Keynote Presentation: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cancer Research: The Promise of Stakeholder Engagement

The lack of diverse participation in clinical research and trials has been a long-standing national problem that has been brought to the forefront due to COVID 19. In cancer research less than 9% of clinical research participants are from historically marginalized and underrepresented race and ethnic groups, a significant difference from the nearly . The lack of diversity is closely linked to health disparities and the need for effective application of patient and community engagement. This interactive session, entitled Just ASk, will provide insights as to the causes for lack of diversity in oncology and clinical trials, its connections to cancer health disparities, and individual and systemic strategies to increase diversity and reduce disparities through community and patient engagement. 
 
Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the factors that impact lack of diverse participation in oncology clinical trials s and research and why diverse participation is critical to rigorous research. 

2. Describe individual and systemic strategies to engage patients and community in research toward increasing diversity in oncology research and reducing health disparities.