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Clinical trials and research at University of California Santa Barbara

• 1Clinical trials
• 91NIH research projects
• 1Country

All recruiting trials (1)

• Understanding how emotions and time influence decision-making in the brain

  This study is trying to see how our feelings and the timing of events affect the way our brains make decisions by using brain scans on healthy volunteers.

  Recruiting University of California, Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, California · NCT06276400

NIH-funded research (newest 40 of 91)

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.

• Understanding how PLP enzymes work and how to harness them

  Researchers at UC Santa Barbara are studying PLP-dependent enzymes to better understand their chemistry and how they can be used to make useful, complex molecules for medicines.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11537706

• Real-time molecular monitoring in the body with advanced sensors

  Aiming to measure drug and biomarker levels continuously inside the body using innovative sensors to support personalized, precise treatment.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11448724

• Molecular genetics of how Aedes mosquitoes taste and decide to bite

  Scientists are studying how the taste sense in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes works to help create better repellents that prevent bites.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11447767

• Enabling Imaging and Alpha Therapy with New Chelators for Cancer

  A cancer-focused project aims to create new chelators that let alpha-emitter radiopharmaceuticals both image and treat tumors more effectively.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11427379

• Personalized AI for Diverse Wearable Health Data

  Aging and diverse women’s health data from wearables will be used to create smarter, more accurate health insights through an AI system.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11413547

• CAR-M immunotherapy for cancer and beyond

  A cancer-fighting therapy using specially engineered macrophages (CAR-M) is being explored to work where current treatments struggle, with the aim of helping patients with various cancers and related conditions.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11413445

• Variable Friction Shoe to help foot drop after stroke

  A new wearable shoe uses changing friction and sounds to help people walk better after stroke without losing control of their ankle.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11399077

• Understanding how PLP-dependent enzymes work and can be used to make new compounds

  Scientists are studying PLP-dependent enzymes to learn how they catalyze diverse reactions and how we might harness them for making new medicines and bioactive compounds.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11395294

• MBVs: Tiny Messengers in Skin, Bladder, and Tissue Repair

  Aims to understand how matrix-bound nanovesicles help rebuild tissue after injury, using human stem cells and 3D materials.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11382928

• How the brain processes visual information across cortex in mice

  This project studies how different brain areas in mice represent visual scenes and guide visually guided behavior using advanced imaging and naturalistic virtual reality.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11380042

• How our brains pick out what we look for and ignore distractions

  Researchers are studying how our brains use different features and goals to guide where we look, which could help people with attention or cognitive challenges.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11374945

• Understanding how cells fix broken DNA

  This research aims to understand how our cells choose different ways to fix broken DNA, which is important for preventing diseases like cancer and understanding aging.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11370441

• Medications to curb cravings from psychostimulants (PUD)

  Aims to test whether existing approved drugs that block key brain signaling can reduce craving and relapse risk for people with psychostimulant use disorder.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11366752

• How thiyl radicals help enzymes work and what happens when they go wrong

  Researchers are studying thiyl radicals to understand how they help enzymes function and how they can sometimes cause damage, aiming to guide better medicines and safer therapies.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11358429

• Understanding how peroxisomes are built and kept healthy

  Researchers are studying how cells make and maintain peroxisomes, tiny structures that help cells function well, including in bone disease contexts.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11358292

• How side frontal brain areas help control emotions

  Researchers will look at how parts of the side of the front brain help adults with mood and anxiety problems manage emotions over time and across situations.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11352626

• Opsins as taste receptors across species

  Scientists are studying whether opsins, normally light-detecting proteins, can sense tastants like amino acids in both fruit flies and mosquitoes, with potential implications for understanding how insects find food and hosts.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11349733

• Understanding how radiologists search 3D breast images to detect cancer

  A study to help doctors read 3D mammograms more accurately and quickly, potentially reducing missed cancers and false alerts.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11345829

• Precise real-time in-body measurements with smart sensors

  A new sensor technology uses electrochemical aptamers to measure drugs, ions, and biomarkers in the body in real time, which could help doctors monitor patients more closely.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11332731

• Real-time monitoring of waste and small molecules in kidney disease

  This project is building small, implantable sensors to continuously measure waste molecules like creatinine and urea for people with kidney disease or kidney failure.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11332548

