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Nearly 75 medical students to participate in groundbreaking national Diversity in Clinical Trials Research Program

The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Awards) today announced that 72 medical students who are underrepresented in medicine and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds have been selected for the third cohort of the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP). With an aim of creating career pathways into clinical research, this unique program trains medical students in a six‐week summer externship to provide intensive hands‐on clinical research experience, networking, and mentorship.

Winn CIPP aims to support and empower promising medical students by allowing time to work alongside expert clinicians and researchers in community health settings where they learn how to reach underserved patients at greater risk for poorer health outcomes. Historically nearly 80% of clinical trial participants are white, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which does not accurately represent the country’s demographics. Improving recruitment of diverse patients in clinical trials helps ensure trials are more reflective of the real‐world population and aligned with the epidemiology of the disease studied. Throughout the intensive summer service‐learning program, Winn CIPP students engage in research projects, attend educational symposia and network with professionals in the field to understand how to better serve diverse populations with the goal of creating greater equity in care.

“Providing every patient with the care they deserve starts with nurturing the next generation of diverse medical leaders,” said Robert A. Winn, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center director and lead scientific advisor for the Winn Awards. “We are thrilled to welcome this next cohort of students, and we know they will leave the Winn CIPP summer program equipped to make a difference in their communities and shape a more equitable future across the country for ALL people.”

Nearly 80% of the new Winn CIPP cohort identify as Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino, more than half of the students are first‐generation U.S. college graduates and more than half of the students identify as women. Students in the third cohort represent 43 medical schools across the U.S., and will be placed at 16 research institutions. They will be provided with valuable practical skills including understanding the science of outreach and community engagement.

“Improving diversity in clinical research is a core pillar of advancing health equity in the United States and around the world,” said Catharine Grimes, president of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. “Research too often leaves behind the communities who disproportionately face the highest rates of serious diseases and would benefit from new medical breakthroughs. This program creates a path for future medical leaders from diverse backgrounds to build a world where everyone has access to quality healthcare, no matter who they are or where they live.”

The impact of the Winn CIPP extends far beyond the six‐week externship, as students forge meaningful connections and develop a deeper understanding of the intersection between medicine, research, and community engagement for improving patient outcomes.

Written by: Winn Awards Communications