As of June 2026, 678 paid clinical trials are recruiting in Palo Alto, California. Compensation typically covers time, travel, and study visits, with stipends ranging from modest amounts for short outpatient studies to several thousand dollars for long or inpatient protocols.
Palo Alto offers studies at sites including Stanford University for conditions such as Heart Failure, Breast Cancer, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Epilepsy. Both patients with specific conditions and healthy volunteers can qualify. Most trials offer free study-related medical care alongside compensation.
Recruiting trial data synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov. Last sync: .
Palo Alto has approximately 678 recruiting research studies across a wide range of therapeutic areas. California hosts a dense network of world-class research institutions, including UC San Diego Health, Stanford Medicine, UCLA Health, UCSF, City of Hope, and Scripps Research. The state's thriving biotech corridor and diverse patient population make it a national hub for both early-phase and late-phase clinical research.
Researchers run research studies in Palo Alto, CA at 25 active sites. The clinics below currently host the largest number of recruiting studies — each name is followed by the conditions they focus on most.
| Site | Specializes in | Active trials |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | Amblyopia, Cancer, Diabetes | 164 |
| Stanford Cancer Institute Palo Alto | Anatomic Stage I Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Anatomic Stage II Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Anatomic Stage III Breast Cancer AJCC v8 | 41 |
| Lucile Packard Children's Hospital | Hematologic Diseases, Heart Failure, Pneumonia | 26 |
| VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA | Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency, Atherosclerosis | 25 |
| Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford University | Neuroblastoma, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia | 24 |
| Palo Alto Medical Foundation Health Care | Anatomic Stage II Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Lung Non-Small Cell Carcinoma, Recurrent Lung Non-Small Cell Carcinoma | 24 |
| VA Palo Alto Health Care System | Alcohol Use Disorder, Stage IV Lung Cancer AJCC v8, Advanced Lung Non-Small Cell Carcinoma | 24 |
| Stanford University Medical Center | Cystic Fibrosis, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia | 23 |
| Stanford University School of Medicine | Epilepsy, Health Behavior, Lifestyle Intervention | 22 |
| Stanford Cancer Institute | Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma, Acute Leukemia of Ambiguous Lineage | 20 |
| Stanford Cancer Center | Advanced Solid Tumor, Breast Neoplasms, Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute | 19 |
| Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford | Surgery, Acute Kidney Injury, Acute Kidney Injury Due to Sepsis | 18 |
| Stanford | Epilepsy, Epilepsy (Treatment Refractory), AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia) | 11 |
| Stanford Hospital | Drug Liking, Angina Pectoris, Autoimmune | 7 |
| Stanford Health Care | Abortion, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Ergonomics | 6 |
| Stanford Medical Center | AML - Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Alzheimer Disease, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia | 6 |
| Stanford Neuroscience Health Center | Amyloid, Becker Muscular Dystrophy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) | 6 |
| Stanford Women's Cancer Center | Breast Cancer, Advanced Breast Cancer, Breast Neoplasms | 6 |
| Byers Eye Institute | Glaucoma, Eye Disorders, Cataract Extraction | 5 |
| Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University | Glaucoma, Blindness, Eye Cancer | 5 |
| Lucille Packard Children's Hospital | Anesthesia, Local, Intubation Complication, Obesity, Morbid | 5 |
| Stanford University, School of Medicine | Liver Cancer, Adult, Lung Carcinoma, Lymphoma | 5 |
| Stanford Hospital and Clinics | Implant Based Breast Reconstruction, Chronic Ischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction, Lymphedema Arm | 4 |
| Stanford Medicine | B-cell Malignancy, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 | 4 |
| VA Palo Alto | Cancer, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, End of Life | 4 |
Recruiting trials in Palo Alto grouped by therapeutic area, drawn from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each bucket shows the most recent example studies.
Clinical trials in California are governed by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) standards, and federal HIPAA privacy rules. Every study is reviewed by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to protect participant safety and ensure informed consent. In addition, California-specific protections such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) impose stringent data-privacy requirements on research involving California residents.
Hipa.ai aggregates every recruiting study in Palo Alto from ClinicalTrials.gov and refreshes the list daily. Use the filters above to narrow by condition, facility, age, phase, or healthy-volunteer eligibility, then click any study title to view full details — eligibility criteria, intervention, location, and sponsor contact information. To enroll, reach out to the central study contact listed on the study detail page; the research coordinator will walk you through the screening process.
There are approximately 678 recruiting clinical trials in Palo Alto, California listed on ClinicalTrials.gov. The number changes weekly as new studies open and others close enrollment.
Most recruiting trials in Palo Alto compensate participants for their time, travel, and study visits. Compensation varies by sponsor, study phase, and visit requirements — the exact amount is disclosed by the study team during the informed consent process.
Eligibility depends on the specific study. Each trial defines its own inclusion criteria (age, diagnosis, medical history, prior treatments) and exclusion criteria. Both patients with specific conditions and healthy volunteers can qualify, depending on the study design.
The most common conditions under active study in Palo Alto include Cancer (10), Heart Failure (9), Breast Cancer (7), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (7), among many others. Browse the list above to explore every recruiting trial.
Yes. Healthy-volunteer studies — often early-phase pharmacology or vaccine trials — recruit in Palo Alto on an ongoing basis. Use the "Healthy volunteers only" filter above to view trials that accept participants without the study's target condition.
Click any study title above to see the full study record, including eligibility criteria, visit schedule, and the study team's contact information. Reach out to the central contact or recruiting site directly — they will guide you through screening and informed consent.
Recruiting research sites in Palo Alto include Stanford University, Stanford Cancer Institute Palo Alto, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, among others. Each site lists its open studies and contact information on the study record above — call or email the site coordinator to ask about screening for a specific protocol.
The largest active categories in Palo Alto are Cancer & tumors (210), Neurology & pain (44), Cardiovascular (35). Use the filters above to narrow by therapeutic area, phase, age, or healthy-volunteer eligibility.