Industry & Regulatory Barriers (SESSION)

A SPOTLIGHT ON BARRIERS TO SKIN OF COLOR INCLUSION IN CLINICAL TRIALS: A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD

Angel Byrd, MD, PhD was born and raised in Edwards and Jackson, Mississippi. She obtained her BS (’04) from Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi and MD,PhD (’16) from Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She completed an Ethnic Skin Postdoctoral Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) under the direction of Dr. Ginette Okoye. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at Howard University College of Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor at JHUSOM (Departments of Dermatology) where her work centers on the establishment of tissue biobanks to understand the immunopathological mechanisms contributing to skin of color diseases, particularly among African-American patients with Hidradenitis suppurativa. Dr. Byrd leads multidisciplinary collaborative projects with the overarching goal of establishing a scientifically-driven approach to treatment options for patients suffering from these debilitating diseases.

DIVERSITY IN CLINICAL TRIALS – INDUSTRY BARRIERS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Kimberly Doggett is the Head of Site Engagement at UCB, Biosciences Inc. based in Raleigh, NC. She manages global teams that support and build relationships with clinical trial investigators. She has worked in the clinical trial industry for 20+ years with experience managing small and large development programs. Her passion is patients and strengthening their awareness and involvement in clinical research. She has gained invaluable industry insights to enhance the patient experience, notably establishing and connecting key stakeholder relationships. She is invested in creating better medications for everyone by connecting UCB to communities to increase participation and diversification in clinical trials. In 2021, She was the UCB recipient of the WWFH Champion Award presented by PhRMA (We Work For Health) in recognition of exemplary performance as an advocate for the biopharmaceutical industry. Additionally, she was nominated by UCB for Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association(HBA) “Rising Star” finalist in 2021 & 2022.

BEGINNING WITH THE PATIENT TO BREAK THROUGH INDUSTRY AND REGULATORY BARRIERS

Rhonda Peebles is Vice-President & Head of US Dermatology at UCB Pharmaceuticals where she leads the cross-functional commercial, sales, and marketing teams to establish a leadership position for UCB in the dermatology marketplace for existing and future brands. With over 20 years’ experience in healthcare, she possesses dynamic and results-oriented sales and marketing expertise, which encompasses product launches, global strategic planning and customer relationship management. She is passionate about uncovering solutions that help healthcare providers and their patients. She holds a BS in Environmental Health Science from Eastern Kentucky University and a MS in Toxicology from the University of Kentucky. She completed the Executive Education Course in Finance & Accounting at the Wharton School of Business for Executives, University of Pennsylvania. Rhonda currently resides in Atlanta, GA with her beloved dog, Jake and is originally from Louisville, KY.