Clinical trials · California
Veteran clinical trials in California
We’re tracking 65 recruiting veteran studies with a site in California — including Early Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 2/Phase 3 and Phase 3 studies, each written for real people, not researchers.
Recruiting studies in California
- NCT07190365Recruiting
Goal-oriented telehealth rehab for veterans with brain injury
This trial tests a telehealth program to help veterans with long-term thinking and planning problems after a mild to moderate brain injury. It aims to improve your daily life and community involvement.
Palo Alto, CaliforniaAges 18–65 - NCT06196489Recruiting
Quit vaping: program for young veterans
This trial tests a program to help young veterans quit vaping. You'll get support through your phone or computer to help you stop using nicotine.
San Diego, CaliforniaAges 18–30 - NCT04004286Recruiting
Pain registry and blood sample biobank for eligible service members
This trial is building a pain registry biobank to learn more about pain and how different people experience it. If you’re eligible for care in the Military Healthcare System and can consent, you may be able to contribute your information for future research.
San Diego, CaliforniaAges 18–80 - NCT05683132Recruiting
Therapy to improve sleep in women with PTSD symptoms
This study is testing treatment approaches for improving insomnia (trouble sleeping) in women Veterans who also have PTSD symptoms. It may help reduce sleep problems and improve day-to-day functioning.
West Los Angeles, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT07219251Recruiting
Veterans with lung cancer needed for study
This study wants to learn more about the experiences of veterans with lung cancer. If you are receiving cancer treatment or recently finished it, you may be able to join.
Palo Alto, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT07218354RecruitingPhase 3
Medication for reducing alcohol use in veterans
This study tests whether a medication (semaglutide) can help veterans reduce or stop drinking alcohol. It is for veterans who drink heavily and have alcohol use disorder, and who are interested in cutting down.
Long Beach, CaliforniaAges 18–80 - NCT06678672Recruiting
Help for veterans who smoke before major surgery
This study tests a program to help veterans who smoke quit before a planned major surgery. The program uses rewards to encourage quitting, and it may improve surgery outcomes.
San Francisco, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT05996328Recruiting
Meal delivery study for older veterans with heart failure
This study tests if providing ready-to-eat meals to older veterans recently hospitalized with heart failure can help them recover and avoid going back to the hospital. It aims to make it easier to follow a heart-healthy diet at home.
Long Beach, CaliforniaAges 60 years+ - NCT06786572Recruiting
Mindfulness training for veterans with distress or physical symptoms
This trial tests a mindfulness program that helps you better understand body signals (interoception). It aims to reduce emotional or physical distress in veterans who struggle with these issues.
San Diego, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT02825654Enrolling by invitation
Deployed Veterans Study of Service and Health
This study looks at how military service and deployment experiences relate to health and wellbeing in veterans who served after 9/11. It may help researchers understand which factors affect long-term health.
San Diego, CaliforniaAges Any age - NCT06596148Enrolling by invitation
Improving shingles vaccination for veterans on immune-suppressing drugs
This trial tests a way to help doctors encourage more veterans to get the Shingrix vaccine, which protects against shingles. It focuses on veterans taking medications that weaken the immune system.
San Francisco, CaliforniaAges Any age - NCT06218381Recruiting
Brief exposure for PTSD in combat veterans
This study tests a very brief exposure therapy to help U.S. combat veterans with PTSD. It is designed for veterans who have not had recent mental health treatment and experienced combat trauma within the last 10 years.
Los Angeles, CaliforniaAges 18–50 - NCT05194930Recruiting
Insomnia treatment study for Veterans with PTSD symptoms
This study tests treatments to help Veterans who have both PTSD symptoms and trouble sleeping (insomnia). You may be invited to try study procedures to see what helps insomnia and whether it also improves sleep-related well-being.
Sepulveda, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT05423158Recruiting
Virtual coaching to help veterans attend cardiac rehab
This study tests if virtual coaching can help more veterans attend cardiac rehabilitation at home. It is for veterans with heart conditions who have been referred to home-based cardiac rehab.
San Francisco, CaliforniaAges 21 years+ - NCT06001541Recruiting
Web program for veterans and caregivers managing health
This study tests a web program to help Veterans and their caregivers work together to manage long-term health conditions like pain, diabetes, or depression. You will join with your live-in caregiver to learn self-management skills online.
Palo Alto, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT02984761Recruiting
Surgery vs focused radiation for early lung cancer
This trial compares two ways to treat early-stage lung cancer: surgery or a precise type of radiation called stereotactic radiotherapy. It aims to find out which approach works best for people whose cancer is small and has not spread.
