As of July 2026, 747 paid clinical trials are recruiting in San Diego, 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.
San Diego offers studies at sites including University of California San Diego for conditions such as Obesity, Heart Failure, Depression, Major Depressive Disorder. 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: .
Posted to ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 60 days — these studies are just starting to recruit.
Researchers run research studies in San Diego, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| University of California San Diego | Anorexia Nervosa, Dementia, Vascular, Diabetes | 41 |
| University of California, San Diego | Femoral Fracture, Hiv, Nephrolithiasis | 40 |
| Rady Children's Hospital | Neuroblastoma, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Angelman Syndrome | 34 |
| VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA | Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Alcohol Use Disorder, Bipolar Disorder | 34 |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego | Malignant Solid Neoplasm, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia | 32 |
| UC San Diego Medical Center - Hillcrest | Metastatic Malignant Solid Neoplasm, Advanced Malignant Solid Neoplasm, Anatomic Stage IV Breast Cancer AJCC v8 | 21 |
| San Diego State University | Depression, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Obesity | 20 |
| Kaiser Permanente-San Diego Zion | Anatomic Stage IV Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Breast Cancer, Adenocarcinoma of the Colon | 19 |
| Rady Children's Hospital San Diego | Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML or ANLL), Autoimmune Diseases | 16 |
| Naval Medical Center San Diego | Attention Concentration Difficulty, Attention Impaired, Autism | 11 |
| Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns | Infant, Newborn, Infant, Small for Gestational Age, Respiratory Distress Syndrome (Neonatal) | 10 |
| Acclaim Clinical Research | Acute Migraine, Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Infection | 9 |
| Artemis Institute for Clinical Research | Alcohol Use Disorder, Chronic Pain, Osteoarthritis, Knee | 9 |
| UC San Diego | Anxiety Disorders, Bone Tumor, Breast Cancer | 9 |
| Scripps Health | Atrial Fibrillation, Biliary Tract Cancer, Bone Marrow Transplant Complications | 8 |
| Kaiser Permanente-San Diego Mission | Anatomic Stage IV Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Adenocarcinoma of the Colon, Adenocarcinoma of the Rectum | 7 |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital | Acral Lentiginous Melanoma, Acral Melanoma, Advanced Malignant Solid Neoplasm | 7 |
| West Dermatology Research Center | Laxity; Skin, Wrinkle, Facial Laxity | 7 |
| UCSD | Atrial Fibrillation (AF), Cystic Fibrosis, Down Syndrome | 6 |
| Naval Medical Center -San Diego | Adrenal Gland Pheochromocytoma, B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, B Lymphoblastic Lymphoma | 6 |
| Neurocrine Clinical Site | Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder | 6 |
| University of California - San Diego | Delivery Complication, Hernia, Diaphragmatic, Hernia, Hiatal | 6 |
| VA San Diego Healthcare System | Anxiety Sensitivity, C. Diff Infection, C.Difficile Diarrhea | 6 |
| California Protons Cancer Therapy Center | Breast Cancer, Anatomic Stage IV Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Breast Neoplasm | 5 |
| Medical Associates Research Group, Inc. | Crohn Disease, Colitis, Ulcerative, Liver Fibrosis | 5 |
Recruiting trials in San Diego grouped by therapeutic area, drawn from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each bucket shows the most recent example studies.
There are approximately 747 recruiting clinical trials in San Diego, California listed on ClinicalTrials.gov. The number changes weekly as new studies open and others close enrollment.
Most recruiting trials in San Diego 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 San Diego include Obesity (14), Heart Failure (12), Depression (11), Major Depressive Disorder (10), 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 San Diego 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 San Diego include University of California San Diego, University of California, San Diego, Rady 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 San Diego are Cancer & tumors (151), Neurology & pain (52), Diabetes & metabolic (44). Use the filters above to narrow by therapeutic area, phase, age, or healthy-volunteer eligibility.