This Black Woman is Changing the Face of Clinical Research

 Clinical research plays a crucial role in advancing healthcare, but historically, it has lacked diversity both in its workforce and patient populations. Danielle Mitchell, founder and CEO of Black Women in Clinical Research (BWICR), is working to change that. In an interview with Taylyn Washington-Harmon, clinical trials editor of BlackDoctor.org, Mitchell discussed the importance of increasing diversity in clinical research and how her organization is making a difference. Mitchell founded BWICR in 2019 after attending an investigator meeting where she noticed a stark lack of diversity. “There were only two Black women including myself,” she recalled. This experience prompted her to create a Facebook group that has since grown into a thriving organization with over 20,000 followers and 10,000 members in its Facebook group. The mission of BWICR is clear: “to educate, empower, support, and help Black women thrive in the clinical research industry.” Mitchell believes that Danielle Smith increasing diversity in the clinical research workforce will naturally lead to more diverse patient populations in clinical trials. Why aren’t there more Black women in clinical trials? One of the main barriers to participation in clinical trials for Black women is simply not being asked. Mitchell cited a study showing...