Sponsor or institution
Clinical trials and research at Rice University
As of November 12, 2026, Find a Trial lists 135 NIH-funded research projects at this institution, with $62.3 million in listed awards. Every study is explained in plain English. Data from ClinicalTrials.gov and NIH RePORTER, updated November 12, 2026.
- 135NIH research projects
NIH-funded research (newest 40 of 135)
Early-stage science funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Most of these projects don't enroll patients, but they show what is being worked on.
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Semi-autonomous surgeon-guided in situ robotic bioprinting for repairing volumetric muscle loss
A surgeon-guided robotic bioprinting system would print bioinks directly onto muscle injury sites to help restore function and appearance.
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Center to Bring Quick Cancer Tests from Lab to Patients
A center is being built at Rice University to create and spread affordable, easy cancer tests that can be used in clinics and rural areas to catch cancer early.
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Center for Innovation and Translation of Point-of-Care Cancer Tests to Reach More Patients
A center is being created to develop simple, low-cost point-of-care tests to detect cancers early, especially in low-resource settings, so more people can get timely care.
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Point-of-care HPV DNA test to screen for cervical cancer in low-resource settings
A new HPV DNA test designed to be used at the point of care to screen for cervical cancer, especially in areas with limited medical infrastructure or rural settings.
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Fast, easy HIV test that detects the virus early
This project is building a quick, instrument-free HIV-1 test that can detect the virus in blood or saliva earlier than current rapid tests for people at risk of recent exposure or possible viral rebound.
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Deep profiling of how fusion-driven pediatric cancers spread, using single-cell protein tools
Researchers will develop fast, highly capable single-cell protein measurements to understand how certain pediatric cancers, like Ewing sarcoma, spread and evade the immune system.
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ADRD spousal caregivers: real-time loneliness and immune links
A real-world study will follow 300 spouses caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias to understand how loneliness, social isolation, and daily stress relate to immune and cellular aging.
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Music-based program to support thinking and mood for adults 65+ at risk for Alzheimer's
A clinical trial tests a six-week, hands-on music creativity program to help people 65 and older with mild cognitive impairment feel mentally sharper and happier.
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How confined migration changes cell movement and energy in tissues
Scientists are testing how squeezing cells in tiny spaces changes how they move and use energy, which could affect healing and tissue repair.
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Targeted control of mitochondrial power to help the heart
A new approach aims to safely boost the heart’s energy factories in people with heart failure after a heart attack.
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Broad-spectrum DNA recorder to map cellular history
A new tool using CRISPR-based DNA recording is being developed to log historical cellular events inside living cells, helping researchers understand development and organoid formation.
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Imaging and Spectroscopy of Radiation Chemistry in FLASH Radiotherapy to Inform Clinical Translation
Researchers are studying why FLASH radiotherapy may spare healthy tissue while killing tumors, by measuring the very fast chemical processes that happen right after radiation.
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Point-of-care HPV DNA test to screen for cervical cancer in low-resource settings
A fast, on-site HPV DNA test will be developed to screen for cervical cancer in places with limited medical resources, starting with populations in the United States and similar settings.
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Rapid, low-cost HPV DNA test for cervical cancer screening in Mozambique
A fast, affordable HPV DNA test designed to help women in Mozambique find cervical cancer earlier.
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Dissemination Core to speed up cervical cancer screening innovations
A funded project to help bring point-of-care cervical cancer screening tools into real-world use by shaping needs, addressing implementation challenges, and training developers and users.
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Clinical Core: speeding up cancer screening and care access with affordable point-of-care tests
A NIH funding opportunity at Rice University aims to help people in low-resource settings get earlier cancer detection and better access to care using affordable, easy-to-use tests.
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Technology Core: Advancing point-of-care cancer screening in underserved settings
A national center at Rice University is building faster, affordable point-of-care cancer tests to help people in resource-limited areas get earlier detection.
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Administrative core for turning point-of-care cancer detection tech into real-world care
A national center at Rice University helps fast-track affordable point‑of‑care tools to screen for epithelial cancers and get patients earlier, easier access to care.
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Center for Innovation and Translation of Point-of-Care Cancer Tests to Expand Access
A U54 grant at Rice University is building and testing affordable point-of-care cancer tests to help people in diverse settings get earlier cancer detection and better access to care.
