Researchers in various studies looking for participants

Here is a list of research studies that currently are looking for participants.

 

Study on infant and toddler vegetable acceptance

The Child Temperament and Health Lab at Purdue is recruiting families to participate in a research study looking at infants’ responses to vegetables and caregivers' decisions about offering them to their child. 

Participating in the study will require two study visits, which will take place virtually via Zoom. Each virtual visit will last approximately 60-90 minutes. Participants will receive up to $80 in gift cards for participating.   

Individuals may be qualified to participate if they meet the following criteria:  

• Child is between 9 months and 24 months of age.
• Child was born at term (>37 weeks) and has experienced at least one complementary food (e.g., rice cereal, finger foods).
• Child has no food allergies or medical conditions.
• Parent or caregiver is between 18 and 50 years of age. 
• Participant home is located in the Greater Lafayette area of Indiana. 

The principal investigator is Kameron Moding, assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. Those interested in participating in the study should contact Ellie Kielb at ekielb@purdue.edu and mention the “Infant Vegetable Study." IRB-2019-451.

 

Paid brain imaging study

Do you make bad decisions when you are upset? Do you find yourself doing things you think you will probably later regret? Individuals who answer yes to both questions are being sought for a brain imaging study.

Participant must also fit the following eligibility requirements:

• Male.
• Ages 18-35.
• Have normal or corrected-to-normal vision.

To sign up, fill out a quick Qualtrics survey (2 minutes) to determine eligibility. 

If eligible, individuals will be contacted further via email or phone. After study completion, participants will receive $25/hour for the fMRI/MRI portion of the experiment and receive $10/hour for the non-fMRI/MRI portion of the experiment. 

The principal investigator is Sébastien Hélie, professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences. IRB# 2020-322.

 

Baby Exploration Project

Researchers are inviting families with babies up to 2-years-old in the West Lafayette-Lafayette and surrounding areas to participate in a study of how babies explore their home environment.

A researcher will visit participants at home for two to three hours while families and the baby go about daily activities. Participants will receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

For more information visit www.baby-exploration-project.org. To sign up, contact Paige Thompson at motordev@purdue.edu.

The principal investigator is Laura Claxton, associate professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Purdue IRB# 2021-1249/ NYU IRB# FY2021-5660.

 

Study on how the brain combines sight and sound

Boys and girls ages 8-12 are needed for a study on how the brain combines sight and sound.

Natalya Kaganovich, associate professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences and psychological sciences, is studying how the brain’s ability to combine auditory and visual information develops in childhood and how it may be impaired in speech/language disorders.

Children will participate in up to eight research sessions. Each session will last one and one-half to two hours. During the first two sessions, standardized tests will be administered that will evaluate children’s nonverbal intelligence and language skills. During the last six sessions, children’s brain activity will be collected while they are doing different tasks. Brain-wave recording sessions are structured as games. Brain waves will be collected with the help of a special cap with built-in electrodes (similar to EEG recordings). There is no discomfort involved, and the method has been safely used with infants, children and adults.

To participate, children must be 8-12 years old; typically developing; right-handed; native speakers of American English; free of speech, language, hearing/vision or neurological disorders and conditions such as autism/Asperger’s, head injuries, seizures, brain tumors, cerebral palsy, ADHD, stuttering and depression; and not currently on medications that may affect brain activity (e.g., medications to control ADHD, seizures or depression).

Children will be compensated $10 per hour and will receive a small toy (worth approximately $5) at the end of each session. Parents also will be paid $10 per session. Evening and weekend sessions are available, if needed.

To participate or for more information, contact Jennifer Schumaker at jschumak@purdue.edu or 765-494-4445. IRB#: 0909008484.

 

Studies looking for Asian and multiracial individuals and families

Researcher in the Antiracism, Resistance, Identity, Socialization, and Equity (ARISE) Lab study how talking about race, ethnicity and culture impacts identity development and mental health.

Researchers are recruiting:

• Multiracial/biracial/mixed race youth and adults.
• Parents of multiracial youth.
• Asian American youth and adults.

By filling out this short 1–3-minute survey, individuals can be added to the lab’s email list. They will have the option to sign up for newsletters that will share resources, an advice column and fun features like pop culture news and recipes from their community that are family-friendly. Individuals can also sign up for the lab’s participant pool to receive invitations to ongoing studies.