West Los Angeles, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT04452500RecruitingPhase 2
Study drug for PTSD symptoms in Veterans
This trial tests a study medicine that blocks the effects of cortisol (a stress hormone) to reduce PTSD symptoms in Veterans. It’s meant for people with ongoing PTSD symptoms and stable treatments, and it closely checks safety because the medicine can affect sleep, mood, and heart rhythm.
San Francisco, CaliforniaAges 18–69 - NCT04787744RecruitingPhase 2/Phase 3
Test standard prostate cancer treatment with or without targeted spot radiation
This study tests whether adding targeted local treatment (like radiation to a few spots seen on scans) improves outcomes for some people with limited (oligometastatic) prostate cancer. It compares standard systemic therapy alone versus standard therapy plus PET-scan–guided spot treatment.
West Los Angeles, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT04987775RecruitingEarly Phase 1
Study of NAC for Gulf War illness in veterans
This early-stage study tests the treatment called NAC to understand how it may work in veterans with Gulf War illness–related symptoms like fatigue and brain/mood changes. It also looks at “mechanisms,” meaning what’s happening in the body and brain while you’re in the study.
Palo Alto, CaliforniaAges 47–70 - NCT05156112Recruiting
PAP breathing treatment for veterans with PTSD and substance use
This trial studies whether using a PAP breathing device (a machine that helps keep airways open during sleep) can help veterans who have PTSD and a substance use disorder while they receive residential treatment. It’s specifically for people with obstructive sleep apnea and aims to see if this treatment is safe and helpful during recovery.
San Diego, CaliforniaAges 18 years+ - NCT05176392Recruiting
Stimulation treatment plus therapy for post-injury headaches
This study tests whether a noninvasive brain stimulation treatment combined with therapy can reduce long-lasting headaches after a mild brain injury. You might be a good candidate if your headaches started after the injury and have continued for months.
San Diego, CaliforniaAges 18–65 - NCT05194098Recruiting
EEG and brain stimulation study for depression reward symptoms
This study uses non-invasive brain stimulation (like TMS) and EEG brain recordings to measure how the brain’s “reward” system works in people with major depression. It may help researchers understand which stimulation approaches best affect depression-related reward processing.
San Francisco, CaliforniaAges 18–65 - NCT05372029Recruiting
Study of animal-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder
This trial studies whether animal-assisted therapy can help Veterans with alcohol use disorder, especially early after quitting or reducing alcohol. It may help with cravings or staying stable, but you must meet specific health and safety requirements.
San Diego, CaliforniaAges 18–65 - NCT05396872Recruiting
Decision-making study about gene testing for advanced prostate cancer
This study looks at how Veterans with advanced prostate cancer make decisions about gene testing and possible targeted treatments, and how patients and caregivers understand the information. It may help by improving decision support for people facing germline and tumor testing choices.
San Francisco, CaliforniaAges 18 years+
Where these studies are running in California
Institutions with a site for the recruiting veteran studies listed above.
- San Francisco VA Medical Center · 6 studies
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West Los Angeles, CA · 5 studies
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System · 5 studies
- VA San Diego Healthcare System · 5 studies
- VA Long Beach Healthcare System · 4 studies
- Brain Imaging Lab
- Naval Medical Center San Diego
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, CA
What taking part in a veteran study involves
A screening visit first
Before anything else, the study team checks whether you fit — usually a visit with some tests. You can stop at any point, and screening is typically free.
Care at a nearby site
Study visits happen at a clinic or hospital taking part. Many studies cover the cost of the study treatment and related visits, and some reimburse travel.
You stay in control
Taking part is voluntary and you can leave a study at any time, for any reason, without affecting your regular care.
The team decides eligibility
Our fit check is a helpful first read, not a decision. The study team makes the final call after reviewing your health history.
Common questions
- Are there veteran clinical trials in California?
- Yes. We're currently tracking 65 recruiting veteran studies with a site in California, each rewritten in plain language so you can see what it's testing and who it's for.
- How do I find out if I qualify for a veteran study in California?
- Each study lists its eligibility rules — age, diagnosis, prior treatments. On every trial page we explain these in plain language and offer a short, optional pre-screen for a fit read. The study team makes the final decision.
- Do I have to live in California to take part?
- Not necessarily. These studies have a site in California, but eligibility is about your health, not your address — some people travel to take part, and a few studies reimburse travel. The study team can tell you what's required.
- Does it cost anything to join a veteran trial?
- Using Clin2 is always free. Many trials cover the study treatment and related visits; some reimburse travel. The study team explains exactly what's covered before you decide.
Not the right time?
New veteran studies open in California regularly. Set up a health profile and we’ll quietly watch for studies that fit you and email you when one opens.
Clin2 helps you find and understand clinical trials and does not provide medical advice. Study data comes from ClinicalTrials.gov. Talk with your doctor about whether a specific trial is right for you.