How can clinical research move from talking about diversity to embedding representativeness as a foundation of trial design? In this episode of The Future Prescription: Inside the Trends, industry leaders explore how equitable design can transform science, improve patient outcomes, and set a new standard for compliance.
Why Diversity & Representativeness in Clinical Trials Matter: For decades, underrepresentation in clinical trials has persisted across race, ethnicity, age, gender, geography, and socioeconomic status. These gaps don’t just reflect systemic inequities—they also compromise scientific validity and limit the benefits of medical innovation.
Designing diverse and representative clinical trials ensures that therapies reflect the needs of real-world populations and helps deliver better, fairer health outcomes.
About this episode
Featuring Akiko Shimamura, SVP of Trial Design and Optimization at TriNetX, and Dr. Monique Adams, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Sanofi, this episode explores Trend #2, “Equity by Design: Building Inclusive Research Frameworks” from The Future Prescription.
Featuring Industry Leaders:
Moderator: Akiko Shimamura, Senior Vice President, Trial Design and Optimization, TriNetX
Akiko Shimamura is an experienced leader in the life sciences industry, having held a range of senior roles. As Senior Vice President at TriNetX she is responsible for developing products and managing teams focused on trial design and optimization. Her wealth of experience and knowledge make her an invaluable asset to TriNetX.
Monique Adams, PhD, Executive Director, Global Head, Diversity & Inclusion in Clinical Trials, Sanofi
Monique Adams is working with internal and external partners to drive Sanofi’s vision, strategy and implementation of a holistic framework for inclusion and diversity in clinical trials. Before joining Sanofi, Monique served as the Director for Janssen Clinical Innovation in Global Development. She is a thought expert on identifying innovative ways to ensure clinical trials are equitable and accessible. Monique’s main areas of expertise include clinical trial operations, process improvement, functional and operational leadership, therapeutic area expertise across multiple therapeutic areas and strategic clinical innovation management. Monique is passionate about Diversity and Inclusion. At Janssen, Monique led the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Board. In this role, she set the strategic direction for the three DEI pillars of advancing culture, building a diverse workforce and enhancing business performance and reputation. As the Janssen Clinical Innovation lead, she set the strategic direction and drove projects that increased the representation and accessibility of clinical trials. Monique received her BS in biology from Tougaloo College, a MS in physiology from Southern Illinois University, and her Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Washington.