Peju Oshisanya
Peju Oshisanya is a Director and Clinical Program Leader at BenevolentAI. With more than 20 years in the drug research industry, Peju is an expert in pharmaceutical organization. Her career has run the gamut from early roles as a clinical trial associate to extensive experience running a wide range of global clinical research programs. In her role at BenevolentAI, she pairs her biomedical science background with further perspective from the tech side.
Peju is a passionate proponent of diversity in data and inclusion in clinical trial research. She believes that problems of diversity and inclusion are fixable, and she has determined to become a champion of that change, working to raise awareness and dedicating her own career to upend the status quo.
Episode Highlights
Peju’s “aha” moment that drove home the magnitude of inequity in biopharma, health, and clinical trials
Why it’s crucial to really understand the communities that we want to include in research
How decision-makers’ personal perspectives influence which diseases are prioritized and which treatments are funded
Why representation needs to extend to the experts rather than stopping with the patient population
Why it’s misleading and counter-productive to frame populations using the term “minority”
How helping patients understand the importance of research in informing treatments can help motivate participation
The huge potential opportunity Africa represents for clinical trials
The problem of perception when it comes to African institutions’ preparedness
How mining past data can create a self-perpetuating cycle that prevents capable sites from becoming experienced sites
What we can do to help ameliorate diverse patient populations’ trust in the healthcare industry
How anyone, regardless of their role within a company, can take steps to influence diversity in research
How the pandemic has signaled hope for diversity and inclusion going forward
Resources:
Peju Oshisanya on LinkedIn
BenevolentAI
Conversations in Clinical Trial Readiness Interview Series