GENERAL INQUIRIES

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Email: vettrials@vt.edu 
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MAILING ADDRESS
Veterinary Clinical Research Office
VMCVM
Virginia Tech
205 Duck Pond Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Our mission

Working with veterinary patients and their owners, the Veterinary Clinical Research Office facilitates clinical trials and translational research studies that advance human and animal health. Many of the diseases we study have no effective therapies, and certain animals don’t respond well to existing therapies. Through our research, we aim to discover new and better methods of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment that will improve the quality of life for current and future patients.

If you feel your pet could benefit from one of our clinical studies, we encourage you to review the FAQs below and then work with your veterinarian to decide if a study is right for your pet. Please contact the Veterinary Clinical Research Office if you have any questions. We are grateful to you for considering making a contribution in this way to the advancement of human and animal health.

Study-specific requirements are available on our Current Studies page. Owners are invited to make general inquiries and information requests by contacting us. Please bear in mind, however, that all referrals must be made by a veterinarian.

FAQs

Veterinary clinical research seeks to discover new methods of prevention, diagnosis, and/or treatment of diseases and conditions. Well-designed research aims to benefit patients while advancing scientific knowledge.

Clinical research helps us to discover new therapies and treatments for veterinary diseases.  It aims to improve the quality of life for future patients and may lead to new discoveries related to human and animal health.

Many times clinical trials offer hope for a patient when other options have failed. In addition, certain studies may offer a financial incentive that covers costs such as hospital visits, surgery, or medicines.

Clinical research may carry some risks, and any new therapy could have side effects. Owners should be aware that some trials may impose additional requirements (time, travel, etc.) on themselves and their pets. The specific requirements of each study as well as any potential risks are discussed in detail and provided in writing prior to enrollment.

We strive to ensure the welfare of study participants, so all of our studies are approved by the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Board, and, if relevant, Virginia Tech’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Each study has specific criteria that patients must meet to be included. For example, inclusion might depend on disease type/stage, treatments already received, or present health condition. It is important to discuss enrollment criteria with your veterinarian or to Contact Us. Enrollment criteria can be found in the Current Studies section of this website.

Owners may choose to discontinue participation in a study at any time by notifying the lead investigator.

Thank you for your interest in clinical research. The success of our studies relies heavily on referring veterinarians. You may refer your patients here with confidence; we hope to improve your patients' lives and the lives of future patients. After a study is complete, we encourage patients to return to their referring veterinarians for continued care.

To initiate a referral, please call the Veterinary Clinical Research Office at 540-231-1363 or complete the Veterinary Teaching Hospital's referral form.

If your query is urgent, please contact the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at 540-231-4621 and ask for the relevant on-call specialist (e.g. oncology, neurology, etc.).

The Veterinary Clinical Research Office works closely with federal agencies, private foundations, individual donors, and biotech and pharmaceutical companies to advance our common goal of improving human and animal health.

Our investigators and research staff have experience in all stages of clinical research, and we are able to work with sponsors to develop trials and bring them to successful completion. Our research specialties include oncology, neurology, regenerative medicine, cardiology, and radiology.

Whether you represent a pharmaceutical company establishing a multi-site trial, a start-up company looking to field test a new medical device, or a private donor wishing to target a specific disease area, please contact the clinical research coordinator to learn how we can help.