Volunteers needed for clinical research studies

ABOUT CRG

The Clinical Research Group (CRG), within the Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, delivers high-quality, inclusive research in women’s and reproductive health, advancing evidence-based care globally through dedication and adaptability, with a patient-centred approach. 

We facilitate clinical research in maternal, fetal and perinatal medicine and provides a vehicle for patient and public involvement. For further information, visit our NDWRH Clinical Research Group webpage.

CURRENT clinical STUDIES

Your involvement could make a significant difference in the lives of future patients. Contact us today to learn more about how you can participate and help shape the future of medicine.

Hypatia

The aim of this trial is to assess whether the tablet hydroxychloroquine in addition to standard treatment in mothers with antiphospholipid antibodies leads to more mothers having successful pregnancies. 

Who can participate?

Women who have antiphospholipid antibodies or antiphospholipid syndrome and are currently planning for pregnancy.

Summary:

The purpose of the HYPATIA study is to find out whether hydroxychloroquine may help improve pregnancies in women with antiphospholipid antibodies. Participants are randomised to receive either hydroxychloroquine or placebo throughout their pregnancy in addition to their usual medications, and pregnancy outcomes are compared.

Please Contact us to take part in this study

REGAL

The aim of this trial is to find out whether using Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone Analogues (GnRHa) with added Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can improve the quality of life for women by controlling pain when compared to repeat laparoscopic surgery to treat endometriosis.

Who can participate?

Women aged 21-49 years who have undergone laparoscopy to treat endometriosis previously and experience recurrence of pain. Participants should have no intention to conceive in the next two years.

Summary:

Eligible participants are randomly allocated to either undergo laparoscopic surgery to treat endometriosis, or receive GnRHa (in the form of injections which are prescribed by the GP every month or three months) with add back HRT. Participants are followed up for two years with questionnaires to monitor pain levels and quality of life.

Please Contact us to take part in this study.

PIP

Who can participate?

Women aged 39 or under who are attending a UK clinic for an IVF or for fertility issues such as miscarriages with a menstrual cycle of 25-35 days

Summary:

The PIP Study aims to find out how a woman’s blood and endometrial immune cells affect the likelihood of an IVF cycle working and whether or not they are different in women with subfertility, miscarriages and implantation failure.

Please Contact us to take part in this study.

POISE

Who can participate?

Women diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), and are aged between 18 and 40 years

Summary:

The aim of this study is to find out what is the best treatment for women with POI in the short and long term.        Women with POI are treated with either the combined oral contraceptive pill (COC) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Both are recommended treatments and there are benefits and risks of each treatment.

Healthcare professionals are uncertain which treatment is the best for relief of symptoms and reducing the long-term health risks of POI and the aim of this study is to find out. https://www.poise.ac.uk

Please Contact us to take part in this study.

AZALEA

Who can participate?

Pregnant adults at risk for severe Haemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN).

Summary:

This study is being done to help doctors and scientists understand if the study drug named nipocalimab is safe and useful for treating pregnant adults at risk for severe Haemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN). Participants will be in the study for about 55 weeks from the day they agree to participate in the study.

It will include approximately 29 visits the hospital from the day treatment is started until the end of follow-up period. There are additional visits to monitor the baby once born.

 Please Contact us to take part in this study.

PROTECT

Who can participate?

Pregnant women with type 2 diabetes

Summary:

The purpose of this study is to examine whether using continuous glucose monitoring leads to improved glucose levels and better baby outcomes in pregnant women with type 2 diabetes. https://protectstudy.uea.ac.uk/

Please Contact us to take part in this study.

PRESTIGE

Who can participate? 

All people who had a spontaneous preterm birth. A preterm birth that happened naturally rather than preterm birth that happened because of clinical decisions for safe delivery.

Summary:

In our study, we aim to find out which genetic features in people from different ethnic backgrounds are linked to Spontaneous Pre-Term Birth, using Whole Genome Sequencing technology. We hope that our study can help us better predict and understand Spontaneous Pre-Term Birth, so that health complications can be avoided or reduced.

Please Contact us to take part in this study. 

ROADPAIN

Who can participate? 

Young people aged 11-20 who have periods and are not on hormone medication.

Summary:

RoADPain is a research project which aims to understand the role of adolescent dysmenorrhea (period pain) as a risk factor for chronic pain. We will use what we learn about the long term risks of period pain, including how long it takes for experiencing period pain to increase your risk of chronic pain, to make sure period pain is taken seriously and to produce advice and guidance for those with period pain, health professionals, policy makers and educators.

