Improve Recruitment Outcomes Through More Diverse Clinical Trials

What does diversity in clinical trials look like in practice?

Representation in clinical research is not just about numbers, but also about trust, access and designing studies that work for people in practice, not just theory. This is particularly true in the rare disease research space, where barriers to participation are often amplified, resources are slimmer and traditional patient recruitment approaches often fall short.

Drawing on real-world experience across clinical operations, medical affairs and patient advocacy programs, the featured speakers will share practical strategies for building inclusion in clinical development. With a special focus on rare diseases through sickle cell disease, which predominantly affects African American communities, this webinar will explore how inclusive clinical trial design decisions directly impact who can participate, how clinical data collection across diverse populations is conducted and how community partnerships and advocacy engagement programs can help bridge longstanding gaps.

Attendees will also hear how medical affairs, pharmacists and patient engagement teams can amplify the patient’s voice through culturally relevant communications, social listening and tailored outreach strategies to support patient recruitment in clinical trials.

Furthermore, the speakers will discuss everyday decisions across these functions that influence participation; from how teams communicate to where studies take place to how stakeholders collaborate across biopharma, CROs, advocacy organizations and community networks in the ever-evolving treatment landscape. These are all critical factors in improving health equity in clinical research and engaging underrepresented populations in clinical trials.

This webinar will create a roadmap for building trials that better reflect the communities they aim to serve, strengthening trust, improving enrollment and ultimately improving outcomes to create more impactful research.

Register for this webinar to learn how to operationalize diverse clinical trials through inclusive design, community partnership and patient-centered engagement.

Speakers

(Moderator) Antonio Drea, Director, TransPerfect Life Sciences

Antonio Drea is a Director at TransPerfect Life Sciences, where he specializes in patient recruitment and retention services, as well as commercial strategy for global clinical research initiatives. With extensive experience helping clients accelerate therapy development, Antonio partners with leading healthcare organizations to improve access to life-changing treatments and empower patients through innovative, accessible information solutions.

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Candy Vila, PharmD, MSPH, PhD, Sr. Director, Patient & Medical Affairs, Encoded

Candy Vila is a Medical Affairs leader specializing in rare neurological diseases, with a strong focus on patient-centered evidence generation and engagement. As Senior Director of Scientific Communications & Medical and Patient Affairs at Encoded Therapeutics, she works closely with cross-functional teams and patient advocacy groups to translate complex science into clear, meaningful communications. Grounded in authenticity and proud of her Latina identity, Candy values creativity and diverse perspectives and believes trust, transparency and collaboration are essential to effective patient engagement in rare disease research.

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Deena Shaar, Founder & Principal, Athena IVD

Deena Shaar is a strategic and compassionate Clinical Operations leader with over 25 years of experience across medtech, diagnostics and humanitarian health programs. She has successfully built and scaled clinical departments, launched patient-focused research initiatives and aligned cross-functional teams around quality, regulatory excellence and advocacy. As a Principal Consultant, she partners with emerging sponsors and clinical sites to establish fit-for-purpose research infrastructure. Known for bridging science with empathy, Deena amplifies patient voices in research and champions health equity globally.

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Kim Cohee, MS, Executive Director, Patient Advocacy, Tenaya Therapeutics

Kim Cohee, MS, is the Executive Director of Patient Advocacy at Tenaya Therapeutics. She holds degrees in Genetics and Health & Medical Sciences, was board-certified as a Genetic Counselor and has 30 years of experience in rare disease drug development. Prior to joining Tenaya, Kim worked at Ultragenyx, BioMarin and UC San Francisco. She also served on the Boards of Directors for CalRare and Team Telomere and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy.

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Tobias Kruse, Managing Director, Europe, Clariness

As Managing Director, Europe, Tobias Kruse drives growth, strategy and operational execution across Clariness’ European division. As a Scientific Researcher, Tobias experienced the problem to recruit patients for a clinical trial himself, so he founded and built Trials24 into one of Europe’s leading patient recruitment companies. Trials24 joined forces with SubjectWell in September 2024, and SubjectWell merged with Clariness in January 2026. At Clariness, the mission is to improve global healthcare. Clariness provides the industry’s most accurate, diverse, predictable and patient-centric technology platform that connects patients and caregivers to breakthrough healthcare opportunities.

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Jenifer Ngo Waldrop, Executive Director, Rare Disease Diversity Coalition

Jenifer Waldrop is a nationally recognized leader in rare disease advocacy, advancing health equity so every patient’s story shapes the future of care. As Executive Director of the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition (RDDC), a program of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, she leads cross-sector efforts to expand equitable access to diagnostics, clinical trials, and treatments. Jenifer brings a collaborative leadership style, building powerful partnerships among patient communities, industry, and government to amplify underrepresented voices and drive meaningful change across the rare disease ecosystem.

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