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Ultraflexible spinal electrodes to map and influence nerve signals in moving animals
This NIH grant supports developing ultra-flexible spinal implants to record and modulate nerve activity in behaving animals, with the aim of better understanding and potentially treating spinal cord function.
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Next-generation design of acoustic reporter genes for deeper, clearer imaging
A new NIH grant aims to improve acoustic reporters that let doctors and scientists see which genes are active inside living tissues using ultrasound, reaching deeper than traditional light-based methods.
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Understanding and reducing unintended large gene changes in sickle cell gene editing
A study in people with sickle cell disease looks at unexpected large DNA changes that can happen when repairing genes with CRISPR and aims to figure out how to prevent them.
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Molecular mechanisms in the mammalian cell nucleus (for patients)
Researchers study the tiny structures inside human cells to understand how they work and what goes wrong in diseases like cancer.
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Bringing simple, low-cost cancer tests to clinics and communities
Create and spread easy, affordable cancer screening tests so people in rural and low-resource areas can get earlier detection and care.
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From Food Insecurity to Cardiovascular Risk: A Biobehavioral Look at Nutrition and Inflammation
This project follows 450 Hispanic/Latino adults over time to see how food insecurity affects heart health through nutrition and inflammation.
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Smartphone-based emotional regulation for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease
A brief smartphone-based program helps unpaid family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or related dementias manage emotions and reduce stress.
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A fast, at-a-glance genetic test for recently transfused sickle cell patients in low-resource settings
A new quick, inexpensive genetic test could give accurate sickle cell results right after a blood transfusion, even in low-resource clinics.
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Multimodal approach to craving and mood in substance use disorders
Aims to build a real-world and lab-based picture of how cravings and moods relate to substance use by collecting brain, physiological, and behavioral data from people with SUD.
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Bioengineered lymphatic healing platform for breast cancer-related lymphedema
A new brainy hydrogel-based approach aims to help people who develop lymphedema after breast cancer by guiding and regenerating lymphatic vessels.
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A new, scalable system to record brain signals with tiny, less-invasive electronics
A research team is developing advanced nanoelectronic brain sensors that can reliably record and stimulate brain activity at high resolution for long periods, helping people understand and treat brain-related conditions.
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New DNA-binding proteins to stop repeat instability in Huntington’s and related diseases
Aiming to slow or stop the progression of diseases caused by DNA repeat expansions by creating new protein tools that stabilize the genome in patients.
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ADAR1 and RNA Editing: How the immune system is guided by RNA changes
Researchers are studying how ADAR1 edits RNA to keep the immune system from overreacting, with the goal of better understanding autoimmune diseases like Aicardi–Goutières Syndrome and improving cancer therapies.
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Bone-targeted epigenetic therapy to prevent breast cancer spread to bone and beyond
A new treatment approach aims to use bone-seeking epigenetic inhibitors to stop breast cancer from growing in bone and spreading to other organs.
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Multi-Modal Micro-Endoscope for Early Cancer Detection
A new tiny, high-resolution imaging tool is being developed to help doctors detect cancer earlier in patients by showing tissue structure and blood vessels in high detail.
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SaberGel: a new gel-based therapy to help treat oral cancer
A new gel-based treatment delivers cancer-fighting drugs directly into oral tumors to boost immune attack while reducing side effects.
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Making natural compounds that could become cancer medicines
Researchers are developing ways to make complex natural molecules called terpenoids that might lead to new cancer treatments for people with cancer.
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AI-powered slide-free microscope for checking tumor margins
A fast, low-cost AI microscope will look at fresh surgical tissue to help surgeons check tumor margins for people with oral squamous cell carcinoma.
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Safer programmable cell therapies using non‑integrating DNA tools
This project builds non‑integrating DNA tools to program human cells so future cell therapies can be safer and more reliable for patients.
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New chemical and light techniques to look at amyloid protein fibers
This project creates chemical probes and light-based measurements to detect and map amyloid protein fibers linked to Alzheimer's and related conditions.
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Ultraflexible electrodes to stimulate the brain's visual relay (LGN) to restore sight
This project uses ultrathin, flexible electrodes to stimulate the brain's visual relay (the LGN) to create sight-like patterns for people with severe vision loss.
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