Sacramento News & Review
Support Local Independent Journalism Sign up for our newsletter!
  • News
    • Crime Beat
    • COVID-19
    • Police Reform
    • Q&A
  • Voices
    • Greenlight
    • Essay
    • Fifteen Minutes
    • Ask Joey
    • Ask 420
  • Arts+Culture
    • Food
    • Music
    • Home & Garden
    • Rebooting the Arts
  • Calendar
  • Solving Sacramento
    • Rebooting the Arts
    • Housing
    • About Solving Sacramento
  • Sponsor Spotlight
  • Connect with SN&R
    • Become a supporter
    • Tax deductible support
    • Get the Newsletter
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Contact Us
  • Archives
    • Best of Sac
    • Local Dining
    • SAMMIES
    • SN&R Print Archive
Hot Topics
  • March 9, 2021 | In light of recent deaths, Sacramento City Hall faces reckoning on warming centers
  • July 17, 2025 | Sacramento’s nightlife economy is on the come up — but can the city keep pace?
  • July 17, 2025 | Crafting the perfect stage performance: a conversation with choreographer Dina Michelle Silver
  • July 16, 2025 | Sacramento locals show their skills from creation to curation at the California State Fair
  • July 16, 2025 | Student debt collections resume, targeting borrowers least able to pay
  • July 15, 2025 | Sabbatical: Whiskey-makers showing the true way of ‘raw craft’ in the Delta
Spotlight Community

Introducing: Northern California Research

Dr. Douglas Young with medical testing equipmentDr. Douglas Young has dedicated his career to clinical research. Photo by Anne Stokes

By: Krysta Scripter December 3, 2021

Sacramento’s premier research center specializes in chronic conditions

Northern California Research was launched in 1996 by Primary Investigator Dr. Douglas Young, M.D., and Program Director Laurie Johnson, to address the need for clinical research in the Sacramento area.

While the center researches a wide variety of clinical trials, Johnson says they’ve seen a lot of success for clinical trials regarding diabetes, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain and even a few COVID-19 trials.

“Everything we do is outpatient, and it focuses on internal medicine-based trials,” Johnson says. “(That includes) anything that you can work on in the primary care setting, which would be internal medicine, chronic disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, pretty much anything chronic.”

Johnson met Dr. Young while working for another clinical research center that partnered with the hospital for which Dr. Young worked. After seeing a lack of local options, they decided to open a clinical research center. This type of work allows doctors like Dr. Young to stretch their medical muscles and use different skills than they normally would in regular practice.

“It’s a different kind of medicine,” Dr. Young says. “It’s been kind of fun to see that new stuff come out. I guess that’s sort of a geeky way to look at ‘fun’ but that’s what I like to do: Learning new things and being part of it.”

This kind of work, Dr. Young says, is critical for understanding patient health and treatment. Northern California Research’s trials for diabetes, for example, could help millions of Americans affected by that condition.

“So if we could provide a drug that helps their disease process, if there’s a good drug that’s safe and effective, that’s all the better,” he says. 

The center also does work in cardiovascular disease, which Dr. Young notes is the nation’s No. 1 killer.

But a research clinic can’t function without volunteers. Without them, doctors can’t better understand potentially life-saving drugs and treatment options. Animal testing can work to a certain extent, but Dr. Young says that’s just the first step.

“I think in the most basic sense, these trials are done on humans because ultimately these drugs are going to be used on humans,” Dr. Young says. “You can’t have the trials completed if you don’t have people to volunteer for (the trials).”

Dr. Young also stresses the importance of research for future generations. A new Alzheimer’s drug may not be immediately beneficial to those suffering at the moment, but it could make a world of difference for the next generation.

“And I think there are a fair amount of people in this world that recognize that and they want to be part of it. So the beginning of our company was to address this need,” Dr. Young says.

Johnson agrees. “Being able to bring that to the community and help volunteers with different types of illnesses… some people are really looking for a change or something that can help them,” she says.

What sets Northern California Research apart is its dedication to the care and consideration for all patients and volunteers. “I try and look at everybody and everything that goes through this office. I’m not sure how much of that is done in the real world,” Dr. Young says.

Northern California Research is always looking for volunteers to assist in clinical trials. If you are interested in helping the next generation of patients find better healthcare options, go to www.northerncaliforniaresearch.com/volunteer/.

Learn more at www.northerncaliforniaresearch.com.

TOPICS:clinical trialsDr. Douglas Youngmedical researchNorthern California Researchvolunteers needed

Our content is free, but not free to produce

If you value our local news, arts and entertainment coverage, become an SN&R supporter with a one-time or recurring donation. Help us keep our reporters at work, bringing you the stories that need to be told.

