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
Voices Changing Research: Reflections from Past Conversations
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In this special compilation episode of Voices of Inclusive Research, Dr. Ren brings together powerful moments and voices that highlight the heart of this movement: community, trust, and representation.
From the importance of physician and community partnerships to the role of mentorship and education, this conversation emphasizes that meaningful change requires both awareness and action. It also celebrates a powerful shift:communities are no longer just participants in research, but they are shaping it.
This episode is a reminder that inclusive science is better science, and that building trust, staying curious, and continuing the work, together, is how we move forward.
🎧 Tune in for a powerful reflection on representation, resilience, and the future of inclusive research.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
- Trust Through Partnership: Building relationships with both community leaders and healthcare providers is key to increasing participation and trust in research.
- Education First: Awareness is the foundation—understanding clinical research empowers communities to make informed decisions.
- Representation Matters: Without diverse participation, we cannot fully understand how treatments work across different populations.
- Community as Change Agents: Communities are no longer passive participants—they are shaping conversations, asking questions, and demanding representation.
- The Power of Mentorship: Lifting the next generation ensures that diverse voices continue to grow within science, medicine, and research.
- Resilience in the Work: Staying hopeful, curious, and connected helps sustain the long-term effort required to create meaningful change.
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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: I think that we have a lot of faith in our doctors. Mm-hmm. The medication that is out on the market right now, you know what I mean? Like the standard of care. Mm-hmm. we have a lot of faith in that. Um. And a lot of times it's because, hey, you know, we're thinking, okay, this specialist, they know what they're doing.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Yes.
Dr. Ren: Um, yes. However, however, this is a big one. a lot of these diseases have not been researched very well. Mm-hmm. And then not just not researched very well, but not researched in our communities.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Ren: So another huge reason why diverse research now exists is because, um, when, when, when someone that looks like you has not been in this study for this drug that you're taking.
How, how really do you know if it's going to work for you?
Dr. Jazmine Crain: That's
Dr. Ren: true. You know, I mean, we're, we're, we always wanna stay hopeful, of course, but how do you know? And there's been many drugs that have [00:01:00] come to market that are less effective in black and brown people because they were not in the study.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Ren: So it's just, um, when you think about it, it's super scary.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Yes, yes.
Dr. Ren: To think like, wait a minute. The drug. I have this disease and the drug that I'm taking was never tested on anyone that looked like me. And they're expecting this. They're gonna, they're just trying to see if this is gonna work for me.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Ren: Um,
Dr. Jazmine Crain: mm-hmm.
Dr. Ren: So it's just, it's, it is it, when I think about the work that has to be done, um, in our community around this. It's overwhelming. We talked about this.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Dr. Ren: How overwhelming the work. Yes.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Yes. And I, and I don't think, and just going back to what you said about the specialists, you know, we put a lot of trust in our providers and our physicians.
Yes. We also have to work with the community to build that trust. But also I found, you know, in my journey that also working with the community leaders and physicians and getting them on [00:02:00] board. Can also mean tremendous, you know, efforts for getting the community and the pop other populations on board too.
Mm-hmm. Um, I found, you know, there's a lot of research naive physicians in my local area in Mississippi as a whole,
Dr. Ren: and
Dr. Jazmine Crain: so just. At the top, them not knowing, not having any knowledge can definitely have trickle down effects, you know, to their PA patients and the population that they serve. And so not only, you know, doing the work.
For the population and the people, but do also doing the work with providers and, you know, having them to listen and actually seeing the benefits that, you know, clinical research could bring and how it could supplement their practice or, you know, whatever their, uh, care is for their community. It's, it's, it's tremendous and can definitely help move that needle forward.
Dr. Ren: And, and not to see it as competition.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Ren: A lot of times, um, I'm hearing that the doctors, uh, are seeing [00:03:00] research as competition.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Or
Dr. Ren: like they don't want the research study to take their patients and
Dr. Jazmine Crain: mm-hmm.
Dr. Ren: Crazy. Like, what, first of all, why are we doing this? Like, we're doing this to help people. Right,
Dr. Jazmine Crain: right.
Dr. Ren: Oh, that's the case. That's the case. Like, and I know, I mean, maybe that's not the case all the time, but overall, I think you know, everyone, we wanna help people.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Yes.
Dr. Ren: That's why I do it. That's why you do it.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Yes. Um, and so.
Dr. Ren: Um, you are so right. Mm-hmm. It is not just about educating the community. We have to educate the doctors as well.
Yes. 'cause a lot of times that is a, a big barrier. Yes. Because the doctors that are seeing the sick patients that need to possibly, um, learn, not just, not even get involved, but at least learn about this study. Mm-hmm. Some way that we can come in and educate the doctors about the research.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Ren: Since they're the ones who've seen the [00:04:00] patients.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: Right.
