophizing Scale for Children (PCS-C) pain tolerance (time with hand in water) and cortisol response. Target assessments will occur 7 days before treatment, 7 days after 8th treatment session and 7 days after 12th treatment session. Participants will also complete long term follow-up visits via HIPAA-compliant Zoom at 6 months and 12 months after the 12th treatment session where participants will complete questionnaires. PNES frequency will be measured from 30 days before to 12 months after treatment.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2021

open study

The purpose of ORACLE is to demonstrate the ability of a novel ctDNA assay developed by Guardant Health to detect recurrence in individuals treated for early-stage solid tumors. It is necessary that ctDNA test results are linked to clinical outcomes in order to demonstrate clinical validity for recurrence detection and explore its value in a healthcare environment subject to cost containment.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Sep 2021

open study

Glioblastoma (GBM) adaptive, global, innovative learning environment (GBM AGILE) is an international, seamless Phase II/III response adaptive randomization platform trial designed to evaluate multiple therapies in newly diagnosed (ND) and recurrent GBM.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2019

open study

The main purpose of this study is to identify a safe and potentially effective dose of tuspetinib to be used in future studies in study participants diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes with increased blasts grade 2 (MDS-IB2), or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) that is relapsed or refractory after at least one line of prior therapy, or in study participants with newly diagnosed AML. Tuspetinib will be administered as a single agent or in combination with other drugs (venetoclax or venetoclax plus azacitidine), as specified for each part of the study.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Mar 2019

open study

This is a multi-site, double-blind, randomized clinical trial of the 5-HT2A receptor agonist psilocybin for smoking cessation. Four sites with experience in conducting psilocybin research will be involved in this trial: Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and New York University (NYU). The proposed study will treat 66 participants (22 at each site), randomized to receive either: 1) oral psilocybin (30 mg in session 1 and either 30 mg or 40 mg in session 2); or 2) oral niacin (150 mg in session 1 and either 150 mg or 200 mg in session 2), with sessions 1 week apart.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Nov 2023

open study

This study is dedicated to help identify biomarkers for depression and suicide. The purpose of the study is to better understand these links to improve medical and psychiatric care in the future. This research is also to test the effects of standard treatment of depression on improvement in depressive and suicidal behavior and on biomarkers (e.g. miRNA) for these disorders.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Oct 2022

open study

The 2021 ACR RA treatment guideline, based on widely acknowledged low to moderate quality evidence, recommends switching to a non-tumor necrosis factor (TNFi) biologic (choose among existing medications, currently, rituximab, abatacept, tocilizumab, or sarilumab) or a targeted synthetic DMARD arm (tsDMARD; choose among existing medications, currently, tofacitinib, baricitinib, upadacitinib) in patients with active RA despite the use of a TNFi-biologic. In practice, most patients receive another TNFi-biologic, i.e., a second TNFi-biologic first. This is not based on solid evidence, but on arbitrary algorithms often proposed by health insurance plans, and/or physician experience and habit (TNFis launched 22 yrs ago vs. the first tsDMARD 8 years ago vs. first non-TNF-biologic launched 17 years ago). This study will fill a critical knowledge gap by generating CER data for important PROs between these treatment options, switching to a non-TNFi biologic or a tsDMARD in patients with active RA despite the use of a TNFi-biologic.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Sep 2021

open study

ARTFL LEFFTDS Longitudinal Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (ALLFTD) represents the formalized integration of ARTFL (U54 NS092089; funded through 2019) and LEFFTDS (U01 AG045390; funded through 2019) as a single North American research consortium to study FTLD for 2019 and beyond.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Mar 2020

open study

The WeDecide study is a large observational study comparing the long-term effects of matched related donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (MRD HCT) and non-transplant disease-modifying therapies (NT-DMT) for pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). The study aims to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL), cognitive function, risks, and benefits of both treatments, including survival rates, chronic complications, and organ damage prevention. With 160 children in the MRD HCT group and 320 in the NT-DMT group, aged 3-20.9 years, the study will follow participants for three years, examining factors like disease severity, treatment history, and social determinants of health. By providing a comprehensive comparison, the study seeks to inform clinical decisions and improve understanding of SCD treatment outcomes, ultimately supporting families and healthcare providers in choosing the best treatment options.

