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Join NHALES, an asthma study that provides free treatment, medications and compensation, and get your health under control

The NHALES Study

(Natural History of Asthma with Longitudinal Environmental Sampling)

The goal of NHALES is to help scientists understand how bacteria and other factors in the environment affect people who have moderate to severe asthma. Individuals who are unable to receive adequate asthma treatment currently are encouraged to join NHALES, which also offers free asthma care and asthma medications to study participants.

All NHALES visits will take place at the NIEHS Clinical Research Unit (CRU) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and volunteers will be compensated for their time. Participation in the study for each participant will last 5 years. Participants will have approximately 12 study visits over the course of their participation.

During the visits, NHALES team members will talk to you about your medical history, collect samples from you (blood, sputum, house dust, saliva, urine, and stool), ask you to complete questionnaires about your asthma, and conduct breathing tests and a physical exam. A small group of eligible participants will be invited to take part in a small sub-study that will examine the inside of the lungs using a procedure called bronchoscopy.

To Qualify for the Study, You Must Be:

  • 18-60 years old
  • Non-smoking
  • Non-pregnant or breastfeeding

Remember, NHALES participants who experience asthma difficulties may come to the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) and receive asthma care and medications at no cost. So, join NHALES today.