Dr. Ren: And then they can, um, you know, even if they don't have time to share with the patient about the research, they can at least. Say like, Hey, I think this patient would be a good patient for this research study. Like maybe we should come in and talk Exactly. Something that diverse research now could do.
That's something that we do do. Um, we, we go, we can, um, we have safe space meetings where, where we can talk to the participant or potential participant about research and the possibility of that research. Um, you know, again, bridging the gap. You know, taking the patient from the doctor's office, sitting them down in that gap area to, to talk with them about the research, the possibilities, inform them.
Mm-hmm. Let the decision. Mm-hmm. And if they wanna go through and go through that tunnel and go to the other side to research, then great. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That's great. But we have to get them in that middle place.
Dr. Jazmine Crain: You can't
Dr. Ren: be like, you know, they, we don't. And I think that is so important there. There definitely has to be more work in that space.
Um, yeah. And so we're, we're [00:05:00] definitely willing to do it, and I'm sure you are as well.
Speaker: 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 in too institutional and uh, and even distant diversity often lives on paper, but diverse speaks to people. The word diverse, it's personal. [00:06:00] 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 [00:07:00] 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 [00:08:00] 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 [00:09:00] been through our community partnerships, educational sessions, and advocate assistant pre screeners. We're. See, we've seen what happens when people are invited in and informed properly.
Dr. Ren: I think that's why we connect so much because.
We just wanna give back. We wanna share what we know to our community and give back and help as many as possible.
Dung Trinh: Yeah. We're just mission mission-driven
Dr. Ren: Yes.
Dung Trinh: Yeah. Purpose-driven
Dr. Ren: Purpose-driven Purpose-driven Um, so what, what is, um, so what are you guys doing here at, uh, the Healthy Brain Clinic?
'cause Dr. Tr also, uh, is, um, working here at the Healthy Brain Clinic, long Beach and. Doing, um, memory studies. Um, I also am, um, working in Inglewood doing, um, uh, memory studies. Um, so yeah,
Dung Trinh: we are, we are hoping to advance. Um, and learn more about the world of Alzheimer's mm-hmm. And dementia, these, and, um, and we're doing that through clinical trials mm-hmm.
Through, uh, medication studies. Um, drug development, uh, along with the education that we do. Um, uh, amyloid as we know, you know, the amyloid plaque [00:10:00] everyone here is about. Yeah. But, uh, there's so much more, there's so much more, there's studies, uh, on, uh, addressing the. The tal tangles, we call it uhhuh.
Uh, there are studies looking at inflammation. Mm-hmm. Uh, there are studies looking at, uh, circulation. Mm-hmm. Uh, so there are all kinds of studies looking at the, the multiple risk factors that. Contribute to Alzheimer's. Yeah. Um, so amyloid is one piece of the puzzle, not the puzzle.
Dr. Ren: Yeah.
Dung Trinh: Uh, and so we're working on learning, uh, as we go along with that.
Dr. Ren: mean, it was a big piece, right? Huge. Yeah. Like, I mean, you know, we, for years we've only, there's been these new drugs that came out that is actually, that those new drugs is addressing the amyloid plaques in the brain. Um, but before that, we only had, uh, drugs to, uh, symptomatic exactly to, to, to the symptoms of Alzheimer's, right?
Yeah. I mean,
Dung Trinh: you cannot have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's without the presence of amyloid in the brain. Right. The, the plaques in the, the tangles, the towel, uh, is a requirement for the diagnosis. So it is the central core Uh, that is [00:11:00] associated with Alzheimer's disease. Right? You gotta have the plaques in the tangles without the plaques and tangles.
There's no Alzheimer's. Okay? It's required for the diagnosis. Okay? So it's a huge piece of the puzzle, but there's so much more. Uh, we know that removing amyloid alone in our. Previous studies wasn't enough to, to cure Alzheimer's.
Dr. Ren: Right,
Dung Trinh: right. Um, which is why we continue in research mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. uh, to see what the bigger picture is.
And the bigger picture truly is lifestyle.
Dr. Ren: It's lifestyle. Yeah. And, you know, what I'm learning, um, through more research Of my own and being in these, uh, area, these meetings that I, I go to pretty often. Um. And all the talks about Alzheimer's is that it looks different in different communities.
So that's why it's so important to have, uh, diverse, um, And, uh, uh, people in the, in the studies that have diverse background.
Dung Trinh: A, black American has twice the risk
Dr. Ren: Yeah.
Dung Trinh: Of Alzheimer's than a White American. Uh.
Dr. Ren: This is scary. scary. This is super important. Mm-hmm. what I'm saying is even going further than that, we, we [00:12:00] don't know if the disease is looking different in those communities, right?
