Spotlight on participating in research
Every year hundreds of thousands of people take part in studies. They answer questions about their lifestyles, provide blood samples, test new drugs, and so on. Medical research is entirely dependent on the contributions these healthy volunteers and patients make.
Without subjects research stops
Medical research is entirely dependent on healthy volunteers and patients. Monica Röhr Sjöqvist, Sanna and Rebecka Johansson, Henrik Forsberg, and Mattias Carlsten have all particitated in research.
Photo credit: Lindsten & Nilsson.
Monica was involved in a balance study
Monica Röhr Sjöqvist is participating in a balance study for Parkinson’s disease.
“I took double anaesthetic”
Henrik Forsberg participated in a study on prolonged exercise. Among other things he had a muscle biopsy.
“As twins we’re useful”
The twin sisters Sanna and Rebecka Johansson always says yes when asked to participate in research. They are both listed in the Swedish Twin Registry at Karolinska Institutet.
“I donated bone marrow to my colleagues”
Mattias Carlsten is a medical doctor and a research group leader. He has donated cells to his colleagues.
Facts about clinical research
It is important to minimise the risks for participants in clinical studies. In Sweden, the research leader is responsible for the well-being of the people involved, as well as for the information that is collected – which is regulated by laws and ethical guidelines.
They experiment on themselves
It is not always easy finding people to take part in research. Sometimes the most simple thing is to conduct the testing on yourself, in fact.
Hired as experts in their own illness
More and more researchers understand the importance of including the patients' experiences when planning scientific studies. Meet three people who have been hired as experts in their own illness.