Volunteer for Research
Get Involved
Our research depends on the generous people who volunteer their time for our studies. While many of our studies focus on studying specific movement disorders, like Parkinson's disease, we are also looking for volunteers who do not have a movement disorder. If you are interested in volunteering for a study, please look at our current study fliers or feel free to contact us for more information! We are happy to give a lab tour to those who are considering volunteering, but want to learn more.
How can I volunteer?
Contact our research coordinator via email or phone to express interest in volunteering. (Joshua DeKam, Phone: 612-626-8052, e-mail: jadekam@umn.edu)
Complete a screening over the phone - we will ask you a variety of questions to determine if we have any studies that are a good fit.
If we have a study you can participate in, we will send you a consent form to look over that explains the details of the study.
Once you have reviewed the consent form, you will decide if you want to participate. If yes, call us to schedule your research visit!
If we are not able to match you to a study, or if you are not interested in participating in our available studies, you may ask to be added to our volunteer database. This is the best way to receive information in the future about research projects you may want to volunteer for.
Contact Us
For more information about our research studies, please contact our research coordinator:
Joshua De Kam
Phone: 612-626-8052
E-mail: jadekam@umn.edu
Location
Our research lab is located on the University of Minnesota - East Bank Campus at 717 Delaware Street SE. We are located in room 510L on the 5th floor.
FAQ
Where can I park?
Research volunteers can park in the lot behind our building, which is accessible from SE Oak Street. Please check in at the front desk to get your parking pass and have them call us. We'll come down and find you!
Do I have to stop taking my medications?
For many of our studies, we ask individuals with Parkinson's disease to withdraw from medication for 12 - 24 hours before the study visit. This is something you should discuss with your physician and family before beginning the study.
Is there any compensation for participating in this study?
Most of our studies provide financial compensation. The amount will differ for each study and depends on factors like the length of the experiments, the type of funding that supports the research, and the number of visits required.
Is your building wheelchair/walker accessible?
Yes - our building has an accessible entrance on the back side (adjacent to the parking lot). Our lab can be reached via elevator and we are happy to meet you in the lobby with a wheelchair if needed.
What will I do in your study?
The tasks included in a visit vary across our studies, depending on the motor symptoms that we are investigating. We may ask you to walk on our walkway (while wearing a safety harness to catch you in case of a fall), hold onto a handle that moves your wrist, bend your elbow as fast as you can, or speak into a microphone. Before you agree to participate any research study, we will go over everything that we'll ask you to do. If you are unable to do a certain task, it may still be possible to continue with other portions of the study. Remember that everything is completely voluntary, and you are allowed to stop participating at any time. We work really hard to make you and your loved ones comfortable with everything we'll ask you to do. Most of our participants enjoy their time in the lab and have fun! And most importantly, you can help contribute to our understanding of Parkinson's disease.