• How immune cells decide whether to eat or ignore other cells

  This project looks at how macrophages (a type of immune cell) use patterns of antibodies and other signals to clear harmful cells without attacking healthy ones, which could matter for infections, cancer, and autoimmune disease.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11320789

• How early human embryos form their first tissue layers

  Researchers are using engineered human stem cells, light-based controls, and tiny 3D structures to learn how embryos organize different tissue types in the first weeks of development.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11313821

• Causes of harmful tau clumps in Alzheimer’s

  Researchers are trying to recreate the exact forms of tau protein clumps seen in Alzheimer’s so we can learn how they begin and spread and speed up better tests and treatments for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11302675

• How scarring changes the heart's stretchiness and affects heart muscle cells

  This project looks at whether scarring in people with hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy makes the heart stiffer and changes how heart muscle cells work.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11249670

• Creating new methods for synthesizing important pharmaceutical compounds using gold catalysis

  This study is looking at new ways to use gold and special helpers to make it easier and faster to create important medicines, which could eventually lead to better treatments for patients.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11237271

• Developing new agents to improve cancer treatment using alpha particles

  This study is exploring a new way to treat cancer using special agents that can deliver targeted radiation directly to cancer cells, which could lead to better and more precise treatments for patients.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11228566

• RaceCAR-M engineered macrophage therapy for cancer and other conditions

  This project is developing engineered macrophage immune cells (RaceCAR-M) to better find, engulf, and kill cancer cells while reducing side effects for people with advanced cancers.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11195560

• Improving the accuracy of breast cancer detection using 3D imaging technology.

  This study is looking at new 3D imaging methods to help doctors find breast cancer more easily and quickly, so they can spot any issues while looking at the images.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11176382

• Variable-friction shoe for foot drop after stroke

  A special shoe that changes its sole grip and makes a small click to help people with foot drop from stroke walk more safely and improve their walking over time.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11168776

• How the retrosplenial cortex helps navigation and memory

  Researchers are looking at how circuits in a brain area called the retrosplenial cortex help people find their way and form memories, with the aim of helping those with Alzheimer's.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11163463

• How cells move and connect in the body

  This research explores how groups of cells move and form new connections, which is important for understanding development, wound healing, and how cancer spreads.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11139600

• Understanding how thiyl radicals function in enzymes and their role in health

  This study is looking at tiny particles called thiyl radicals that help enzymes work but can also cause damage in the body, and by understanding how they behave, we hope to find better treatments for health issues related to stress and enzyme problems.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11136528

• Creating new amino acids using advanced biocatalysis techniques

  This study is exploring new ways to make special building blocks called amino acids that can help create better medicines, using light and natural processes, so that patients can benefit from improved treatments.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11133444

• Using wearable-device data and AI to personalize health predictions for diverse women

  This project builds AI tools that use wearable-device data to create more personalized health predictions for women from different backgrounds.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11126704

• Understanding how mosquitoes taste

  This project aims to understand how mosquitoes taste their food and detect humans, which could help us find new ways to control them.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11125789

• Using engineered macrophages to target triple-negative breast cancer

  This study is exploring a new way to treat triple-negative breast cancer by using specially modified immune cells called macrophages to better find and destroy cancer cells, which could lead to improved outcomes for patients.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11118486

• Developing sensors for real-time measurement of molecules in the body

  This study is testing new sensors that can quickly and accurately measure important substances in your body, like electrolytes and medications, to help doctors keep a close eye on your health in real-time.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11112348

• Understanding How Cells Maintain Peroxisomes

  This project aims to understand how cells build and maintain tiny compartments called peroxisomes, which are important for our health.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11110317

• How the brain pays attention to what we see

  This project helps us understand how our brain decides what to focus on when we look at the world around us.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11109578

• Exploring new ways our bodies and insects detect taste

  This research looks at whether certain proteins, called opsins, help us and other animals, like mosquitoes, sense different tastes beyond just light.

  NIH research University of California Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, United States · NIH-11094682

Quick answers

How many clinical trials run by University of California Santa Barbara are recruiting right now?

1, as of November 12, 2026. We update this list each time we refresh our data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

Where are these trials running?

All of them have sites in United States. Each study page lists its sites and which ones are recruiting.

How do I join one?

Open a study, check the "Is this trial a fit for you?" section, then contact the study team listed on the page. They will ask a few screening questions. Asking is free and does not commit you to anything. Talk it over with your doctor first.

Find the studies that fit you

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