Research and Clinical Trials
Cutting-Edge Treatment for Patients
Lifespan clinical trials provide valuable research information and cutting-edge treatment for patients in the region. Eligible participants receive free exams, screenings, and medications, depending on the type of study. Ask your physician or other clinical provider if you are a candidate for one of the many clinical trials currently underway at Lifespan.
Search current clinical trials
Learn more about participating in clinical research at Lifespan
Lifespan Research Groups
Lifespan’s scientists and clinicians are at the leading edge of their fields and have the scientific vision to transform patient care. We encourage a culture of discovery and continuous innovation, attracting and retaining scientists, clinicians, medical students, and residents. As teachers, we also provide training for the next generation of biomedical researchers.
Explore our research groups
- Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center
- CardioPulmonary Vascular Biology Center of Biomedical Research Excellence
- Lifespan Cancer Institute Research and Clinical Trials
- Lifespan Cardiovascular Institute Research and Clinical Trials
- Cardiovascular Research Center
- Centers for AIDS Research
- Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine
- Center for International Health Research
- Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) in Skeletal Health and Repair
- Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on Opioids and Overdose (opioidcobre.org)
- Childhood Asthma Research Program
- COBRE Center for Cancer Research Development
- Division of Imaging Research
- Division of Surgical Research at Rhode Island Hospital
- Emergency Medicine Research Laboratory
- Internal Medicine Research
- Joint Program in Cancer Biology at Brown and Lifespan
- Lifespan Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center
- Lifespan Clinical Research Center
- Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute
- Ocean State Clinical Coordinating Center
- Orthopedics Research at Rhode Island Hospital
- Pediatric Anxiety Research Center
- Sex and Gender in Emergency Medicine (SGEM)
- Sleep for Science
- Women's Medicine Collaborative Research
An Economic Engine
In addition to improving health and saving lives through discovery and testing of new procedures and treatments, Lifespan research also contributes to our state’s economic development by:
• Attracting national and international companies for local investment in clinical trials and basic and translational research
• Creating start-up companies such as ProThera and Lubris BioPharma, along with high-paying “knowledge economy” jobs
• Generating intellectual property in the form of patents and licenses
Research Innovations
Lifespan researchers hold patents for:
• Artificial wrists
• Rehabilitation toys for movement disorders
• A liver cancer vaccine
• Artificial lubricants for osteoarthritis
• Neurostimulation for pain control
• Medical applications for nanolasers
• New treatments for malignant brain tumors
Already a Lifespan Researcher?
Access everything you need easily:
• Funding Resources
• Compliance Resources
• Service Resources
• Core Research Service Offices and Centers
Research Assets
Lifespan research facilities and assets include:
- Core facilities for electron microscopy, digital imaging and analysis, flow cytometry, histology, proteomics, and molecular pathology
- Three Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) for stem cell biology, cancer research, and skeletal health repair
- Lifespan Medical Simulation Center—a 3,000-square-foot training and assessment facility that is the largest and best-equipped in the region
- Lifespan Clinical Research Center, which provides institutional resources to support investigators who are conducting clinical research across departments and medical specialties
Research Annual Report
One of our key missions as an academic health system is to support the basic, translational, and clinical research - across all our 18 clinical departments and within our interdisciplinary research centers - to improve patient care in our community, in our region, and throughout the world.