Please Contact us to take part in this study.

https://www.wrh.ox.ac.uk/research/roadpain

PURE-First

Who can participate? Any pregnant women, over 18 years old at their ultrasound appointments.

Summary: We are working to create automatic ultrasound systems requiring minimal control by a health professional so that the scan machine will automatically identify and take measurements of babies. In order to do so, we are asking volunteers for their permission to have their scan images recorded, and for the sonographer to track her/his eye-movements while the scan is being performed. This study will benefit women living in disadvantaged areas where there is a lack of skilled ultrasound operators, meaning scans are not available as part of routine clinical care.

Read more

Please contact us to take part in this study 

PURFECT (Perception Ultrasound for Reassuring Fetal Echo Clinical Trainees)

Who can participate? Pregnant women who attend for their anomaly ultrasound appointment (18+0 – 20+6wks).

Summary: We are working to develop ultrasound assistive software (PURFECT) to aid sonographers in gaining the best possible images and measurements when scanning a baby. It is hoped that this tool will reassure newly qualified sonographers and also support more experienced sonographers to scan more efficiently.

We are asking volunteers to have an extra scan which is recorded, to enable sonographers to use the assistive software. Sonographers are being asked to scan using this new tool which will provide visual guidance during the examination. It will also record where sonographers are looking on the screen while performing the scan. The sonographers are then asked for feedback as to how useful they found it.

 Please contact us to take part in this study 

CAIFE (Clinical Artificial Intelligence Fetal Echocardiography)

Who can participate? Pregnant women (aged 18 years or above), attending an ultrasound scan and/or fetal cardiology appointment in the Obstetric Ultrasound Department at the collaborating hospitals.

Summary: We are working to create an ultrasound systems which can recognise the difference between a healthy and unhealthy fetal heart using machine learning. Detection of congenial heart defects during pregnancy allows early diagnosis and planning for treatment post-delivery.

Please contact us to take part in this study  

INSIGHT (Investigating hormones triggering the onset of sustained lactation)

Who can participate? Pregnant women intending to breastfeed in Oxfordshire area. 

Summary: Hormones such as prolactin and progesterone play a major role in the breastfeeding process and trigger the onset of milk production within the first few days after childbirth. However, the hormone levels required to stimulate milk production are unknown. At LRF OCEHL we are running this vital study to develop normal ranges for milk producing hormones. This study will help us understand why some breastfeeding mothers have delayed milk production or produce limited quantities of milk. View the INSIGHT Study leaflet.

Visit the study webpage to find out more 

Please contact us to take part in this study  

MRC Study (for understanding and predicting pre-eclampsia)

Who can participate? Pregnant women both with and without pre-eclampsia and also non pregnant women.

Summary: The purpose of the study is to find out more about what causes pre-eclampsia and how to predict it. We compare the results of certain tests on blood, urine and placental samples from pregnant women with pre-eclampsia and those without. We also study blood and urine from non pregnant, healthy women.

 Please contact us to take part in this study 

FERN

Intervention or expectant management for early onset selective fetal growth restriction in monochorionic twin pregnancy

Who can participate? Women who are currently pregnant (16-23 weeks) with a monochorionic (identical sharing one placenta) twin pregnancy complicated by sFGR/sIUGR (one of the babies is smaller) or have had a sFGR/sIUGR affected monochorionic twin pregnancy in the last 3 years to take part in this study.

Summary: The UK has approximately 11,000 twin pregnancies per year with a third of these sharing a placenta (MC twins). MC twin pregnancy presents extra risks to both the mother and the babies, with some babies dying during pregnancy or shortly after birth. Often this is due to a complication called selective Fetal Growth Restriction (sFGR), where one twin is smaller than the other. This study aims to gain a better understanding of the outcomes for sFGR in MC twin pregnancies managed in a variety of ways.

 Please contact us to take part in this study 

RaDaR (Kidney disease and pregnancy)

Who can participate? Women with chronic kidney disease who have, or have had, a pregnancy.

Summary: The National Registry of Rare Kidney Diseases (RaDaR) is a research initiative by UK kidney specialist (the Renal Association and the UK Renal Registry). It is designed to gather information from patients with rare kidney disease and in particular women with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The group aims to look into how women with CKD cope with pregnancy and what can be done to improve care.

Please contact us to take part in this study 

Pre-eclampsia Study

Study of placental particle shedding and the maternal inflammatory response in pre-eclampsia

Who can participate? Women with pre-eclampsia and women without pre-eclampsia.

Summary: The Purpose of the study is to find out more about what causes and how to predict pre-eclampsia. We need to compare the results of certain tests on blood and placental samples from pregnant women with pre-eclampsia with those of women without pre-eclampsia. 

