Understanding Inequities in Women’s Healthcare Research

This episode highlights inequities in clinical research due to a lack of both diversity and nuance within the industry. To understand the “why” behind this persistent problem, Dr. Dweck and Rachel welcome Dr. Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, Senior Medical Director in charge of women’s health projects in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at Johnson & Johnson. It’s an overwhelmingly tall order, but this conversation breaks down many of the stubborn barriers to inclusive medicine one by one.

You’ll learn about the $100 million dollar commitment that J&J has made to correcting inequities in women’s health care over the next five years. Dr. Cheng and her team are sponsoring research that is taking a cutting-edge prism to everything from the astronomical (and disparate) rates of death in childbirth among Black women in the U.S. to the FDA’s acknowledgement that clinical research must incorporate and reflect the reality of gender variability. Topics covered also include research processes that Dr. Cheng believes warrant reconsideration, strategies for harnessing data-driven insights, key factors impacting access and quality of care among different female demographics and how a physician in private practice might go about pursuing alternative careers in the medical space, including within industry.

The bottom-line focus is all about diversity – diversity of study subjects, diversity among clinical researchers. Dr. Cheng contextualizes gender, racism and implicit bias –  and how acknowledging variability is elemental to determining the course, accessibility and equity of ongoing medical research that so deeply impacts the ability of women to thrive now and into the future.

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About Dr. Ru-fong Joanne Cheng

Dr. Cheng was inspired at a young age to make a difference in the world, which led her to become a physician in Obstetrics and Gynecology. While working in academic medicine, she discovered clinical research, which provides an opportunity to make a difference on a larger scale. For the past 12 years, she has worked in the pharmaceutical industry in clinical development for drugs and medical devices, taking positions of increasing leadership. In her roles, she blends science and medicine with the business of pharma and delivers treatments to patients with unmet needs. She is energized by the variety of work and leading cross-functional teams across different therapeutic. She has experience across all phases of drug development, regulatory submissions and approvals with global health authorities, post-marketing activities and lifecycle management.

FURTHER RESOURCES:

Website: J&J Office of the Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Cheng @LinkedIn