Saving Sight, Enhancing Lives Through Research
Your participation helps shape the future of medicine.
What is Clinical Research?
People face diseases that don’t yet have perfect treatments. Clinical research studies people to understand health and disease, finding answers science doesn’t yet know.
Through clinical research, doctors and scientists learn:
- How the body works
- How illnesses develop over time
- How the body responds to treatments
- Which behaviors prevent or increase illness risk
Goal: Use science to improve health care and outcomes.
Note: Participants may or may not directly benefit from joining a study.
Who Can Join Clinical Research?
Every study has eligibility criteria to keep participants safe and ensure results are meaningful. Criteria may include:
- Age or gender
- Certain medical conditions (or none)
- Prior treatments or health history
- Lifestyle or environmental exposures
WKRI’s research staff walks with you every step of the way, making sure you’re safe, informed, and supported.
What Happens During Clinical Research?
Before joining, you’ll go through informed consent — a clear explanation of:
- What will happen during the study
- Who can join
- How much time is required
- Any payments or costs
- Known risks and benefits
Your choice matters: Even after signing, you can leave any time, for any reason, and our staff will support you.
Who Pays for Clinical Research?
Studies are funded by organizations dedicated to advancing medicine, such as:
- Government agencies
- Pharmaceutical or biotech companies
- Universities or medical centers
- Charities or non-profits
Do Participants Pay or Get Paid?
The informed consent form explains all costs/payments before you begin. Typically:
- Some studies provide compensation
- Most cover study treatments and related tests
- Some also cover travel, parking, or meals
What Clinical Trials Are Available?
Wagner Kapoor Research Institute offers multiple clinical trials. These studies are carefully screened and designed with the community in mind. Anyone choosing to participate in these trials will have access to brand new treatment options and may potentially receive compensation for some approved studies.
The current clinical trials open for enrollment include wet age-related macular degeneration and dry age-related macular degeneration, and they can be found here.
Your Participation Matters
By joining a clinical study, you’re helping doctors develop better treatments and improve care for future generations.
