Recruiting Human Research Volunteers

The USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) is world renown for its research and scientific discoveries related to the importance of nutrition for growth and development during childhood and for health maintenance for adults. Although some preliminary and biochemical studies can be con-ducted in a laboratory using sophisticated equipment and technology, ultimately all theories about human nutrition should be confirmed with the help of human research volunteers.

Recruiting and coordinating the more than 5,000 volunteers that are part of the CNRC research studies each year is a major task. Marilyn Navarette is a key person behind the scenes for recruitment and coordinating activities. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she maintains a database of over 9,000 families. Although the database is computerized, many times the CNRC researchers rely upon Marilyn’s expertise and knowledge of “her” families to find the volunteers that fit the study protocol. Marilyn has located volunteers as young as 2 days for a study about breastfeeding.

When asked if she has any concerns about recruiting volunteers for studies, she responds with a vehement no. “All of the studies have undergone the vigorous scrutiny of the Institutional Review Board of the Baylor College of Medicine and affiliated institutions. There is full disclosure to parents and older children about what will be happening and why it is important.” She adds, “Some volunteer families have been in our database for over 20 years. Children who have participated in studies often tell their younger brothers and sisters and their friends, about how well they are treated at the CNRC. Serving as a volunteer in a research study, encouraged some of our volunteers to consider further study in medicine, biology, genetics and nutrition. You should hear them brag, ‘I’m helping science.’”

Additional information about the current CNRC research studies can be found in the Nutrition & Your Child newsletter and on the CNRC website at www.kidsnutrition.org/studies/index.html.