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The Institute for Translational Research at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth focuses on studies on Alzheimer’s disease and how the disease differs among multiethnic populations. (Courtesy photo | University of North Texas Health Science Center)
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Nancy Grieser had a fascination with the brain for as long as she could remember. 

She invested time in learning about the organ and keeping up-to-date with scientific research. 

While reading a morning newspaper, Grieser came across an advertisement for a clinical trial looking for older participants to receive a treatment aimed at delaying memory loss before noticeable signs of Alzheimer’s disease begin.

Grieser read about the study and believed she was a perfect fit. She applied, and a few months later, she was selected. Grieser has been a participant in the Alzheimer’s clinical trial since December 2021. 

“I have no connection with Alzheimer’s, it was just a way to give back to society,” she said. “I also thought that if I did start to slow down mentally, at least it’d be recorded, and there could be awareness of it. … It’s time for me to do something proactive.”

Nancy Grieser sits inside her Arlington home July 3, 2024. Originally from Wisconsin, Grieser and her husband moved to Tarrant County in the late 1970s. (David Moreno | Fort Worth Report)

Like Grieser, there are thousands of local residents taking part in active Tarrant County clinical research. As of July 5, there are 339 active clinical trials in Fort Worth, with 336 recruiting participants, according to the National Library of Medicine. 

Dr. James D. Marshall, academic chair of pediatrics at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, said local pediatric and adult clinical trials are not only important for advancing medicine, but monumental in cementing Fort Worth as “one of the best clinical research centers in the world.” 

Importance of clinical research in Fort Worth

Clinical research is the study of health and illnesses in people with the goal of developing knowledge that improves our understanding of human biology. There are two main types of clinical research: clinical trials and observational studies. 

Clinical trials are research studies that test a medical, surgical or behavioral intervention in human volunteers and serve as the primary way to determine if a new treatment is safe and effective. Observational studies monitor people in normal settings and serve to gather information and compare changes over time, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Phases of clinical trials

Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, each with a different purpose. Each phase typically lasts two to three years, but it can vary.

Phase I: Researchers test a drug or treatment in a small group of 20 to 80 people for the first time. They study the results of the drug or treatment to learn about safety and identify side effects.

Phase II: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of 100 to 300 people to better determine its effectiveness and to further study its safety.

Phase III: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of 1,000 to 3,000 people to confirm its effectiveness and monitor side effects. The treatment is also compared with similar treatments.

Phase IV: After a drug is approved by the FDA and made available to the public, researchers track its safety in the general population. They also look for more information about a drug or treatment’s benefits. 

When Marshall moved to Fort Worth in 2002, the city was not as known for its clinical research, biotechnology and life sciences. Fort Worth was looking at ways to grow, he said. 

Around that time, Cook Children’s Health Care System hired Marshall to develop a collaborative and centralized system of pediatric research. Over the next two decades, the health system grew from conducting roughly 13 active pediatric clinical trials to more than 400 by the time Marshall stepped away from his role in September 2023, he said. 

Dr. Noelle Cloven, associate professor at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, has also seen Fort Worth grow its adult clinical research over the past 15 years. 

“When I got to Fort Worth in 2009, (the city) already had a pretty good clinical trial network established, but it’s just been built since then,” she said. “Initially, we were doing a lot of our clinical trials through other groups and institutes. Now, we’re doing a lot of our (own) trials.”

Dr. Sai Chavala is a retina specialist and professor of surgery at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU. In April 2020, Chavala and his team identified a new method to alter cell identity and reprogram skin cells into retinal cells. (Courtesy photo | Rodger Mallison/ TCU Magazine)

Clinical research is important for local physicians and researchers, because it helps them become experts in their area of study and expert voices in the medical community, said Marshall. 

“They (physicians) naturally acquire that knowledge in the course of doing the research, so people from around the world seek those folks out,” he said. 

Leigh Johnson, associate director of the Institute for Translational Research at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, said bringing research to Fort Worth gives the community “cutting-edge treatment options that really aren’t necessarily available.” 

Most clinical trials provide treatments and medical care at no cost to the patient, which removes the financial burden, said Melissa Acosta, executive director of research, innovation and sponsored programs at JPS Health Network. 

Local research catches the attention of out-of-state investors and pharmaceutical companies and puts medical institutions in Tarrant County on the map as top health care hubs, said Marshall.

“It makes that node of discovery attractive to people from outside our local region,” he said. “By conducting clinical research, our region becomes a center of excellence for not just that research, but diseases. People will think of Tarrant County as being a place to go, because they can’t get that care at other places.”

‘Hub for medical innovation’

Despite the growing range of clinical research in Tarrant County, patient enrollment and participation continues to be a concern, said Johnson. 

Many clinical trials close prematurely due to an inadequate number of participants, which can result in wasted resources, missed opportunities for advancements and reduced public trust, according to a 2022 survey in the National Institutes of Health. 

“It’s a huge challenge to get people to participate and make the commitment,” she said. “But, it’s also about making sure that we have diverse representation from all communities, which is really detrimental to get all these effective treatments for everyone.”

Researchers remain hopeful for increased resident participation as investment in biotech and health care grows in Fort Worth and Dallas.

In September 2023, North Texas took another step toward becoming a bigger life sciences center when the region was awarded federal designation as the Customer Experience Hub for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. 

The designation will be used to attract federal funds, programs and talent to the growing biotech and life sciences industries in North Texas. 

“Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing cities — I truly do believe we will be a hub for medical innovation in the country,” said Johnson. 

The Institute for Translational Research at UNT Health Science Center participates in a nationwide clinical trial called The AHEAD Study, which tests whether an investigational treatment slows the earliest brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. (Courtesy photo | University of North Texas Health Science Center)

Residents interested in participating in clinical research should ask questions about the background of the study, length of the trial and treatments that are involved. Most clinical trials last several years, said Cloven.

Interested in participating in clinical research?

Click here to search through clinical trials in Tarrant County. The National Library of Medicine allows you to filter your search based on conditions, treatment, location and other terms. Each study includes separate contact information.

As for Grieser, she continues to enjoy her participation in Alzheimer’s clinical research. She constantly advocates for more Tarrant County residents to get involved. 

Hopefully one day, there will be a medication to cure or delay Alzheimer’s, she said.

“I actually told others about it and encouraged friends of mine to participate,” she said. “I mean, let’s do what we can to help find the answers that we need.” 

David Moreno is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports. 

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.