Type: Observational

Start Date: Jun 2024

open study

This project will compare the health effects of public housing renovation, neighborhood built and social environment improvements, and indoor air purification, alone and in combination, as well as the cost effectiveness of each approach. STUDY 1: The study will assess the effects of public housing and neighborhood environment (built and social) improvements on health-related behaviors, psychosocial and physiologic stress, and self-reported and physiological markers of lung health and chronic disease. STUDY 2: The study will determine whether indoor air purification can positively impact lung health in public housing sites not undergoing housing renovation, comparing a site near industrial pollution vs one less contaminated.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the effect of breast-pumping frequency on breast milk supply/ volume in mothers of preterm infants. The main question it aims to answer is: - What effect does pumping frequency have on breast milk supply. Researchers will compare breastmilk supply of mothers who pump every 2 hours to the supply of those who pump every 3 hours to see if there is a difference in the amount of breastmilk they produce. Participants will be assigned to either pump every 2 hours or every 3 hours and record how many milliliters of breastmilk they produce daily for the first 28 days of their baby's life.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jun 2025

open study

This study is being done to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a time-restricted eating intervention among postpartum women with overweight/obesity.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

This phase III trial compares the effect of giving triptorelin vs no triptorelin in preventing ovarian damage in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer receiving chemotherapy with an alkylating agents. Alkylating agents are part of standard chemotherapy, but may cause damage to the ovaries. If the ovaries are not working well or completely shut down, then it will be difficult or impossible to get pregnant in the future. Triptorelin works by blocking certain hormones and causing the ovaries to slow down or pause normal activity. The triptorelin used in this study stays active in the body for 24 weeks or about 6 months after a dose is given. After triptorelin is cleared from the body, the ovaries resume normal activities. Adding triptorelin before the start of chemotherapy treatment may reduce the chances of damage to the ovaries.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Feb 2025

open study

This study is to investigate the efficacy of siplizumab in the treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2025

open study

Older veterans with a history of mild brain trauma exhibit early cognitive challenges, especially in driving-related tasks. This is attributed to alterations in the brain's excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance. This pilot project investigates this phenomenon by leveraging electroencephalography (EEG) to measure parietal lobe alpha rhythms during visual attention tasks. The hypothesis is that targeted visual attention training can modulate these alpha rhythms, improving instrumental activities in daily life. However, outcomes from such training vary, possibly due to individual differences in cortical inhibitory functions. This study will assess the relationship between EEG measures of E/I balance pre- and post-visual attention training and its effects on processing speeds in aging veterans. Our findings aim to provide a foundation for customized therapies and interventions for veterans with and without a history of brain trauma.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2025

open study

The CHAP2 study is designed to provide preliminary data for a larger multicenter study to assess whether treatment of stage 1 hypertension (HTN) in pregnancy improves maternal and or neonatal outcomes. The primary objective of this pilot study is to determine if anti-HTN treatment to BP<130/80mmHg in pregnant patients with stage 1 HTN is associated with a difference in birthweight percentile at delivery. Patients with stage 1 hypertension in pregnancy will be randomized to BP goals of <130/80mmHg or usual care to treatment only if BPs ≥140/90mmHg. For this pilot, the investigator will randomize a total of 74 eligible participants, 37 to active treatment to BP<130/80mmHg and 37 to usual care.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2024

open study

The purpose of this 2-site (CT, AL) study is to test innovative interventions to reduce stigma and improve the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and opioid use disorder (OUD) care continua in women involved in the criminal justice system (WICJ). This study evaluates a newly validated PrEP decision aid and eHealth for integrated PrEP and MOUD compared to a decision aid-only for WICJ with OUD.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Jul 2023

open study

This will be a 6-month randomized clinical trial with two arms: moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet and a fat-restricted control diet. This 6-month study will have 2 phases: a 12-week controlled feeding phase and a 12-week "free living" phase. During the controlled feeding phase, all food will be provided to the families of the participants for the entirety of the 12 weeks. Participants (n=80) will have been diagnosed with NAFLD based on the presence of current evidence of active disease, which will be determined by the ongoing presence of hepatic steatosis estimated by diffusely echogenic liver via ultrasound suggestive of fatty liver and a serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level of 45 U/L or greater. All participants will be children and adolescents age 10-17 yrs.; will have an HbA1c <7.0; and will be overweight or obese (BMI >85th percentile). It is anticipated that most participants will be sedentary. The investigators will inquire as to routine physical activity at screening. All participants will be asked to maintain their usual level of physical activity throughout the study. Physical activity will be monitored via a smart watch provided to each participant at the beginning of the study, and participants will be queried weekly by the study dietitian regarding changes in physical activity. Participants who use oral contraceptives will be asked to maintain consistent use of these preparations throughout the study. Hormone use will be examined as a potential covariate in statistical analyses.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2022

open study

1) Evaluate implementation of navigator-delivered Home ePRO for all cancer patients across multiple practice sites; 2) examine the barriers, facilitators, and implementation strategies used in implementing navigator-delivered Home ePRO; and 3) assess the impact of Home ePRO on clinical and utilization outcomes.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: May 2021

open study

The purpose of this research study is to explore whether genetic testing can offer a personalized and timely approach to assist physicians in making more informed medication decisions for stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients during their hospital stay.

Type: Interventional

Start Date: Apr 2025

open study