Participation in studies would involve tasks such as completing brief and potentially compensated anonymous surveys or interviews to share personal experiences and perspectives so researchers can learn more about multiracial and Asian American youth and families.

Questions can be directed to Annabelle Atkin, principal investigator and assistant professor of human development and family science, at ariselab123@gmail.com. IRB-2023-249.

 

Genetic and environmental risks factors and neurodegenerative disease

The purpose of this research study is to discover new combinations of genetic and environmental risk factors that may contribute to the development of memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, spinal muscular atrophy, Lewy body disease and Friedreich ataxia. Researchers are focusing on risk factors that are likely to occur in rural Indiana.

Researchers are looking for same-sex sibling pairs (e.g., two brothers or two sisters), who are 60-80 years old, 6 or less years apart in age, and lived in rural Indiana area for at least the first two years of their life. Each sibling pair should have one person with at least moderate symptoms of neurodegenerative disease and one person without these symptoms.

Each person will be compensated $80 for one two-hour session. For more information, contact Monica Bozymski at 765-496-4823 at mbozymsk@purdue.edu. The principal investigator is Aaron Bowman, professor of health sciences. IRB-2022-814.

 

Sound processing in hearing impaired ears

Adults ages 18-55 with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss are needed for a study to evaluate how sounds are processed in the human brain. The procedure consists of recording electrical activity from the brain (using EEG type electrodes attached to the head) in response to various sounds presented through earphones at comfortable listening levels.

Participants’ task is to sit and relax on a comfortable chair situated in a sound-treated booth and watch a muted movie. Participants will be asked to fill out forms before the actual experiment. Individuals are required to attend two such sessions, and each session lasts between 2-2.5 hours. Participants will be paid $25 per session. The study will be performed in the Auditory Electrophysiology Lab, Lyles-Porter Hall, Room 3043.

Individuals who meet the prescreening criteria listed above and are interested in volunteering for the study should contact Aditi Gargeshwari at agargesh@purdue.edu. The principal investigator is Ananthanarayan Krishnan, professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences. IRB # 506002731.

 

Child-mother storytelling and play study, and child behavior in the preschool

Researchers in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies are seeking families with children between the ages of 40 and 66 months (approximately 3.5-5.5 years) to participate in a study on child-mother interactions and storytelling.

Participation in the study includes two short visits (15 minutes and 10 minutes) in the participant’s home and one laboratory visit on Purdue's campus (90-100 minutes). In addition, mothers will answer some questionnaires. Parents must be 18 years or older to be eligible to participate. A payment of $30 will be given to participating mothers as appreciation for their time.

The principal investigator is German Posada, professor of human development and family studies. Individuals who are interested and/or want more information should contact German Posada at 765-494-1029 or gposada@purdue.edu, Geurim Kim at kim2959@purdue.edu or Muqing Liu at liu2547@purdue.edu or at familyinteractionslab@purdue.edu. Individuals area asked to indicate their child’s name and date of birth, their name, telephone or email, and best time to be contacted. IRB No. 2021-1189.

 

Study examining adaptable bimanual grasping behaviors 

Researchers are looking for generally healthy young people ages18-35 for a research study being conducted at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus. This study examines bimanual prehensile behavior by measuring the ability of healthy individuals to grasp and move hand-held objects.

Participation requires one visit to the lab for about one hour. The participant will fill out questionnaires, complete tests pertaining to manual function and then perform computer-based tasks in which they track a target on a screen by moving a hand-held object. Participants will receive $15 for completing the study.

If interested, contact the research team at naik20@purdue.edu or call 765-772-8840. The principal investigator for this study is Satyajit Ambike (sambike@purdue.edu), assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. IRB#: IRB-2023-48.

 

Study on the relation between pronunciation and comprehensibility

This study investigates how pronunciation could influence comprehensibility. Researchers are looking for native speakers of English to pronounce sentences in English.

The participant will come to the Phonetics and Phonology Lab to record English sentences. They will also be asked to provide information on the proficiency in the language(s) they speak. Participation in the study will take approximately 30 minutes. Individuals will receive an $8 Amazon eGift Card for participating.

If you are interested in participating, take the screening test online. For more information, please contact the co-principal investigator, Chien-Min Kuo at kuo79@purdue.edu. IRB-2022-724.