Yes. Yes. Like, we don't know if amyloid or we know that the biomarker, the ketol
Dung Trinh: may be different.
Dr. Ren: it's just so much that we don't know
because communities of color are not participating in these studies. Um, so that, I know that's definitely our mission at Diverse Research now to educate our community and, um, and even support them as they go through, uh, research or consider research.
Um, we are trying to really get the message out that, hey, there's, we have to be involved in the process. Yeah, we have to be involved in the process. And then, and I know it's not just. Um, it's not just, you know, black Americans. It's um, Asian Americans. Mm-hmm. Um, Hispanic Americans, I mean, um. We just, we just need everybody included.
Dung Trinh: Yeah. It starts with education and awareness.
Dr. Ren: Mm-hmm.
Dung Trinh: Um, yep. Yep. Yep. That's
Dr. Ren: where it starts you, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Dung Trinh: Always. It always starts with education awareness. And, and research is so important to have a diverse participation. Because our country's [00:13:00] diverse That's right. Right. Uh, how do you know the medication works in somebody who's Asian, Hispanic, black, or, you know, how do you know if.
If these folks are not participating in clinical trials. Yeah And we don't, uh, which is so important because good medicine is inclusive medicine, as you mentioned.
Dr. Ren: Yeah. Yeah. And, and I think that that is really, you know, I've done a whole, like, community talks about that mm-hmm. About letting the community know, like, hey.
Your, your medication that you're taking, we wanna make sure that it's going to work for you. Yeah. Which is why we have to have someone that looks like you or have your background get involved. Um, so I think people are understanding what is your. Uh, been the response in the community,
Dung Trinh: the response has been great.
Yeah. Um, once folks learn mm-hmm. About the, the health condition. Mm-hmm. The science, the opportunity to be involved in research. Yeah. It hasn't been a, an issue getting folks involved in research.
Dr. Ren: I agree. I agree. Yeah. for so many years we talked about this hesitation, um, because, uh, people just.
You know, know, because of the historical injustices in different communities, that's why they were not getting involved. But we really have [00:14:00] found that it's because they were just, were not aware. Not aware, or just not ever asked to get involved.
Dung Trinh: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. So
Dr. Ren: hopefully we're doing, um, we're, we know that we're doing good work.
Hopefully we can get the word out to more and more communities. I know you do a lot of your work in Orange County. Mm-hmm. Um, we are in San Diego, diverse research now, but now we also are in, um, Inglewood, Southland, um, la Awesome. But also we're hoping to have an event coming up in June in Chicago. Um, Also, uh, last year we went to Atlanta this year. Mm-hmm. Hopefully, we'll, we can get to some more cities. Uh, just really sounding the alarm and getting, um, the message out for sure.
Dung Trinh: Absolutely. That
Dr. Ren: it's, it's super important. So
Dung Trinh: yeah, we love your work. We love diverse research. Now it's, uh, yeah. Yeah. good, good.
Science is inclusive science. So you have to have inclusiveness.
Dr. Ren: Yep. That's our, that's what we say. The science is inclusive science. And we also say that we want to inspire a new era of inclusive research. [00:15:00] Right? Yeah. It's all about including everyone. Um, so we can find answers for everyone.
Dr. Crystal Glover: I would love to see more black scientists.
Dr. Ren: Yes.
Dr. Crystal Glover: more black, healthcare providers.
from diverse backgrounds, you know, from rural areas, cities, Southern gals to northern ladies, to people focused on the heart, the connections to the brain to focus on women's health, reproductive menopause, you name it.
All of these things have implications for aging. How do we treat our young girls? All of that, and how do we communicate with each other and share our understandings? So with that, I think I would love to see more black people in research studies like. Having research Curiosity.
research participation.
Yeah. But then also spreading the word that we can have solutions through science. Yep. So it's not. All bad. It's not say of the past, we can shape this future in our very strength-based and happy image. Yes. In terms of being focused and [00:16:00] rigorous. I would love to see that. And that requires continuous communication.
Everyone knows if you email me you know, Dr. Ren, if you text me, I'm gonna text back. I'm going to email back if I don't know. Thank you,
Dr. Ren: by the way.
Dr. Crystal Glover: Yes, for sure. If I don't have the answer, I will try to connect you or anyone with someone who can. And I think that's required of all of us to build this ever-growing network.
Yeah. And then I think that inspires others. Yeah. And that inspires. Other scientists, other communities, other just the world. Yeah. So I think even if we focus on black scientists, black healthcare providers, black communities, it just seems like a ripple. Yes. That just is, is beautiful in that way. So I love that.
I hope for that for us. I think so. I mean, look what all we've done
Dr. Ren: Yes.
