UCSF Otolaryngology has an exciting tradition of innovative clinical research that advances medical knowledge and improves the lives of patients. Clinical studies are conducted with volunteer participants. Prior to trial approval, the research protocol is reviewed by the Institutional Research Board (IRB) to ensure all studies are ethical and scientifically sound. Studies require informed consent from the participating subjects.
Clinical studies are led by a principal investigator who leads a research team that may include fellow clinician-scientists, collaborators, and research coordinators.
In addition to clinical studies, UCSF Otolaryngology clinician-scientists use observational studies to study outcomes in groups of participants. These type of studies can include focused medical records reviews, collections of pathological samples, large database analysis, and more.