 

Research study on adults bothered by sudden sounds or with hearing loss

Researchers are recruiting adults who are bothered by sudden sounds (loud or soft) OR who think they have hearing loss. The studies are being conducted by the Experimental Amplification Research (EAR) Laboratory at Purdue to understand the difficulties individuals with hearing loss have when listening to speech in noise and how hearing aid technology can be improved.

Participants will be paid $20 an hour for several one or two-hour sessions. The principal investigator is Joshua Alexander, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. For more information, contact the Purdue EAR Lab at PurdueEarlab@gmail.com. IRB#: 1406014978.

 

Linguistics study on sentence processing and production

Heritage speakers of Mandarin Chinese (individuals who grew up in the U.S. with Mandarin-speaking family) are wanted for a linguistics study on sentence processing and production. Participants will read and say sentences displayed on a computer. The study takes place in a campus lab and compensates $15 for 80 minutes.

The study is also recruiting advanced learners of Mandarin (those who have taken more than five semesters of college-level Chinese).

Criteria for both groups are below: 

Heritage speakers

• 18-65 years old.
• Completed primary/secondary education in the U.S. 
• Grew up in the U.S. (less than three years living abroad in childhood; visiting other countries does not count toward total).
• Have at least one parent who is a Mandarin native speaker. 
• Can understand some Mandarin from having learned it in childhood but are English-dominant.

Advanced speakers

• 18-65 years old. 
• Did not grow up with Mandarin-speaking family. 
• Have taken five semesters of college-level courses in Mandarin.

The principal investigator is Elaine Francis, professor of English. E-mail sheuv@purdue.edu for more information. IRB-2022-387.

 

Pilot study on neurocognitive and physical activity profile among older adults at risk of financial abuse

Adults age 60 and over are needed to participate in a study on neurocognitive and physical activity in relation to financial abuse. Researchers want to see how individual characteristics, including neurocognitive and physical activity, are related to financial decision making.

To qualify, individuals must be age 60 and over, speak English and not have cognitive impairment.

Participants will join the study on two separate days. The screening is about one hour, involving demographic questionnaires and surveys to capture physical activity, social network and financial experiences. It can be done at the Purdue campus or via webconference (participants need to have access to a webcam and have the webcam turned on in order for the experience to be comparable to in-person experience). The lab visit is about two hours, involving computer games and recording of brain waves using electroencephalogram (EEG) in Lambert Fieldhouse.

Participants will be compensated $15 for the screening. If selected for the lab visit, participants will be compensated for an additional $45 for completing the study.

The principal investigator is Marian Liu, assistant professor of nursing. Individuals interested in participating or who would like to learn more should contact Liu at marianliu@purdue.edu. IRB-2022-1645.

 

Summer research: Word learning study for children with speech-language delays

The Child Language Lab is looking for 4- to 5-year-old children with language delay for a summer research program in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. The program will run from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday for four weeks (6/13 to 7/6) at Lyles-Porter Hall. Researchers will strictly adhere to all guidelines for PPE and cleaning outlined in the Protect Purdue guidelines to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 virus.

Each day, the children will receive one hour of language therapy from clinical supervisors and students, spend 30 minutes doing activities such as crafts and play, and participate in research activities for a total of one hour. The research is investigating how children learn new words.

There are approximately 14 sessions: one to two initial testing sessions and 12 research sessions during the summer program. Families will be paid $10 for each of these sessions; children receive a small toy at each visit. There is no compensation for the child's participation in the therapy and play activities (and no fee is charged).

Researchers are scheduling eligibility testing now and will continue through April. The principal investigator is Laurence B. Leonard, the Rachel E. Stark Distinguished Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

For more information, contact Pat Deevy at 765-496-1821 or deevy@purdue.edu, or visit www.purdue.edu/hhs/ChildLanguageLab. IRB#: 1603017480. 

 

Hearing loss and fall risk

This study is being conducted in the Speech Perception and Cognitive Effort (SPACE) Lab by Alexander Francis, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.  

Researchers are looking for adults ages 65-80 who fit the following criteria:

• No known problems with balance or walking in everyday life.
• No diagnosis of dementia or neurological conditions that affect hearing, balance or walking (stroke, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, brain injury, diabetic neuropathy, etc.).
• Able to communicate comfortably using only spoken English.

AND 

• Unilateral or bilateral hearing aids with moderately severe thresholds (70 dB) or better. 

