Welcome from the Director

John I. Gallin, M.D. Director, NIH Clinical Center

Thank you for your interest in the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center. The Clinical Center, located in Bethesda, Maryland, is the nation’s clinical research hospital and the world’s largest hospital dedicated totally to clinical research. Through clinical research, promising discoveries in the laboratory are translated into better health and health care for all.

There are about 1,300 clinical research protocols under way here. Most are studies of the natural history of disease, especially rare diseases, which often are not studied anywhere else. We also have a large number of early (Phase 1 and 2) clinical trials testing new treatments and long-term natural history studies, which provide important information about how disease and health progress.

Milestones in medical discovery accomplished here have been possible thanks to the more than 350,000 volunteers from around the world and all walks of life who have participated in clinical research here.

As the promise of medical discovery expands, so does the demand for a scientific workforce capable of exploring new options and approaches. To help meet the demand, the NIH Clinical Center offers options for clinical research training to help prepare the next generation of medical investigators.
For more information, I invite you to:

• Visit a new online resource, “NIH & Clinical Research: Because Lives Depend on It.”
• Explore details on active Clinical Center studies through the online database of studies. To speak with one of the specialists in our patient recruitment office, call 1-800-411-1222 (TTY 1-866-411-1010).

If you have a question or suggestion for us, please send it to my attention through our communications office.