SCRS Talks
SCRS Talks, hosted by the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS), is a platform for clinical research industry professionals to hear about valuable information shaping the research industry today. These short interviews will provide new perspectives and insights on pressing topics, current events, and the research community.
SCRS Talks
IncluDE: Enabling Research That Reflects All Communities
Clinical trials must represent the communities they serve—and the SCRS IncluDE Program is equipping research sites to make that a reality. In this episode, SCRS' Kathy Mickel sits down with Kim Ribeiro, IncluDE Program co-chair, to discuss how sites and industry partners can make trials more accessible to all communities. We tackle the importance of staying focused on the science, cutting through the noise, and having real conversations about what’s working (and what’s not). Tune in to hear why the IncluDE Site Solutions Summit is a must-attend event for sites, sponsors, and solution providers—and how you can be part of the collective shaping the future of representative research.
Welcome and thank you for joining the Society for Clinical Research Sites for SCRS talks. I'm Kathy Mickel, Learning Solutions lead with SCRS. Today I'm excited to be speaking with Kim Ribeiro, co-chair of the SCRS IncluDE program. Kim, thanks for joining us.
Kim Ribeiro:Thanks for having me.
Kathy Mickel:It's always a pleasure to talk with you, Kim. So let's get started and kick off by diving into the SCRS IncluDE program. Can you share with our listeners what the program is all about and how it's empowering sites to make clinical trials more accessible and truly reflective of all communities.
Kim Ribeiro:Sure. I mean, I think, when we think about the SCRS IncluDE program, exactly to your point. It's really about ensuring that clinical research sites have all the data and have all the tools that are necessary to be able to enable them to make clinical trials accessible. And when we say accessible, we mean to the communities that they serve and anyone that ultimately will be taking the medicines that we're studying. And when we think about the work that we do, I think a lot of times, there's a lot of passion and energy in this space, and we think it's the right thing to do, but we anchor to the science, right? Like we're looking to be able to better the data that comes out of the clinical trials that are being run. And in order to ensure we increasingly improve the data, that means that it has to be more representative of the people again, ultimately, who will be taking the medicines once they're approved.
Kathy Mickel:You said it perfectly, Kim, anchoring to the science and making sure it reflects the community of the patients that are actually going to take the medicine. So this certainly drives us both in this work and the IncluDE program. We've recently updated the tagline for the IncluDE site solution summit to research reflecting all communities. Why do you think this summit is so important for the clinical research industry, especially right now?
Kim Ribeiro:I think we can say that coming into 2025, it's been a rocky start to say the least. And there's a lot of distractions. There's a lot of noise in the system when you talk about inclusion and equity, and I think it's so important for IncluDE you know, as a summit to really double down and say that we're staying the course and that we are continuing the mission. But I think, you know, when we think about how we talk about our work, we wanted to ensure that. Again, we're honing in on what we're anchoring to and it's really the research and ensuring that we're reflecting all communities to make sure that we are having more accessible clinical trials. And so really it's just a way for us to be able to reaffirm the work. Cut out the noise and really just think about how can we come together collectively to really champion accessibility to broader communities going beyond race and ethnicity.
Kathy Mickel:I really love the opportunity and what you said around, you know, collaborating at the summit. Kim, would you share some of the things that you're looking forward to as it relates to the summit and those keen opportunities to reaffirm and collaborate? Just as you stated.
Kim Ribeiro:Yeah, What I'm looking forward to is the fact that we are constantly tracking headlines and we're seeing what's happening in the ether. it's important for us collectively to come together when we think about the pharma sponsors, the sites, the solutions providers, and really just take a stance on anchoring to the work. Again, what are we doing? How are we staying the course? We're really having more granular conversations because this is not new, right? We've been at this as an industry collectively for a couple of years now, and I think what is important is to be able to focus on what are the progress measures that we've made to date? Where are those areas where we haven't really progressed as far as we would like to when this is an opportunity to reflect and see, is this where we pivot or is this where we start to reprioritize? And so really having those honest conversations about what does the next few years look like. You know, as we think about adversity in the external environment, but focusing on what matters.
Kathy Mickel:I love that, Kim. I love the idea of, again, getting back to honest conversations and being able to be agile and pivoting, and you've been in this space for a while. It's clear that your dedication runs deep. What continues to inspire you to stay involved in the IncluDE mission and the work, and to work so closely with SCRS?
Kim Ribeiro:When I think about this work, it's inspiring, right? It's inspiring because this is one of the unique spaces where you get to match your passion and your purpose. What I love about the SCRS IncluDE program, it's one of the unique spaces where, you know, when we think about the table being set, there are enough seats that are being distributed to not just pharma sponsors, but also sites as well as solutions providers.'cause we all have a different vantage point when we think about health equity and being able to have that space where we can approach the topic with our different perspectives and co-create solutions is what honestly keeps me coming back and wanting to be able to expand the work that I do with SCRS because no one entity is gonna be able to solve this. Like, this is a tall order, there's a lot that needs to be done. There's a lot of moving parts. You know, there's some things you can do proactively, but there's some things that you can do reactively. But having smart different opinions in the room is what strengthens the solutions that come out of the work that SCRS does.
Kathy Mickel:That's so great, Kim. So as I heard you say, come to the table, the seat is there waiting for you so that we can collaborate and co-create.Really, find those opportunities as you have done to match passion and purpose. Are there any other calls to action for our listeners that you would offer to them? Whether it's with the summit or with the program,
Kim Ribeiro:I would say continue to remain curious. I think that that is one of the things that's really important, no matter how many years you've been doing this work no one can say that they have it all figured out. And I think, you know, SCRS and having those different perspectives, remaining curious will allow you to be able to learn from different people and to be able to think about how you can start to build more empathy for each other. Because I think that's how we'll get authentic conversations and authentic solutions. I think, you know, Kathy, the way you and I work across the IncluDE program. It models that. And I I would hope that we would continue to see that type of work, right? Like we remain curious, we always wanna understand each other's perspectives and, you know, think about the pros and the cons and, and really give us space to be able to have some difficult conversations when you don't agree. But get to a point where, what is the common goal? And kind of think about what are those options to be able to get to that end goal?
Kathy Mickel:Thanks Kim. It really is a privilege to work with you on this project and this program. Thanks so much for sharing your authenticity, your insight and passion today. You've really captured, I think, what makes the IncluDE program so powerful. And for everyone listening, if we are, as Kim said, if we're committed to good science and strong data, we have to be equally committed to reaching all patients and supporting the clinical research sites that are working to serve those patients. I want to encourage everyone listening to get involved. Make sure you register for the upcoming IncluDE Summit. That's happening April 7th and eighth in Atlanta, Georgia. You can do that by visiting the summit page on our website at myscrs.org. While you're there, explore the other valuable resources from SCRS, including our publications, the site community, and our member benefits and resources sections. We appreciate your participation in today's program and look forward to having you join us for more great content coming your way very soon. Thanks for listening to SCRS talks.
