Access, Community, and Belonging in Clinical Trials
Acknowledging that a significant proportion of advances in medical research have been made through unjust practices with, and on, marginalized communities and that the distribution of benefits derived from clinical trials are not equitably distributed, the CTO affirms it’s intent to support anti-oppressive and decolonized approaches to clinical trials.
The CTO strives for transparency, accountability, and progress in the evolving landscape of language and practices employed in the struggle for justice. If you notice anything that could be improved in our conduct and the work that we support, please contact us.
Video Series - ACB in Clinical Trials
In their own words, hear how researchers at the U of A recognize biases in their work and how they implement anti-oppressive practices in clinical research using examples from their lived experiences.
Jason Weatherald
Watch the trailer for Dr. Weatherald's interview below and learn more about pervasive biases in clinical research and how addressing these positively impacts the health of communities.
Full interview available here.
Samina Ali
Dr. Samina Ali is a pediatric emergency physician and professor at the U of A. Her research focus is on care of acute pain in children.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Ali's interview below and learn more about realistic trial design, community partnership, humility, and building trust in healthcare.
Full interview available here.
Tibetha Kemble
Dr. Tibetha Kemble is an assistant lecturer and project lead for the Indigenous Accelerating Clinical Trials at the University of Alberta.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Kemble's interview below and learn more about incorporating indigenous epistemologies into clinical research, design of trials by, with, and for excluded populations and pathways of opportunity for Indigenous peoples in clinical research.
Lisa Willis
Dr. Lisa Willis is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and adjunct professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the U of A. Her research focus is on how glycans control the immune response differently in males and females and how this works in healthy individuals and those with chronic diseases.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Willis' interview below to learn more about transparency, reciprocity and bi-directional communication in research.
Full interview available here.
David Collister
Dr. David Collister a nephrologist and assistant professor at the U of A. His research focus is on chronic kidney disease and dialysis.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Collister's interview below and learn more about patient-partner collaboration in trial design, knowledge translation and implementation, and the importance of a diverse study team.
Full interview available here.
Oleksa Rewa
Dr. Oleksa Rewa is an internist and clinician scientist in the department of Critical Care Medicine at the U of A. His research is in the field of critical care, around health systems research, as well as large clinical trials.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Rewa's interview below and learn more about researcher introspection, community engagement and grassroots trial design.
Full interview available here.
Frank Hoentjen
Dr. Frank Hoentjen is a gastroenterologist and professor in the U of A's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. His research focus is on inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Hoentjen's interview above and learn more about patient led trial design, cultural impacts of standard of care treatments, and increasing access to healthcare for excluded populations.
Full interview available here.
Giovanni Ferrara
Dr. Giovanni Ferrara is a professor and physician in respiratory disease at the U of A. His research focus is on tuberculosis, rare lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and digital health.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Ferrara's interview below and learn more about the lasting effects of historical exclusion in clinical research, creating a sense of ownership for excluded populations and shaping future possibilities.
Full interview available here.
Shannon Ruzycki
Dr. Shannon Ruzycki is a general internist and Assistant Professor in the departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at the Cumming School of Medicine. Her research focus is in equity gaps in the healthcare workforce, research, and medical training, and how those gaps affect patients.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Ruzycki's interview below and learn more about knowledge mobilization, EDI as a fundamental research skill and inbuilt exclusion in medical practices.
Full interview available here.
Lawrence Richer
Dr. Lawrence Richer is a Pediatric Neurologist and Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Associate Dean of Research for the College of Health Sciences and Center Director of the Northern Alberta Clinical Trials and Research Center. His research focuses on understanding shared biological mechanisms across chronic neurological and autonomic conditions, and innovating clinical trial and real-world study methods to improve treatment evidence, particularly for children.
Watch the trailer for Dr. Richer's interview below and learn more about the importance of representative trial staff, the impacts of clinical trial exclusion on pediatric populations and rebuilding trust in research.
Full interview available here.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Clinical Research Brochure
The CTO has made a brochure capturing in the words of our local researchers, the acknowledgement that there is work to be done in creating safe, inclusive clinical trials, and the steps they have taken towards addressing these injustices in their fields. A printable version is below, and hard-copies are available from the CTO on request.
Download the Full Brochure Here
The CTO is working with industry partners to change the existing framework and make participation in, and results of, clinical trials more equitable.
Initiatives such as the Advancing Inclusive Research® Site Alliance through Roche Canada will advance the representation of diverse patient populations in clinical trials, test recruitment and retention approaches, and establish best practices that can be leveraged across the industry to help achieve health equity for all.
This alliance joins the University of Alberta with colleagues in the United Kingdom from the West Midlands Clinical Research Network and North West London Clinical Trials Alliance, all working together to share approaches on fostering diverse clinical trials, and making the voices of participants heard by industry.
The CTO is working with industry partners to change the existing framework and make participation in, and results of, clinical trials more equitable.
The CTO encourages industry partners interested in making their trials equitable, diverse, and inclusive to contact us to discuss areas of collaboration.
Acknowledging that the institutions designing, implementing, and benefiting from clinical trials are deeply rooted in colonialism, the CTO seeks to uplift the self-determined health research needs of Indigenous Peoples and communities through partnership with the Indigenous Clinical Trials Unit.
Cognizant that clinical trial designs include, and provide their benefits, largely to the population in major urban centres, the Clinical Trials Office seeks full inclusion of remote and rural populations in the participation and conduct of trials.
The CTO encourages adoption of decentralized trial designs and the use of digital health tools through the Digital Health Unit in reducing the barriers associated with clinical trials outside of urban centres.
Understanding that a major limitation in health research is the intentional exclusion of certain populations of the workforce, among them indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities, the CTO seeks to elevate these voices in the design, implementation and evaluation of clinical trials.
The CTO welcomes individuals from these and all excluded groups interested in working in clinical trials to contact us to set up a meeting.