In the 1970s a team at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle did something most of medicine thought impossible: they used bone marrow transplantation to cure leukemias that had been uniformly fatal, and in doing so gave the first clear proof that the immune system could be turned against cancer. E. Donnall Thomas, who led that work, won the Nobel Prize in 1990. The field it started, now called immunotherapy, is the most active area of cancer research in the world, and Seattle still lists about 1,250 studies actively recruiting, nearly half of them cancer trials. This guide covers where the research runs, what the city studies, and how to find a study near you.
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Where clinical trials happen in Seattle
Seattle's research sits on two hills. On First Hill and South Lake Union, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, which merged with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in 2022 to become a single institution, is one of the country's National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer centers and a leading site for early phase trials of cell therapies, the direct descendants of the transplant work. UW Medicine, the University of Washington's health system, runs Harborview Medical Center, the only Level I trauma center serving Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, and UW Medical Center, and its research spans nearly every specialty. Seattle Children's Hospital anchors pediatric research for the Pacific Northwest. Swedish Medical Center and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health add large community hospital programs, and the Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders is one of the country's major hemophilia research sites. Seattle is the largest research center in the Pacific Northwest, and it serves as the trial hub for a region that stretches across four states and Alaska.
What conditions Seattle studies most
Cancer makes up about 49 percent of the studies recruiting in Seattle, one of the highest shares among large US cities, with blood cancers, lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer most common. The transplant heritage shows in what is tested: CAR T cell therapies, bispecific antibodies, and other treatments that engineer or recruit the immune system, many in early phase trials that open at only a few centers nationwide. Beyond cancer, Seattle has strong programs in bleeding disorders, fatty liver disease, infectious disease and global health, the latter shaped by the presence of the Gates Foundation and the region's biotech sector, and neurology. The Allen Institute, a nonprofit research organization founded by Paul Allen, adds a large brain science effort whose findings feed into neurology trials.
Clinical trials recruiting in Seattle right now
A Phase 3 trial of NXT007 against emicizumab in hemophilia A is enrolling at the Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders, testing a next generation preventive therapy for the inherited bleeding disorder. An early phase study of etentamig in multiple myeloma is recruiting at Fred Hutch, and a Phase 3 trial of telisotuzumab adizutecan in colorectal cancer is open at the UW and Fred Hutch cancer center. A Phase 3 trial of pegozafermin in fatty liver disease with scarring is also recruiting in the city. These and about 1,400 other studies are listed on our Seattle clinical trials page.
Paid clinical trials in Seattle
Seattle has fewer dedicated commercial research clinics than cities like Dallas or Los Angeles, so most compensated studies here run through the hospitals and the university. Treatment trials for a medical condition usually reimburse travel and parking, which around First Hill is a real expense, and pay modestly per visit. Healthy volunteer studies, mostly in pharmacology, vaccines, and infectious disease at UW and Fred Hutch, pay more and sometimes involve multiple visits or short stays. Compensation is stated during informed consent and is never the reason a study exists. Our article on how much clinical trials pay explains the ranges, and the Seattle location page lets you filter for studies that compensate.
How to find and apply for clinical trials in Seattle
A study "in Seattle" may be on First Hill, at UW Medical Center in Montlake, at Seattle Children's in Laurelhurst, or in Bellevue, Issaquah, or Tacoma, so check the site address on each listing; Swedish in particular runs the same studies at several campuses. Many sponsors also list Seattle sites for people traveling from Alaska, Idaho, and Montana, and some cover travel and lodging for those distances. Browse the Seattle clinical trials page, filter by your condition, and click Get started on any study that fits. The application takes about 5 minutes, the research team contacts you if you appear to match, and nothing is decided until you have gone through informed consent. Participation is voluntary at every step. Our general guide to finding trials near you covers listings and eligibility in detail.
Common questions
Which Seattle hospitals run clinical trials? Fred Hutch Cancer Center, UW Medicine (UW Medical Center and Harborview), Seattle Children's Hospital, Swedish Medical Center, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and the Washington Center for Bleeding Disorders, plus research clinics on the Eastside and in Tacoma.
Do I need to be a Fred Hutch or UW patient to join their trials? No. Trials enroll people who meet the study criteria regardless of where they receive care, and your own doctor stays involved.
Can people from Alaska, Idaho, or Montana join Seattle trials? Yes, and many do, because Seattle is the region's main research center. Some sponsors cover travel and lodging, especially for cancer and rare disease studies. Ask the study team before ruling a study out for distance.
Are there paid clinical trials in Seattle for healthy volunteers? Yes, mostly pharmacology, vaccine, and infectious disease studies at UW and Fred Hutch. Filter the Seattle location page for healthy volunteer studies.
See clinical trials in Seattle recruiting now
Browse open studies, filter by location, and apply in about 5 minutes: Seattle Clinical Trials