Webinar: Drug Development: Ensuring Representation in Clinical Trials
Tuesday, June 8th, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST
About the webinar
This webinar will discuss clinical trials and Black and Brown communities. It is critical to educate BIPOC communities on this process because Americans of Color are less likely to enroll in randomized clinical trials for vaccines than White Americans. For example, The COVID-19 Prevention network found that 10% of the 350,000 registrants in the COVID-19 randomized controlled trials were Black or Latinx. Meanwhile, Black and Latinx individuals account for 31.9% of the United States population, according to 2019 United States Census data. This program will focus on conscious efforts to ensure BIPOC representation in clinical trials and what this means for the future of pharmaceutical innovation. Finally, the conversation will highlight trusted sources to find more information about vaccine safety, adverse reactions, and other facts related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Distinguished Speakers
Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, MD
Chief Diversity Officer at American Medical Women’s Association
Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center
Dr. Neelum T. Aggarwal, MD, is the Chief Diversity Officer at American Medical Women’s Association and Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University Medical Center. She is a cognitive neurologist, clinical trialist and researcher in the field of population health and aging. She is the Senior Neurologist for the federally funded Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center (RADC) Clinical Core in Chicago; Director of Research at the Rush Heart Center for Women, and an Associate Professor in the Departments of Neurological Sciences and Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center. A graduate of the Academy of Neurology - Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, Dr. Aggarwal is a long-standing voice for community based research, clinical trial participation, public health initiatives, both locally and nationally. She has served in numerous leadership roles throughout her career. She is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), member of the Governing Council of the American Medical Association- Women's Physician Section, a Fellow of the Institute of Medicine Chicago, and was recently awarded the 2016 Woman in Science award from the American Medical Women's Association. Her role as a Chicago Innovation Mentor (CIM) in addition to serving as the National Chair for the Women in Bio (WIB) Mentoring, Advisors and Peers Committee places her in a unique position to work with a diverse group of colleagues and mentor women in the medical, life sciences and STEM sectors. She completed her medical degree from the Rosalind Franklin University - Chicago Medical School, completed her neurology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and completed an aging and neurodegenerative disorders fellowship at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
Dr. Chitra Edwin, PhD, RAC
Adjunct Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati
Dr. Chitra Edwin is an experienced expert in Regulatory Affairs, and Quality Systems in the Life Sciences industry. She was a Senior Principal Advisor, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Systems at Covance by LabCorp. Most recently, she was the Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance at Spotlight Innovation Inc. She has over two decades of experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and diagnostics private sector, and has been a key member in the development of infectious disease, oncology and cardiology diagnostic, and therapeutic (vaccines) products that have secured regulatory approval. Her areas of expertise include product development, regulatory affairs, regulatory strategy, regulatory compliance and quality systems. Dr. Edwin earned a Ph.D. in Medical Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Minnesota, and then trained at the Harvard Medical School as a Research Fellow at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and as an Instructor in Medicine at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She holds Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAC) from the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society in US FDA Regulations, and CMC Regulations. She is an Adjunct Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati.
Ms. Ricki Fairley
Chief Executive Officer at Touch, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance
Ricki Fairley is a seasoned marketer with over 30 years of marketing experience in brand management at Johnson & Johnson, Nabisco, Reckitt & Colman and The Coca-Cola Company, and agency leadership encompassing strategic planning and consulting for numerous Fortune 500 companies. She is passionate about helping clients identify marketplace opportunities, establish insight-based objectives and strategies, and build results-driven campaigns with resonating creative. Ricki holds the Leadership Award from the Creative Thinking Association of America, and was named a Top 100 Marketer by Black Enterprise Magazine in February 2011. In November 2013. Ricki received the Association of National Advertisers Multicultural Excellence Award for the African American advertising for the Obama for America campaign. In February 2014, Ricki was inducted into The HistoryMakers. In March 2014, she received the Game Changer Award from Café Mocha and the Atlanta Tribune. In May 2014, DOVE Marketing received the US Trade & Commerce Institute Excellence in Marketing Award. Ricki was featured as Chapter 8 in “The 50 Billion Dollar Boss,” New York Times Best Seller List 2016 for Best Business books.
As a Stage 3A Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor/Thriver, Ricki’s personal purpose is to raise awareness and fundraise for a cure for breast cancer. She is Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation where she leads the vision and direction, spearheads the Marketing Committee and directs multicultural outreach. She also serves as an Ambassador/Advisor for the Live Humanly Campaign. Ricki speaks, writes and garners media attention to advocate for awareness of, and research for the disease.
Ricki holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. She is the President Emeritus of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association. She is a member of the 2011 Class of Leadership Atlanta.
Dr. Jeff Sherman, MD
Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President at Horizon Therapeutics plc
Jeffrey (Jeff) W. Sherman, MD, FACP, is Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President at Horizon Therapeutics plc based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Jeff has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry at IDM Pharma, Takeda Global Research and Development, NeoPharm, Searle/Pharmacia, and Squibb/Bristol-Myers Squibb. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Strongbridge Biopharma and Xeris Pharmaceuticals.
Jeff received his bachelor degree in biology from Lake Forest College and medical degree from the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/The Chicago Medical School. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Northwestern University, where he also served as a chief medical resident. Additionally, he completed fellowship training in infectious diseases at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) and was a research associate at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at UCSF in allergy and immunology. Jeff is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a member of a number of professional societies as well as a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Internal Medicine. Jeff also serves on the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science College of Pharmacy Advisory Board.
Jeff is a Past President of the Drug Information Association (DIA) and a former member of the Board of Directors. He also was chairperson of the DIA Annual Meeting, received an Outstanding Service Award, is an inaugural fellow, and serves as the DIA liaison to the FDA Clinical Trial Transformation Initiative (CTTI) Steering Committee. Jeff in addition serves on the Board of Advisors of the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP). He is also a member of the Global Genes Medical and Scientific Advisory Board and involved through Horizon Pharma with the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) and the European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS).
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