The Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) First in Kind Diversity Site Solutions Summit

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April 18, 2022

April 13, 2022 – The Society of Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) will be hosting its inaugural Diversity Site Solutions Summit on 20 May 2022 in Austin, Texas. This first ever, site-focused Diversity Summit will provide a platform for research sites and industry stakeholders to share best practices, knowledge, and experience with engaging diverse communities for more inclusive trials. The Summit is part of the SCRS Diversity Awareness Program established in 2016.

As the increased importance of recruiting diverse patient populations in clinical trials has been highlighted by industry regulators and sponsors, the need for research sites’ understanding of how to better engage diverse patient populations grows. Regulatory and sponsor directives are already starting to require inclusion of diverse populations in trials.

Diana Foster, PhD, SCRS Diversity Awareness Program Lead, shared, “It was important for us to not just begin developing resources and making assumptions on behalf of sites. We knew we needed to clearly understand the needs of sites and where there were areas for development and improvement in a way that was validated.”

With insights from patients, industry leaders, and sites, the Diversity Site Solutions Summit will feature critical and data-driven information to overcome barriers to diverse recruitment. Former Vice Admiral Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, Chairman of the Board for Total Diversity Clinical Trial Management and former US Surgeon General and member of the President’s COVID-19 task force, will be the keynote speaker.

Scholarships are available for patients and advocacy groups as well as students and research sites. Sites can also bring several members of their organization at a discounted rate.

“It’s actually a very exciting time in the area of the expansion of diverse and inclusive populations in clinical trials,” said Foster. “We are experiencing an explosion of activity that is going to change the dynamic and the way we approach clinical research as a whole.”

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Diana L. Foster, Ph.D

CEO and Chief Diversity Officer for TOTAL Diversity Clinical Trial Management

Diana L. Foster, Ph.D., is the CEO and Chief Diversity Officer for TOTAL Diversity Clinical Trial Management, a full-service Diversity Organization whose mission is to enhance diversity and inclusion in clinical research trials. Foster has served as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Society of Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) since 2016. She also held a position as the Vice President of Strategy and Development for SCRS originating programs such as the Global Impact Partner Programs and many other industry supported initiatives.

Foster is a thought-leader and sought-after expert in diversity and clinical site best practices. She is the author of the Diversity Site Assessment Tool and has published numerous research papers on the topic. Over the past two decades, she has addressed audiences across the world, published multiple papers and articles, and written five authoritative industry books including Global Issues in Patient Recruitment and Retention.

Jerome Adams, M.D.

Chairman of the Board for TOTAL Diversity Clinical Trial Management

Dr. Adams also currently serves as Executive Director of Health Equity Initiatives at Purdue University. He formerly served as the 20th United States Surgeon General and as a member of the President’s COVID-19 task force, where he was at the forefront of America’s most pressing health challenges throughout the pandemic, including working with companies to increase diversity in vaccine trials.

As the Chairman of the Board for TOTAL Diversity, Dr. Adams provides his in-depth knowledge of patient perspectives and industry views on diversity to create sustainable solutions and best practices to establish more diverse representation in clinical trials.