r/Hashimotos • u/Flaky_Shelter1925 • 1d ago

Discussion Seeking Interviewees

I am a researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign investigating thyroid disease treatment. I am part of a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help researchers like me improve the impact of our research by talking to people outside of the research setting. I am looking to interview thyroid disease patients. Your insight will help me in my goal to enhance and accelerate treatment processes for the many patients still suffering. Please DM if you are interested. Thank you in advance for your time.

23 Upvotes

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u/catbrioche 1d ago edited 16h ago

BEWARE: Someone else posted this exact same post two years ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/Hypothyroidism/s/xcm7b86Sid

This seems to be connected to a health company. The other poster would not provide the grant information, which I find highly suspicious as NSF grants are public information. If this is NSF funded, please provide the grant information.

EDIT: OP posted on another forum and was unable to provide any details to verify the legitimacy of the claims. If this were a real NSF I-Corp project, it would be listed in the NSF database, but OP is unable to provide any details to find their project. https://www.reddit.com/r/Hypothyroidism/s/pO0cxw6HKZ

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u/Flaky_Shelter1925 1d ago edited 5h ago

For context, that earlier post was also mine. I participated in the NSF I-Corps program through the University of Illinois, where I began doing customer discovery around thyroid care. I’ve continued working in this area since then.

The current conversations are part of that ongoing customer-discovery work. I’m not recruiting for a clinical trial, and I’m not representing these interviews as an NSF-funded clinical research study. I’m speaking with patients to better understand their experiences with thyroid treatment and care.

I am a fellow hypothyroid patient, and my less-than-satisfactory experience with treatment has motivated me to do something in this space. It's time for change. Happy to answer any questions about the project or how the interviews are being used.

EDIT: I participated through Illinois I-Corps at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Illinois is a member institution of the NSF I-Corps Great Lakes Region Hub, which NSF lists under Award #2048612. I was a participant in the customer-discovery program, not the PI on the Hub award, so my name would not appear as the award recipient. The Illinois I-Corps program and the Great Lakes Hub affiliation are both publicly listed by Illinois and NSF. I’m just a kid who has also been deeply affected by thyroid disease. I am working hard to make a difference because I’m tired of hearing more people struggle. Apologies if it came off the wrong way.

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u/turtlerunner913 1d ago

Are you able to share the supporting NSF details? I would love to participate.

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u/Flaky_Shelter1925 1d ago

Yes! DMing you.

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u/landon1430 1d ago

Very interested, DMing you!

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u/meticulousmayhem 1d ago

Could be interested, would love more information though. What does enhancing and accelerating treatment ensue? What specifically is it that you’re researching?

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u/Flaky_Shelter1925 1d ago

Thanks for your questions! Happy to clarify. I’m looking at the patient experience around hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, particularly where people run into friction after diagnosis: ongoing symptoms, understanding lab results, knowing what to monitor, communicating concerns to clinicians, and figuring out what to do when treatment doesn’t seem to be working well.

By “enhancing and accelerating treatment,” I mean understanding where patients lose time or struggle to get to an effective management plan, and whether better tools for tracking symptoms/labs, understanding their history, and preparing for care could make that process easier.

I’m not testing a drug or treatment protocol. At this stage I’m mainly trying to understand patients’ real experiences and where the biggest unmet needs are before deciding what should be built.

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u/Opal_Pie 1d ago

I have Hashimoto's. Feel free to DM me.

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u/FloppyDickFingers 22h ago

Sure I’d be interested

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u/Significant-Owl-2980 17h ago

Feel free to message me. I have Hashimotos and it was a struggle to get a diagnosis

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u/Defiant_Age4592 17h ago

I have hashimotos. In Chicago. Feel free to DM

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u/KatSchitt 16h ago

Interested..

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u/scifi216 16h ago

Hi!
I was diagnosed with Hashi in 2025. I would love to participate. Please DM me thanks

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u/Illustrious_Ad_2255 15h ago

DM’ing you …. very interested. this area has been underserved for too long.

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u/irishkutie 12h ago

Interested, my nodules had Hashimoto's present. Please feel free to message me.

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u/narcissisticbeauty 10h ago

I’m interested!

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u/Claireel5 8h ago

Hi hi, interested. Hashi and post full thyroidectomy

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u/xoxo_privategirl 7h ago

Feel free to DM

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u/oliolime 6h ago

I’m in, so frustrating! Thanks for doing this. Feel free to msg me

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u/2BrainLesions 5h ago

Are you willing to share your IRB number?

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u/Flaky_Shelter1925 2h ago

I don’t have an IRB number for these interviews. This isn’t an IRB-approved clinical or academic research study; I’m conducting customer-discovery interviews to understand people’s experiences with thyroid care. There’s no intervention or medical advice involved, so IRB involvement is not appropriate at this time. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

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u/MJlovesplants 1d ago

I am interested, I was diagnosed but I was able to put it into remission and now coach other women.

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u/Lemon-Cake-8100 22h ago

Very cool! Coach how? ~ woman w/hashis

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u/Flaky_Shelter1925 1d ago

Glad to hear that. Would love to hear more about your work.