Become a supporter
Newsletter

Stay Updated

For the latest local news, arts and entertainment, sign up for our newsletter.
We'll tell you the story behind the story.

    • Previous post
    • Next post

    About the Sponsor

    Northern California Research
    As a clinical trial research center, our focus is on spreading the word about our various volunteer opportunities in our clinical trials and research studies. We are reaching out to people who we hope will benefit from the possibilities that come with clinical trial participation. https://www.northerncaliforniaresearch.com/

    Meet the sponsors

    • Berkeley Strategy Advisors
      Berkeley Strategy Advisors

      published 5 articles

    • BRIDGE Housing
      BRIDGE Housing

      published 3 articles

    • California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls
      California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

      published 1 article

    • California Workforce Association
      California Workforce Association

      published 13 articles

    • City of Elk Grove
      City of Elk Grove

      published 11 articles

    • City of Roseville
      City of Roseville

      published 12 articles

    • Del Paso Boulevard Partnership
      Del Paso Boulevard Partnership

      published 28 articles

    • Exotic Plants
      Exotic Plants

      published 6 articles

    • Joshua's House Hospice
      Joshua's House Hospice

      published 4 articles

    • Midtown
      Midtown

      published 11 articles

    • MOVE The Valley
      MOVE The Valley

      published 9 articles

    • N&R Publications
      N&R Publications

      published 5 articles

    • Northern California Research
      Northern California Research

      published 10 articles

    • Sacramento County Department of Child Family and Adult Services
      Sacramento County Department of Child Family and Adult Services

      published 6 articles

    • Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services
      Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services

      published 5 articles

    • Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services
      Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services

      published 6 articles

    • Sacramento County Office of Education
      Sacramento County Office of Education

      published 2 articles

    • Sacramento County Probation Department
      Sacramento County Probation Department

      published 11 articles

    • Sacramento Regional Transit District
      Sacramento Regional Transit District

      published 28 articles

    • SEIU
      SEIU

      published 30 articles

    • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
      Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

      published 1 article

    • The California Endowment
      The California Endowment

      published 65 articles

    • Volunteers of America
      Volunteers of America

      published 8 articles

    • Workforce Development Board of Solano County
      Workforce Development Board of Solano County

      published 4 articles

    • Yuba Water Agency
      Yuba Water Agency

      published 8 articles

    Our Sponsors

    Berkeley Strategy Advisors BRIDGE Housing California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls California Workforce Association City of Elk Grove City of Roseville Del Paso Boulevard Partnership Exotic Plants Joshua's House Hospice Midtown MOVE The Valley N&R Publications Northern California Research Sacramento County Department of Child Family and Adult Services Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services Sacramento County Office of Education Sacramento County Probation Department Sacramento Regional Transit District SEIU Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The California Endowment Volunteers of America Workforce Development Board of Solano County Yuba Water Agency

    Categories

    Community

    Tags

    2020 affordable housing art astrology Black Lives Matter board of supervisors California cannabis City Council city hall climate change coronavirus COVID-19 COVID-19 in Sacramento Donald Trump election food gardening gavin newsom George Floyd homeless homelessness horoscopes jobs Joe Biden letters Mayor Darrell Steinberg music november election pandemic police reform president donald trump presidential election protests public health Q&A sacramento sacramento county Sacramento police Sacramento Regional Transit District SacRT SEIU Stephon Clark strong mayor taxes
    Newsletter

    Stay Updated

    For the latest local news, arts and entertainment, sign up for our newsletter.
    We'll tell you the story behind the story.

      Recent Posts
      • Sacramento’s nightlife economy is on the come up — but can the city keep pace?
      • Crafting the perfect stage performance: a conversation with choreographer Dina Michelle Silver
      • Sacramento locals show their skills from creation to curation at the California State Fair
      • Student debt collections resume, targeting borrowers least able to pay
      • Sabbatical: Whiskey-makers showing the true way of ‘raw craft’ in the Delta
      Links
      • Newsletter Signup
      • Follow us on Twitter
      • Find us on Facebook
      • SN&R Archives
      • Best of Sac
      • SAMMIES
      • RSS
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Service
      • Contact Us
      Become a supporter
      Categories
      • 2020 election (86)
      • Arts+Culture (952)
      • Ask Joey (1,017)
      • Cannabis (42)
      • COVID-19 (313)
      • Crime Beat (147)
      • Food (110)
      • Greenlight (492)
      • Home & Garden (81)
      • Housing (105)
      • Music (279)
      • News (1,708)
      • Q&A (34)
      • Rebooting the Arts (256)
      • Solving Sacramento (398)
      • Stage (75)
      • Voices (528)

      © 2019+ Sacramento News & Review