Students driving along Perkins Road may notice a large research center located near Kenilworth Parkway, but many are unaware of what goes on inside.
The Pennington Biomedical Research Center, one of two non-teaching institutions of the LSU System, was established in 1981 as an academically-based nutrition research center. It advocates healthier lifestyles through nutrition research and preventive medicine.
According to Pennington researcher Leanne Redman, research at Pennington is divided into three categories: basic science, clinical science and population science.
While basic science studies are the stereotypical lab experiments that include test tubes and lab goggles, population science studies are large studies on databases. Redman’s work includes clinical science, or clinical trials.
From analyzing the data to being placed under the microscope, Redman, her graduate assistant and two University students discuss their individual experiences during clinical trials at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
THE RESEARCHERS
At Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge residents volunteer their time — and bodies — to contribute to science. While it may sound like participants are surrendering their lives for the study, Redman said the reality of Pennington’s clinical studies is far from the lab rat stereotypes seen in cartoons.
Some students participate in studies to learn about improving their health, but it’s no surprise that most students sign up to earn money, said Abby Duhe, nutritional sciences graduate student.
Pennington volunteers receive incentives — usually cash — to compensate for their time and travel. Some studies, such as the SLEEP HIGH study that monitors the participant’s sugar metabolism while they sleep, will offer as much as $1,000 to participants.
But the process isn’t easy. Volunteers must attend a number of visits and follow the rules of each study.
As a graduate assistant in Pennington’s Reproductive Endocrinology and Women’s Health Lab, Duhe works directly with prospective volunteers. If applicants qualify for the study, Duhe continues “communication to help with their journey.”
Duhe said the clinic is “similar to a typical doctor’s office.” When volunteers
arrive for their scheduled visits, their height, weight, waist measurements, blood pressure and blood test results are recorded.
At any time, Pennington has between 25 and 35 ongoing clinical trials, all listed on the center’s website. The researchers at Pennington have expertise in different areas, which allows the center to conduct a number of diverse studies at once, she said.
“Pennington can’t survive without volunteers,” Redman said. “Volunteers are essential to what we do.”
In the selection of volunteers, researchers usually search for a specific kind of volunteer to match the needs of their study.
“Sometimes studies are highly involved, but they have opportunities for major health benefits,” Duhe said. “Students who are health conscious or have family history of a specific condition may get involved in a study geared to provide health information and possible prevention, or students may get involved in weight loss studies with the possible direct benefit of weight loss and improving health.”
Trials are regulated by Pennington’s institutional review board, which assesses the protocols for all trials. During this evaluation, the benefits of the study should outweigh the risks, she said.
Redman said Pennington’s slogan —“Helping people live well beyond the expected” — reflects the purpose of all the center’s studies, which is to improve people’s lives.
Trials are typically funded by pharmaceutical companies, but researchers also compete to earn financial support from the National Institute of Health.
Although Duhe has never volunteered as a participant in a Pennington study, she hopes to sign up for a study one day, particularly one involving health and nutrition.
“I am most interested in studies about how eating different foods can improve your health, or some of the easy studies that can provide some information about your health,” she said.
Through her assistantship at Pennington, Duhe said she has learned how to organize, research and write documents that are necessary in beginning studies. She hopes to create and write her own studies in the future.
THE PARTICIPANTS
Cody and Michael Swing visited Pennington about four times last fall — but neither are employed by the center. The brothers,
both University students, were the ones
being tested.
Michael Swing, information systems and decision sciences senior, signed up to participate in a study after a friend who worked at the center recommended that he join in.
Last fall, Swing and his brother, kinesiology junior Cody Swing, chose to volunteer at a study at Pennington together.
Prior to the experiment, they were given a regular physical and a blood test to ensure they were a qualified match for the study.
After meeting the criteria, the Swing brothers participated in a supplementary study to test the effects of amino acid pills, nutritional supplements that provide protein to your diet. During the two week study, the Swing brothers attended three visits.
During each morning visit, they took four amino pills. They remained at Pennington for four hours and had their blood drawn each hour. After the four hours were completed, they returned later that day for one more blood sample.
Because any consumption of food could alter the study’s results, the boys were requested to fast before the morning meetings.
Cody said the study was designed to learn the immediate response to taking amino pills within four hours after consumption, but the researchers did not tell them if they were ingesting a placebo, a fake pill, or the real amino acid pills.
As an incentive for their time and travel, the brothers each earned $200.
Michael said they chose to participate in the amino supplement study because of the study’s simplicity.
“Coming in to take a supplement and give blood at different intervals for a few of hours sounded like a steal compared to some of the other experiments going on at that time,” he said. “We both knew we could use the extra cash, and as long as we weren’t taking some exotic pill or injection that might turn us into some mutant or kill us, we thought whatever side effects might come shouldn’t be so bad.”
But one Swing family member didn’t approve of the boy’s participation.
Michael said their mother wasn’t initially supportive of the boys’ curiosity to explore Pennington’s clinical trials, comparing their participation to “whoring [their] bodies to science for a few bucks.”
But after investigating the details of the study, she eventually gave her seal of approval.
“She saw the study we chose and settled with us needing to be cautious,” Michael said.
If eligible for another experiment, Cody said he would volunteer again. But next time, he won’t only participate to earn some cash. He said he wants to learn more about the process of conducting the experiments.
“I want to get an idea of how the experiments work because I’d really like to work at Pennington one day as a researcher,” he said.
Michael agreed, saying giving back outweighs the monetary value.
“I’d love to take part in another study, particularly any of the fitness or nutritional studies,” he said. “The money is nice, but I like the idea of us contributing to the advancement of science, even if a small part. That makes it worth every minute, in my opinion.”
Cody recommended other students consider participating in studies at Pennington.
“It was a really simple experiment,” he said. “It’s a great way to make quick, easy money.”
