Cedar Health Research, a Texas-based clinical trial network focused on underserved patients, and Texas Native Health, a Dallas nonprofit serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities, announced on Wednesday that they have opened a new embedded Cedar Health Research site within Texas Native Health.

Established in 2023, the collaborative partnership aims to expand access to clinical research for Native American patients, a population that has historically been underrepresented in clinical trials.

The integrated site allows patients to participate in studies within their trusted care setting, reducing barriers such as travel, limited culturally informed study designs, and longstanding underrepresentation in clinical data.

Initially, the site will support studies addressing conditions disproportionately affecting Native American populations, such as cardiometabolic diseases. Native Americans are 36% more likely than the general US population to have diabetes, and approximately 50% of Native American adults are obese.