hilltopics
Monday, March 13. 2000
culture society entertainment health
12A
For the love of money
Melissa Jones (right), Overland Park sophomore, prepares to eat her lunch at Ekdahl Dining Commons. KU researchers, including Connie Detweiler (left), must calculate her caloric intake for two weeks as part of an Energy Balance study that Jones is participating in.
Melissa Jones got paid to learn to play poker. While she killed time being a human guinea pig, Jones and her fellow participants played more than a few hands, and Jones went home with a lot of cash.And not just the money she won at the poker table.
Jones, Overland Park sophomore, is one of the students at the University of Kansas participating in medical research studies.
"I never thought I would participate in medical research. It has a stigma," Jones said.
But Jones got over her skepticism.
The first research program Jones participated in was in Overland Park at Quintiles Medical Research Facility, a contract research company based in Shawnee. The experiment studied the half-life and extended release times for Ritalin, a drug often used to regulate hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder in children.
Ritalin is a methylphenidate that acts as a stimulant in the central nervous system. The drug is administered to help calm persons with hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder and to help them concentrate.
Administered to a non-affected person, it creates about the exact opposite effect, Jones said.
But, the experiment wasn't exactly a comfortable experience. At one point Jones said she had her blood drawn every 15 minutes.
Jones said she felt crazy and a little bit hyper when she took the drug. Other than a terrible headache, Jones said she didn't experience any side effects.
"I was pretty full of holes," said Jones, who was paid $600 for three visits and one weekend stay.
For Jones, spending time with her fellow participants was the most interesting aspect.
"There was a cool guy from South America who was traveling across the country and needed to get money to continue traveling," Jones said.
She added that there were a few other college-age people who participated in the experiment and a couple of regular participants.
"I met people whose career was doing these experiments," Jones said. "And then there were people who just needed something to do or needed some cash."
Students have different motivations for participating in medical research programs. Dr.Randall Rock, chief of staff at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said that students might be interested in a particular topic or find it exciting to participate in research. Other students may choose to participate in a program because the research could help a family member who is suffering, he said. However,Rock
acknowledged that many students were just interested in the cash.
But the risks may not be as high as some might think. Rock said medical research was strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, which sets guidelines for researchers. Rock said that people who were unsure about participating in medical research should ask a few key questions.
He said students should ask what review process the experiment went through, whether there is a confidentiality agreement and how results go into
"The price is there because there are risks." he said.
All medical and nonmed.
may want to know whether any findings as a result of lab work would be reported to their insurance carrier, Rock said.
data reporting. Students also istered by the Advisory Commiti-
Common concerns
Students who are worried about a study they are considering participating in, should ask a lot of questions.
- Ask what review process the experiment went through
- Ask whether there is a confidentiality agreement
- ■ Ask how the results go into data reporting
- Ask if any findings that result from the lab work would be reported to their insurance carrier
ical research programs conducted at the University go through a review process admin-
tee on Human Experiments, the University's institutional review board. The committeee functions to protect the rights of human participants in research programs at the University, said David Hann, ACHE administrator.
Students seeking a quick payoff off campus can contact non-university research centers in the
area.
Quintiles in Shawnee can be a savior for students in need of fast cash. The company conducts experiments of varying lengths that often fit nicely into a students' schedule.
The lure of easy money at Quintiles grabbed Selina Hood's attention.
"I heard their ads on the radio, and knowing I was going to Italy this summer, I needed the extra cash," said Hood, Jola senior.
But Hood wasn't sure she wanted to be a part of research. When she told her friends she was considering doing a Quintiles study, they ridiculed her. She acknowledged that she understood the way her friends felt.
"I could never understand anyone who would act like a human lab rat," Hood said.
But being a human lab rat for $600 is a different story. When Hood visited Quintiles for a preliminary screening, she received a packet of information on the experiment. Hood asked a doctor to review the study, and he gave her the green light.
Hood will enter the clinic on Thursday. When she leaves, she will take home with her the final installment of her $600 fee and a lot of interesting stories.
Instead of fixing her thoughts on the green of palm trees, Hood is trying to plan interesting activities for her quarantined spring break getaway at the Quintiles research center.
Jones said her Quintiles study was fun,but kind of weird.
Jones is currently participating in an on-campus research program, which isn't very weird except for the food, she said.
"After my freshman year in the dorms, I thought I had eaten at the cafeteria for the last time," Jones said.
As a part of the Energy Balance research program being conducted, Jones started March 6 eating three meals a day at the Ekdahl Dining Commons on Daisy Hill. Research participants will be dining daily for two weeks at the cafeteria so that researchers can calculate the caloric intake of their meals.
Other than trekking up the hill to eat for a couple of weeks, the program isn't very stressful, Jones said. She said she decided to participate in the 18-month study because at the end she would receive extensive information about her personal body and health management.
Once the energy balance study concludes, Jones figures her days as a guinea pig will be finished.
"Hopefully I will graduate and have a viable career," she said. "I won't make a career of it."