Peju OshisanyaPeju Oshisanya is a Director and Clinical Program Leader at BenevolentAI. With more than 20 years in the drug research industry, Peju is an expert in pharmaceutical organization. Her career has run the gamut from early roles as a clinical trial associate to extensive experience running a wide range of global clinical research programs. In her role at BenevolentAI, she pairs her biomedical science background with further perspective from the tech side.Peju is a passionate proponent of diversity in data and inclusion in clinical trial research. She believes that problems of diversity and inclusion are fixable, and she has determined to become a champion of that change, working to raise awareness and dedicating her own career to upend the status quo.Episode HighlightsPeju’s “aha” moment that drove home the magnitude of inequity in biopharma, health, and clinical trialsWhy it’s crucial to really understand the communities that we want to include in researchHow decision-makers’ personal perspectives influence which diseases are prioritized and which treatments are fundedWhy representation needs to extend to the experts rather than stopping with the patient populationWhy it’s misleading and counter-productive to frame populations using the term “minority”How helping patients understand the importance of research in informing treatments can help motivate participationThe huge potential opportunity Africa represents for clinical trialsThe problem of perception when it comes to African institutions’ preparednessHow mining past data can create a self-perpetuating cycle that prevents capable sites from becoming experienced sitesWhat we can do to help ameliorate diverse patient populations’ trust in the healthcare industryHow anyone, regardless of their role within a company, can take steps to influence diversity in researchHow the pandemic has signaled hope for diversity and inclusion going forwardResources:Peju Oshisanya on LinkedInBenevolentAIConversations in Clinical Trial Readiness Interview Series