Voices of Inclusive Research
Voices of Inclusive Research is a podcast dedicated to exploring the diverse and dynamic world of inclusive research. Each episode features thought leaders, community members and advocates who we welcome to share their questions, concerns, insights, lived experiences and groundbreaking work. Our mission is to give the community a voice in clinical research. We aim to inspire and inform by highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusivity in clinical research.
Voices of Inclusive Research
Why “Diverse” Matters More Than “Diversity” in Research
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In this solo episode of Voices of Inclusive Research, I reflect on the meaning and mission behind Diverse Research Now, and why the distinction between diversity and diverse matters.
Reading from the organization’s latest blog, I explore how our language shapes inclusion, accountability, and representation in clinical research. I remind listeners that “diversity” can be a checkbox without action, while diverse centers real people and lived experiences often excluded from medical research.
This episode is a declaration and call to action: to ensure clinical research reflects America’s population and that inclusion is a present responsibility.
🎧 Tune in for an inspiring reflection on identity, equity, and the real work of creating access and trust in clinical research.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
- The Power of Language – How shifting from “diversity” to “diverse” changes the focus from abstract ideals to real people.
- Beyond a Checkbox – Diversity can exist in name only, but diverse is active and people-centered.
- Representation in Research – When studies don’t include all populations, innovation and fairness are limited.
- Building Trust Through Inclusion – True engagement starts when communities are informed, seen, and valued.
- A Movement, Not a Motto – Diverse Research Now is more than a name — it’s a commitment to action, accountability, and representation.
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We Want to Hear Your Voice!
Your insights on how inclusive research impacts your life and community are invaluable. Share your experiences and thoughts on how we can bridge the gap between research and real-world needs. Your stories drive our mission and inspire the future of inclusive research!
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Dr. Ren: Welcome to another episode of Voices of Inclusive Research Podcast VIR. I'm your host, Dr. Ren, founder of Diverse Research Now and today you will only hear my voice, sorry. Anyway, recently diverse research now released a blog titled We Are Diverse Research Now, not Diversity in Research Now. This blog was our way of sharing and clarifying our powerful mission.
So bear with me while I read our blog and we would love for you to comment if you hear something that piques your interest. Okay, here we go. When people first hear our name diverse research, now they sometimes assume we meant to say diversity in research Now. But our choice was intentional and deeply meaningful.
We are not simply a call for diversity as an idea. We are a movement for diverse people, diverse communities, and diverse lived experiences to be seen, valued, and represented in research. Right now, the word diversity is often used as a concept. Sometimes organizations strive for or include in their mission statements.
It sounds good, but it can feel abstract institutional and even distant diversity often lives on paper, but diverse speaks to people. The word diverse, it's personal. Real and human. It reflects the richness of our identities, histories, cultures, and ways of life. We are diverse. We are living examples of the communities research needs to understand and serve.
That's why we are diverse research now. Because the work is not just about improving a statistic, it's about creating access, trust, and opportunity for diverse people to engage in the studies that shape healthcare for all. So the difference between diversity and diverse may seem small, but it changes everything.
Diversity can exist. And name only a checkbox or goal without action, but diverse is active. It centers people and their participation for too long. Medical research in the United States has not reflected the full picture of our nation. Many studies have been built around limited populations, leaving out groups.
Whose health outcomes, environments and genetics differ in meaningful ways. So that lack of diverse participation has real consequences from misdiagnoses and ineffective treatments to generations of mistrust and exclusion by emphasizing diverse people. Rather than the abstract idea of diversity, we hold ourselves accountable to the real work, showing up, engaging, listening, and building research that truly represents our community.
America's strength has always come from its diversity, but our health systems and research institutions have not kept pace. With that reality, when research only reflects a fraction of our population, it limits innovation and fairness. When clinical trials lack representation, it limits trust and effectiveness.
When data doesn't include everyone, it doesn't serve anyone completely. So our country cannot reach its full potential scientifically, medically, or socially without ensuring that diverse Americans are present in the conversations and studies that shape the future of healthcare. The shift from diversity to diverse is not logistic, it's moral.
It's about ownership and inclusion. It says, we belong here. We deserve to be a part of the discoveries at diverse research. Now, we don't just talk about participation. We make it happen. Have been through our community partnerships, educational sessions, and advocate assistant pre screeners. we've seen what happens when people are invited in and informed properly.
In our recent lupus initiative, for example, community members showed up not because they were convinced by a campaign, but because they were seen, they understood that their voices and experiences matter to the science. That impacts their lives. That's the power of being diverse, not just talking about diversity.
Words really do shape mindsets mindsets, shape movements. When we say diverse research, now we're making a declaration. That inclusion is not a distant goal. It's a present responsibility that diverse voices must guide the direction of discovery, that the future of medicine depends on the fullness of our nation being reflected in its research.
So yes. We began because of the lack of diversity in research, but we will continue because of the beauty, brilliance, and necessity of diverse communities, and that's why our name matters now more than ever.
