LaToya Hinton-Howery, founder of NICRAs a Black woman working in the clinical research industry for over 16 years, I’ve seen firsthand the lack of diversity in trials and the barriers that exist for minorities to participate. That’s why I made it my mission to help change that by opening my own clinical trial sites in minority communities.
It started in 2010 when I noticed just how few Black faces I saw—whether it was the trial participants or the physicians running the studies. Minorities were significantly underrepresented. I knew this was a major problem since drugs can affect different populations differently based on genetics, environment, and other factors. If new medications aren’t studied adequately in diverse groups, we can’t get an accurate picture of their true effectiveness and safety profiles across all populations.
In 2015, I decided to take action. I began learning everything I could about opening my own research site, Next Innovative Clinical Research, so I could help drive greater minority enrollment in clinical trials. My first opportunity came in Houston, where a friend connected me with a minority physician who was interested but didn’t know how to get involved in research. I was able to get her set up to become a principal investigator and bring trials to her practice.
While that allowed me to start getting experience under my belt, I knew my ultimate goal was to open a site in an underserved community where trials were desperately needed but difficult to access. In 2023, I achieved that dream by launching my Chicago site, Next Innovative Clinical Research, right in the heart of the historic Bronzeville neighborhood on the city’s South Side.
One of the biggest barriers for people of color to participate in clinical trials is simply lack of access and awareness of opportunities in their own communities. My site eliminates that obstacle by being located right in the local neighborhood. Participants don’t have to travel long distances, navigate huge hospital campuses, or go through confusing logistical hassles. We make it easy by offering ample parking, handling everything from consenting to specimen collection on-site, and creating an environment where they feel comfortable with staff who look like them and understand their perspective.
At the same time, I’ve made it my mission to educate people in a way that helps overcome lingering mistrust stemming from past research abuses. I take the time to fully explain to prospective participants how clinical trials work today with stringent ethical guidelines and oversight in place to protect their rights and safety. I also stress how important their participation is to ensure new medications are appropriate for use in their communities.
While operating my own sites is personally rewarding, I also co-founded an organization called Noir Research Collective to help support other minority-owned research sites across the country. Through that network, we pool our resources and leverage our shared expertise so we can all be as successful as possible in meeting the pharmaceutical industry’s needs for diverse clinical trial populations.
My greatest wish is that I can inspire more people of color to pursue careers in clinical research, especially as principal investigators and site owners and operators. The pharmaceutical companies want to increase diversity in their trials, but they need more of us to open doors and create those opportunities within our own communities. I’m committed to holding that door open and providing a guiding hand to any minority medical professionals who want to join me in this crucial mission.
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