Healthy volunteers and patients play a crucial role in advancing medical research. Our university hospital and faculty conduct a wide range of clinical studies – from early-phase trials to applied clinical research – and actively involve participants at every stage of the process.
By participating as a healthy volunteer or patient in one of our clinical studies, you are making a direct contribution to medical progress and to the health of others.
Where can you find our clinical trials?
Various teams at our hospital and faculty regularly recruit healthy volunteers:
- Drug Research Unit Ghent (D.R.U.G) – Early-stage development of new and improved medicines.
- Centre for Vaccinology (CEVAC) – Development of effective vaccines against infectious diseases.
- through the prikstarter.be platform, CEVAC brings scientific vaccine research closer to the general public, and healthy volunteers can register to take part in their research
- Safepedrug Clinical Trial Unit (SPD-CTU) – Development of medicines and formulations for young patients.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine - trials – Development, proof-of-concept testing and validation of new diagnostic tests to better advise the doctors treating future patients.
If you are a patient and are interested in participating in a clinical study, please discuss this with your treating doctor. You can find open cancer trials on the UZ Gent website.
A patient-centered approach
We actively involve patients throughout the entire research process. UZ Gent is the first Belgian hospital to have its own patient advisory board for scientific research, known as PAWO. This board consists of motivated (former) patients who provide advice, from their own perspective, on the development and improvement of clinical research. Their contributions strengthen the patient-centered approach of the clinical studies, ensuring they better meet the needs of patients and their families. This focus on patient involvement is also valued by research funders, who attach great importance to active patient participation.
Visit the UZ Gent website for more information.