Research & Clinical Trials
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Our specialists help you prevent and manage health conditions and meet your goals with individualized, expert nutritional care. For help finding clinical nutrition care, call 310-825-7921. To reach the Medical Weight Management Program, please call 310-825-8173.
Research
The UCLA Center for Human Nutrition has research facilities for dietary intervention, controlled feeding studies, body composition studies, strength and aerobic testing, as well as space for phlebotomy, physical examination and sample preparation. The Clinical facilities for research include the Clinical Research Core space, the Daniel S. Abraham Nutrition Research Kitchen and Feeding Center and the Mark Hughes Exercise Performance Laboratory and an Instructional Gym. There are also laboratories in Gene-Nutrient Interaction, Phytochemistry, and Nutritional Biochemistry to support the clinical and basic research of the Division in the UCLA Rehabilition Building on the southwestern end of campus, where it is convenient to both the VA Medical Center and the Ronald Reagan Medical Center. Extensive interdivisional and interdepartmental collaborations exist with urology, dermatology, cardiology, nursing, public health, and psychiatry. These are encouraged as essential for the development of innovative nutrition research.
The UCLA Center for Human Nutrition conducts cutting-edge biomedical and health-related research studies that include both interventional and observational studies. Our clinical studies are sponsored/funded by National Institute of Health (NIH), pharmaceutical companies, and/or non-profit medical institutions/organizations.
If you would like more information on any studies please contact the clinical research staff at (310) 206-8292 or email [email protected].
If you are interested in finding out more information about a particular study, please contact the study personnel.
Featured News
NIH’s Nutrition for Precision Health study featured on CBS Sunday Morning
The National Institutes of Health’s study Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program, was highlighted on CBS Sunday Morning as a key driver of innovation in nutrition research. The study, led by the NIH’s Common Fund, All of Us, and Office of Nutrition Research is the largest precision nutrition research effort of its kind. It aims to enroll 8,000 or more participants from diverse backgrounds and learn more about how our bodies respond differently to food. The news segment followed the experience of an All of Us participant as she takes part in the groundbreaking nutrition study, eating provided meals and sharing data and samples for analysis. The episode also highlights the novel methods and technology the study team is using to examine different factors that influence nutrition and health, including tests measuring participants’ resting metabolic rate, use of sensors to record food intake in addition to food diaries and an innovative microbiome collection device. Watch the segment!
ABC News’ Becky Worley joins research study that could help millions of others
May 3, 2024 by Becky Worley (Good Morning America)
Becky Worley is an ABC News correspondent based in California. Here, she documents her experience as a participant in the All of Us Research Program, a National Institutes of Health project that aims to study more than 1 million people from all backgrounds. It started like most "Good Morning America" assignments, an idea from our Med Unit about a new study being conducted by the National Institutes of Health. They pitched the "All of Us" study to our editorial group, and I was asked to bring the story to air. But in the end, it was unlike any story I've ever done. Read more >
Current Clinical Trials
| Study Type | Title/Purpose | Principal Investigators |
|---|---|---|
| CURRENT | ||
| Interventional | Nutrition for Precision Health The goal of this investigational study is to develop algorithms that predict human response to foods. The main question it aims to answer are:
There are 3 Modules participants may take part in:
Status: Recruitment Ongoing | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD For more information contact Molica Arana Clinical Study Coordinator 310-206-8292 |
| Interventional | Effect of Metformin ER with Hypocaloric Diet on Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Patients with Increased Waist Circumference Metformin is a drug used to treat patients with diabetes. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of Metformin along with a low-calorie diet on obese and/or overweight adults with an increased waist measurement. In addition, the study also aims to look at the effect of the drug vs. placebo on quality of life and physical activity. During this study, your participation will last up to 26 weeks (including screen) for a total of 8 clinic visits. You will undergo a total of 5 blood draws, blood samples taken at screen, baseline and weeks 8, 16 and 24. You will also be asked to take the study drug or placebo during the duration of this study. You will be asked to take one capsule a day for two weeks, then increase to 2 capsules a day for the rest of the study at approximately the same time each day. Status: Recruitment Ongoing See Flyer: English | Dr. Hila Zelicha Peer, RD, PhD For more information contact Dr. Hila Zelicha Peer Clinical Study Coordinator |
