Experimental medicine is an investigation in humans to identify the cause of disease and to test the validity and importance of new discoveries and treatments. This site is an information resource describing the UK infrastructure for experimental medicine and is aimed primarily at NHS, academic and commercial researchers.

People can get involved in clinical research in a wide variety of ways. They may volunteer to participate in a clinical trial or they maybe more involved in the research process, for example by working with researchers to design their research studies. For further information about patient and public involvement in clinical research, including experimental medicine, the following resources may be useful:

INVOLVE

INVOLVE is a national advisory Group, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, which aims to promote and support active public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research.

People in Research

The People in Research website aims to help members of the public make contact with organisations that want to actively involve them in clinical research.

Getting Involved in Clinical Research

For a brief introduction to clinical research and information about some of the activities that patients and the public may be asked to take part in download the UKCRN Getting Involved in Clinical Research leaflet.

Understanding Clinical Trials

The UK Clinical Research Collaboration has produced a booklet on Understanding Clinical Trials, and a leaflet called Clinical Trials: What they are and what they're not. They are designed to answer the many questions people may have when deciding whether to take part in a trial.