Please contact us to take part in this study 

SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy Study)

The aim of this population-based research study on newborn genetic screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is to evaluate the uptake and feasibility in the UK.

Who can participate? We are inviting women who are more than 18 weeks pregnant, or have given birth in the last 28 days, to be part of this study with their newborn babies.

Summary: Our newborn screening study aims to make it possible to detect SMA within days of birth, before symptoms develop, so that any affected newborn can receive diagnosis and treatment at the earliest possible opportunity. SMA is not currently screened for as part of the newborn screening programme. This screening test can be done on the blood spot that is already being taken as part of the standard newborn screening programme. This means no extra blood samples will be needed.

Please contact us to take part in this study 

The Cleft Collective Cohort Study

Who can participate? Women who have received a diagnosis of cleft palate/lip during their pregnancy.

Summary: The Cleft Collective is the world’s largest cleft lip and palate research programme. We are developing two cohort studies. We will follow each family as their child grows up and keep in touch along the way. 

Please contact us to take part in this study 

FENOX (Fibroids and Endometriosis in Oxford)

Who can participate? Women having a laparoscopy for pelvic pain/ treatment or diagnosis of Endometriosis/ Fibroids, sub-fertility or sterilisation aged 18 years or above (before menopause), this study is not suitable for women who are pregnant or who have a history of cancer/diagnosis of current cancer.

Summary: Millions of women suffer from the consequences of endometriosis and uterine fibroids. These include pelvic and abdominal pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility and miscarriages. As such, these conditions not only affect women and their families in their everyday lives, but also have been shown to have an enormous socioeconomic impact for society in general.

This study aims to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of endometriosis and uterine fibroids and their associated symptoms to improve the outcome of affected women. 

Please contact us to take part in this study 

CaPE  (Calcium for prevention of pre-eclampsia) 

A randomised controlled trial of a calcium supplement vs a placebo.

Who can participate? 

Pregnant women over the age of 16 years with a viable intrauterine pregnancy at a gestation of 22 weeks or less, deemed to be at high risk of pre-eclampsia by their clinician. 

Summary: 

The aim of the CaPE trial is to find out whether taking calcium tablets, alongside usual antenatal care, reduces the risk of developing pre-eclampsia.

Participants are randomised into taking either a calcium supplement or a placebo from study enrolment to birth. Pregnancy outcome data are collected by the study team. 

Please contact us to take part in this study 

Recruitment closed

Giant PANDA (Pregnancy ANtihypertensive Drugs)

Who can participate? Pregnant women between 11+0 – 34+6 weeks, over 18 years old with a diagnosis of pregnancy hypertension (Chronic/pregnancy induced hypertension/Pre-eclampsia).Clinicians’ decision to initiate antihypertensive medication. 

Women who have a contraindication to either Labetalol or Nifedipine and are already taking both medications are excluded from participating in this study. 

Summary: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of different antihypertensive drugs in women with chronic/gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia on maternal and fetal/neonatal outcomes. The primary objective is to evaluate if treatment with nifedipine (calcium channel blocker), compare to labetalol (mixed alpha/beta blocker) in women with pregnancy hypertension, reduces severe maternal hypertension without increasing fetal or neonate adverse events.

OXPLUS  (Oxford Placental Ultrasound STUDY)

Who participated? Pregnant women aged 18 years or above who were in the first few months of pregnancy and attending their routine 11-14-week (‘first trimester’) ultrasound scan at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Women’s Centre, Oxford.  

Summary: The aim of this study is to establish if a new piece of computer software — called the ‘OxNNet toolkit’ — can predict which babies will not grow as well as they should using information gained from a 3D ultrasound scan about the size of the placenta and its blood flow, together with other known risk factors. Further information can be found here. 

COPE (The Carboprost or Oxytocin Postpartum haemorrhage Effectiveness Study)

Who can participate? Those 16 years and over of age and who require medical treatment for primary PPH

Summary:  The aim of this study is to compare intramuscular Carboprost 250mcg with intravenous Oxytocin 5 IU for caesarean section, 10 IU following vaginal delivery for the initial treatment for women with clinically diagnosed PPH.

Secondary objective: To explore the views of participants and their carers about their experiences of the two treatments and the consent process.

STOPPIT 3

Who can participate?

Women pregnant with twins

Summary:

This trial aims to find out if the drug corticosteroids given to women with a twin pregnancy prior to a planned birth of twins after 35 weeks of pregnancy reduces breathing difficulties in the twin babies. https://stoppitstudy.co.uk/