| Interventional | Effect of Mango Consumption on Skin Health The purpose of this study is to determine if the daily consumption of one cup of mango compared to 1 oz of pretzel snacks for 12 weeks will 1) enhance antioxidant defense of your skin by assessing the minimal dose of ultraviolet (UV) B light that irritates your skin (reddening-erythema); 2) enhance the ability of your skin to stretch (elasticity), skin moisture (hydration), skin texture, oil secretion (sebum) and reddening (erythema); and 3) measure gene expression of genes involved in oxidative damage (caused by oxygen radicals created by UVB), collagen (structural protein) formation and inflammation (a condition where skin becomes reddened, swollen, hot and painful) in skin cell samples collected by skin tape stripping and blood markers for oxidative stress and inflammation. Status: Coming Soon See Flyer: English | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD For more information contact Jeraldine Guzman Clinical Study Coordinator 310-206-8292 |
| Interventional | Effects of Diets on Memory in subjects with Long-COVID Symptoms The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of daily consumption of two ounces of walnuts compared to habitual diet for 12 weeks in individuals with long-COVID on 1) cognition, fatigue and mood symptoms; 2) clinical parameters such as weight, body composition and inflammatory blood marker, dietary quality and quality of life; and 3) the feasibility of the study design. Status: Recruitment Ongoing See Flyer: English | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD For more information contact Kei Lei Clinial Study Coordinator 310-206-8292 |
| CLOSED | ||
| Interventional | The IDEA Study: Intervention with Diet & Exercise for Women Taking Aromatase Inhibitors Status: Completed | |
| Interventional | The Effects of Ellagic acid from Pomegranate Juice vs. Pure Ellagic acid on Healthy Male Subjects Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD
|
| Interventional | The effect of spice consumption on increasing the good bacteria in the human intestine. Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD
|
| Interventional | Effects of Branch Chain Amino Acids on Glucose Tolerance in Obese Patients Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD
|
| Interventional | Effectiveness of changing dietary fat on weight loss Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD
|
| Interventional | Effects of Phytonutrients on Vascular Heath Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD Susanne Henning, RD, PhD
|
| Interventional | Clinical Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Pomegranate vs. Placebo for Skin Inflammation and Aging Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD Jenny Kim, MD
|
| Interventional | The Effect of Dulaglutide on Major Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Researching Cardiovascular Events with a Weekly INcretin in Diabetes (REWIND) Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD
|
| Interventional | The Effect of a Healthy Snack on Body Weight and Composition Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | The Effects of Phytoutrients on Vascular Health and Skin in Obese Males Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | Effects of Cinnamon Spice on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin in Normal Weight and Obese Individuals with Pre-Diabetes Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | Exploratory Study to Determine the Bioavailability of Sugar from Pomegranate Juice vs. Sucrose Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | Healthy Avocado Trial (HAT) Status: Completed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | Nutritional Support to improve outcomes in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer Status: Recruitment Closed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | Nutritional Supplementation Study: Elderly with Recent Weight Loss Status: Recruitment Closed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | Wearable Sweat Sensor for Non-Invasive Cardiometabolic Monitoring The purpose of this study is to determine if measurements of cardiometabolic markers, generated by a wearable sweat sensor, correlate to results from blood analyses in individuals with normal weight or overweight/obesity with or without prediabetes during a glucose tolerance test. Status: Closed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial (TK-MT) This teaching kitchen intervention study is an 18-month long study with an interactive year-long program that teaches cooking skills, nutrition information, mindfulness and stress reduction techniques, promotes movement, and includes health coaching strategies. Participants must be willing to actively participate in the hands-on classes (may be in-person or virtual), fill out a number of survey questionnaires, complete 4 blood draws, 2 urine samples, along with physical assessments (weight, blood pressure, etc) and 2 stool collections. Status: Closed for Enrollment | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD |
| Interventional | Impact of Anti-Inflammatory Whole-Food Diet in Crohn's Disease and Predicting Response to Therapy Diet has a strong influence on the composition of the bacteria in our gut and can be important if we want to modify CD symptoms and activity. There is still a great gap in research as to which diets and what diet therapy would be most effective. Previous studies have shown that certain diets were more effective for managing CD symptoms. The aim of the study is to test two different diets and their effect on CD. This is a randomized, single-blind, controlled trial. Status: Closed | Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD
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