OR

• No known difficulties with hearing.

Researchers plan to enroll 64 participants, 32 with hearing aids and 32 without. 

Participation requires one two- to three-hour visit to the laboratory and completion of a four-month survey of daily fall risk (about five minutes/day for 120 days). Participants will be compensated with $250 upon completion of the study. Amounts will be pro-rated for participants who do not complete the entire four-month fall survey.  

To participate or for more information, contact Alexander Francis at the SPACE Lab at spacelab@purdue.edu or 765-494-6710 (leave message with contact info). IRB-2022-496.

 

Participants enrolled in Japanese and Chinese courses needed for linguistics study  

Students enrolled in 200, 300, and 400 level Japanese and Chinese courses are needed to take part in a laboratory study on tone and pitch accent production.

Participants will come to the Phonetics lab on campus for three sessions where they will listen and repeat audio, and use visualizations of speech to compare with native speaker productions. The total estimated time for completion is 2.5 hours (two 1-hour sessions, and one 30-minute session). Participants will be compensated at a rate of $10 per hour, for a total of $25 dollars.

The principal investigator is Daniel J. Olson, associate professor of languages and cultures. For more information, contact Alexis Zhou at atews@purdue.edu.  IRB-2022-1439.

 

Skeletal muscle microvascular dysfunction in obesity

Men and women ages 18-40 are sought for a study investigating skeletal muscle blood vessel function in individuals with and without obesity.

This study will involve procedures including blood draw, muscle biopsy and analysis of blood vessel function. Compensation includes $150 payment upon completion of the entire project.

Participants must: 

• Be healthy.
• Be 18-40 years old. 
• Be sedentary (exercise less than three days per week, 20 minutes per day). 
• Have no known cardiovascular or metabolic disease. 
• Be nonsmoking.

The principal investigator is Timothy Gavin, professor of health and kinesiology. To participate, contact Lundon Burton at Purdue’s Wastl Human Performance Laboratory at burto119@purdue.edu. IRB#: 2020-1849.

 

Understanding the relationship of the gut microbiota on host health

The MINION research team in the Department of Nutrition Science is seeking individuals to participate in a study that aims to better understand the relationship of the gut microbiota on host health. The study requires approximately 1.5 hours of time to fill out a health survey and give a blood and fecal sample.

Researchers are seeking individuals over the age of 18 who have not taken antibiotics in six months. Participants will receive $20. Those interested should contact clapp5@purdue.edu.

The principal investigator for the study is Tzu-Wen Cross, assistant professor in Nutrition Science. IRB-2020-07.

  

How children think and feel during and after exercise 

Children ages 8-10 are needed for a research study on how children think and feel during and after exercise.

Participation in this study requires two visits on separate days to the Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health (PANCH) Laboratory in Lambert Fieldhouse. The first visit may last approximately three hours and involve computer games and a fitness test. The second visit may last about three hours and involve health-related and demographic questionnaires, two sessions of 20-minute aerobic exercise, and recoding of brain waves using techniques such as electroencephalogram (EEG). Participation in this study will be compensated by a maximum total of $100.

Shih-Chun Kao, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, is the principal investigator. To participate or for more information, email panchlaboratory@purdue.edu or call 765-496-7781. IRB-2021-955.

 

Healthy adult research participants needed for language study

Principal investigator Jiyeon Lee, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, is seeking participants for a language study for healthy adults.

The study will be up to eight sessions, and each session lasts approximately two hours. Testing will be conducted at Lyles-Porter Hall. To be eligible, individuals should be 40-85 years old, be a native speaker of English and have general good health. If eligible, individuals will be paid $20 per session and free parking is available.

For more information, contact aphasia@purdue.edu, call 765-496-0216, or visit the Aphasia Research Laboratory website. IRB-2021-659.

 

Individuals with aphasia needed for study

The Purdue Aphasia lab invites people with aphasia to participate in a new NIH-funded training study. Participation will help researchers to better understand language recovery in aphasia, in hopes to develop new language treatments.

To be eligible, individuals should have aphasia as a result of a stroke, have no history of other neurological conditions (dementia, Parkinson’s disease, etc.) and be a native speaker of English. Eligibility for this training study will be determined after the initial language evaluation.

Studies will be conducted at Lyles-Porter Hall or the Indianapolis lab site. Participants, if eligible, will be compensated $20 per session, and free garage parking is provided.

