From cancer to cardiovascular disease, asthma to premature birth, immunology to mental health, health behaviour to stroke – researchers affiliated with the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) are making significant discoveries in areas that affect our physical and emotional well-being.
However, without human volunteers, many aspects of health and medical research simply cannot happen.
To address this vital need, HMRI launched the HMRI Research Register in 2005. The Research Register recruits a central database of people who are interested in contributing to medical research. The Register helps researchers access to the type of people they require in their efforts to improve the health of the community.
The HMRI Research Register helps researchers by making recruitment of research participants faster and more economical. Even more importantly, it can improve the quality of research by providing access to a wider cross-section of the population.
Our researchers need all types of people. Although most research focuses on understanding why we get sick, it’s just as important to understand the way healthy organisms work. The information collected from these healthy people helps researchers establish what is normal, so they can investigate the effects of illness. The Register is aiming to include a wide range of people aged 18 years and above, irrespective of medical condition.
Participating in health and medical research can take many forms – from answering a series of brief questions in a telephone interview, undertaking memory and concentration tests, blood pressure test, participating in a clinical trial, donating blood samples for genetic research, and providing images of the brain using MRI and scanning technology. Researchers can approach the HMRI Research Register to recruit participants to their projects.
As a member of the HMRI Research Register, you may be invited to participate in one or more studies. Each study will be explained in detail at the time you are invited to participate. You will then have a choice whether you want to participate or not. All participation is completely voluntary and you may refuse or withdraw your consent at any stage without having to provide a reason. It’s also important for you to know that all projects must first have ethical approval granted by the Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee and have satisfied the requirements of the HMRI Research Panel.
All information provided by Register members is kept strictly confidential. Only the HMRI Research Register Co-ordinator has access to information that identifies you or your participation in any research project. HMRI will only provide researchers with your contact details after you have decided to participate in their specific project. Researchers are also bound by confidentiality and will not identify you personally in any publications arising from their research.
Click here to explore some of the research projects that are currently recruiting and find out about clinical trials.
To join the HMRI Research Register, please complete the below form. If you have any questions regarding the HMRI Research Register please contact registerinfo@hmri.org.au