Dr. Crystal Glover: In, in this short amount of time with all of these things.
Dr. Ren: Yeah. No, we're doing it. we're doing it. We are literally, [00:17:00] like when you were talking, I'm like, we are literally black history. We are creating black history right now.
and that's why we doing the mentorship, right? That's why we wanna, you know, reach our hand back and pull up the next generation because we need. To make sure that black history continues on and that there are going to be more of us in science, in medicine in biotech and you know, I mean that is really the only way how our voice is going to be heard and carry on.
and be included, right? So we're doing it, we're moving in the right direction. I am very hopeful and very, encouraged by that. because we are doing it, Because talking about like the future generations and looking back in history, what do we hope, that we chose to do differently?
So I guess the question, what I'm trying to say is. when people look back to where we are, like to us, I feel [00:18:00] like this is our black history era. we are, we are building it right now. Right? So when people are looking back, years from now, what will they say that we choose to do differently?
Like, what are we doing? Differently. I think I have an answer, but I'll let you answer first.
Dr. Crystal Glover: You know, I think if we're saying that we are doing differently, I hear the question in two ways.
Dr. Ren: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Dr. Crystal Glover: If what we're doing differently than our ancestors
Dr. Ren: Uhhuh,
Dr. Crystal Glover: I would say not much.
Dr. Ren: Okay.
Dr. Crystal Glover: Because we are built on such.
Strategic strength, like strong people forward focused, that I hope that they would say that we've continued that legacy. Let's, let's, yeah, that's what I would hope.
Dr. Ren: Yeah.
Dr. Crystal Glover: Yeah. I would hope that they would say that we were strong, we were resilient, and that yeah, we could be strategic as well, and we knew how to do it because.
I think sometimes we could be unnecessarily [00:19:00] critical of our ancestors. Mm-hmm. And what they went through. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And they did more than the best they could. More than the best with what they had.
Dr. Ren: That's right.
Dr. Crystal Glover: if, I think what we would look back on to what we were doing differently as researchers, I think having a voice.
Being curious, staying curious and in community, and then also keeping the faith and staying hopeful, not being downtrodden
I think that is the case because once you get negative or once you get low, it's easy to stay there. But I think us talking in community, doing this podcast, talking to others, mentoring and being mentored because I'm still being mentored.
Dr. Ren: Yes.
Dr. Crystal Glover: That keeps our spirits up.
Dr. Ren: Yeah.
Dr. Crystal Glover: So I think, I hope that they, whoever it is, is looking back like, okay, that's what they're choosing to do. And that's how they're choosing to stay.
Dr. Ren: in this climate, in this day and age, we're talking about anxiety, [00:20:00] depression, burnout, stress, all openly. It's, so, it's, I, I'm so happy to know that we can all openly talk about this now, and research helps to normalize these conversations.
It really does help create tools. It helps to reduce stigma. Um, and then you have apps, apps, um, therapy options, community conversations. These are all resources, not rules. All of this is here to help us, um, and they give people starting points and starting points matter. Okay? We all have to start somewhere.
Okay? So don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself some grace. All right. Um, another thing, um, let's talk about social media, because research, uh, is really made accessible through social media. Social, social media does get a bad rap. Um, but there is a positive side to it. Research is more accessible. Um, as I was mentioning, more than ever now, information that's, , used [00:21:00] to be locked away.
It can now be explained, visualized, and shared in real time. That really does empower us guys. That's powerful. And so we have to use it for our good. Right? Um, the opportunity is, is now, um, it's learning how to pause, reflect, and choose what resonates with us. Okay? We have to discern things, um, that's going to resonate with us.
Um, and that's growth. Um. Uh, and far away from failure, So let's, um, again, you know, let's, let's use these tools in a positive way. Um, and so of course I always want to talk to my black community and other communities of color, um, and we are just, no, we are no longer just recipients of research. We, we get to ask questions now.
we are shaping conversations. We are creating solutions, and we are demanding representation. Okay. That is all that, you know, that's all what I'm about. That's all what diverse research now is about. Um, and research is better when we are involved. Know that research is [00:22:00] better. That's why spaces like voices of inclusive research exist to connect everyday life with trustworthy information in a way that feels.
Respectable and real. Okay, so it is January. It's time for a reset, whatever didn't work in last year. Let's do it. Let's, let's try again. So as we move through this year, um, here's the takeaway that I want us to remember and as we move through this year, as I said, research isn't something to fear, it's something to you.
Okay. You don't have to do everything. Okay. Don't get overwhelmed. You don't have to follow heart every trend, and you don't have to get it. Perfect. All right. Um, it's important just to stay curious. Stay learning. Okay. Curious leads to better questions. Better, uh, better questions lead to better choices and better choices lead to healthier communities.