The principal investigator is Jiyeon Lee, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. For more information, contact aphasia@purdue.edu, call 765-496-0216, or visit the Aphasia Research Laboratory website. IRB-2021-659.

  

Study on probiotics and lactose intolerance symptoms

The Department of Nutrition Science is conducting a study to see how probiotics impact lactose intolerance symptoms.

Participants must be healthy, nonsmoking, ages 18-65, and not allergic to milk but believe they are lactose intolerant. Other criteria for study participation apply.

This study will consist of a screening day and two testing days approximately 14 days apart. Participants will be required to come to Stone Hall for approximately two consecutive hours on the screening day and eight hours for each testing day.  Participants also will be asked to track any symptoms related to lactose intolerance for two weeks following their last testing day. Participants will receive up to $200 for completing the study.

The principal investigator is Dennis Savaiano, the Virginia C. Meredith Professor of Nutrition Policy. Those interested in participating should contact Anne Wilcox at akwilcox@purdue.edu. IRB# 2021-1099.

 

Measuring characteristics of casual speech

Researchers are seeking up to 40 participants for a study of casual speech characteristics. Participants will be recorded speaking casually for about two minutes in a single session lasting no more than 30 minutes.

Participants should meet the following criteria:

• Adults ages 18-25 years.
• Fluent speaker of a North American dialect of English.
• Able to speak comfortably for about two minutes.

Participants will be excluded if they:

• Have smoked or vaped in the past five years.
• Were diagnosed with speech, respiratory or voice disorders, bipolar disorder or depression.
• Have a current upper airway respiratory infection.
• Have engaged in phonotraumatic behaviors (yelling, screaming, loud singing, etc.) in the past 24 hours.

Participants will be compensated with $8 at the end of the session. The principal investigator is Alexander Francis, professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

For more information or to arrange a time to participate, contact Emily Clark at clark741@purdue.edu. IRB-2022-350. 

  

Home-based leg heat therapy in elderly individuals

Men and women ages 65 and older are needed for a research study on the effects of home-based leg heat therapy on walking tolerance and leg strength.

Leg heat therapy is the application of heat to the legs using water-circulating pants connected to a pump. Participants will be asked to apply the therapy (90 minutes daily, seven days per week) at home for 12 weeks. A series of exams will be performed before and at the end of the treatment. Participants will receive $300 for completing the study.

Participants must be:

• Age 65 or older.
• Sedentary (exercise less than three days per week, 20 minutes per day).
• Nonsmokers.

If interested in participating, call 765-496-2612 or e-mail brosegui@purdue.edu. The principal investigator is Bruno Roseguini, associate professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. IRB-2022-381.

 

The Your View Study

For this study, families will receive a kit mailed to their home with head cameras, headbands and instructions. Parents and their children will wear the head cameras and record their daily activities for up to four hours across one week. Parents will also be asked to fill out questionnaires online. Families will be compensated with a $60 Amazon gift card for their time.

Researchers are looking for families with children ages 2-5 years who:

• Are on the autism spectrum, or
• Have Down syndrome, or
• Are typically developing.

For more information, email maclab@purdue.edu. The principal investigator is Carolyn McCormick, assistant professor of human development and family studies. IRB #: 2021-1114.

  

 

Study on effects of consuming different proportions of red meat and plant-based, protein-rich foods

This research study is assessing the effects of consuming different proportions of red meat and plant-based, protein-rich foods (nuts, seeds, and soy products) incorporated into a U.S. healthy eating pattern on cardiovascular disease risk factors in adults at high risk of developing a heart-related disease.

The study seeks men and women who are willing to consume a U.S. healthy eating pattern with varying proportions of red meat and plant-based, protein-rich foods for 10 weeks. All food will be provided. Participants are required to attend four study visits at the research site over approximately a three-and-a-half-month period. Individuals will be compensated $300 for participating in the study.

Interested subjects should be age 25 to 69, overweight, nonsmokers and nonpregnant. Those interested in participating in the study should contact Harrison Cottingham at hcotting@purdue.edu and mention the “U.S. healthy eating pattern plant-based and animal protein."

The study adheres to all required COVID-19 standard operating procedures. For more information regarding the standard operating procedures, visit the Protect Purdue website.

The principal investigator is Wayne Campbell, professor in the Department of Nutrition Science. IRB#: IRB-2020-587.