As of June 2026, 1,434 paid clinical trials are recruiting in San Francisco, 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 Francisco offers studies at sites including University of California, San Francisco for conditions such as Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Heart Failure, HIV. 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: .
San Francisco has approximately 1,434 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 San Francisco, 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 Francisco | Prostate Cancer, Glioblastoma, Parkinson Disease | 318 |
| University of California San Francisco | Breast Cancer, Heart Failure, Multiple Myeloma | 170 |
| Power Life Sciences | Acne, Anorexia, Anorexia Nervosa | 64 |
| UCSF Medical Center-Mission Bay | Recurrent Malignant Solid Neoplasm, B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Neuroblastoma | 44 |
| Kaiser Permanente-San Francisco | Stage IV Lung Cancer AJCC v8, Stage IIIB Lung Cancer AJCC v8, Breast Cancer | 38 |
| UCSF | Colorectal Cancer, Gastric Cancer, Tricuspid Valve Disease | 36 |
| UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center | Breast Cancer, Solid Tumor, Adult, Advanced Breast Cancer | 29 |
| California Pacific Medical Center-Pacific Campus | Anatomic Stage II Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Intracranial Meningioma, Lung Non-Small Cell Carcinoma | 27 |
| Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital | Anatomic Stage II Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Anatomic Stage III Breast Cancer AJCC v8, Cardiovascular Diseases | 27 |
| University of California | Aortic Valve Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Stenosis, Articular Cartilage | 21 |
| UCSF Medical Center | Heart Failure, Pulmonary Hypertension, Stroke | 20 |
| San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA | PTSD, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders, Aging | 18 |
| California Pacific Medical Center | Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Melanoma | 16 |
| UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital | 4H Syndrome, ADLD, AGS | 15 |
| University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) | Adenocarcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal, Advanced/Metastatic Cancer, Amyloid Cardiomyopathy | 15 |
| San Francisco General Hospital | HIV, HIV Infections, Intracerebral Hemorrhage | 12 |
| San Francisco VA Medical Center | Atopic Dermatitis, Eczema, Abdominal Compartment Syndrome | 11 |
| University of California San Francisco (UCSF) | Advanced Solid Tumors, Melanoma, Advanced Solid Tumor | 11 |
| San Francisco Research Institute | Women Health, Anxiety, Cognitive Decline | 10 |
| UCSF Medical Center-Parnassus | Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia Arising From Previous Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Neoplasm, Acute Myeloid Leukemia Post Cytotoxic Therapy | 10 |
| University of California - San Francisco | Adult Spinal Deformity, Bladder Cancer, Diabetes | 10 |
| Alethios, Inc. | Beverage Intake, Caffeine, Healthy | 9 |
| University of California at San Francisco | Advanced Tumors, Aortic Valve Disease, Aortic Valve Stenosis | 9 |
| University of California San Francisco Medical Center | Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Cirrhosis, Colorectal Cancer | 8 |
| University of San Francisco | Cone Rod Dystrophy, Juvenile Macular Degeneration, Stargardt Disease | 7 |
Recruiting trials in San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 1,434 recruiting clinical trials in San Francisco, California listed on ClinicalTrials.gov. The number changes weekly as new studies open and others close enrollment.
Most recruiting trials in San Francisco 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 Francisco include Breast Cancer (28), Prostate Cancer (28), Heart Failure (18), HIV (16), 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 Francisco 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 Francisco include University of California, San Francisco, University of California San Francisco, Power Life Sciences, 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 Francisco are Cancer & tumors (434), Cardiovascular (92), Neurology & pain (79). Use the filters above to narrow by therapeutic area, phase, age, or healthy-volunteer eligibility.