Yvonne Rodriguez on Making Clinical Trials Accessible for Everyone
June 4, 2023
In this episode of the Scope of Things, host Deborah Borfitz covers the latest news on an AI model for comparing drug effectiveness, adoption of minimal residual disease as an endpoint for multiple myeloma, using HIV treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, lack of diversity in Alzheimer’s trials, and more. Yvonne Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Egality Sciences, also joins the conversation to talk about breaking down the barriers to clinical research participation in underserved communities. She also delves into her personal story of what inspired her to start her company, how Egality Sciences is teaching physicians and staff at local hospitals to get and stay involved with industry-sponsored studies, and the challenges that need to be overcome to ensure that every patient has equal access to clinical trials as a treatment option.
SHOW NOTES
News Roundup
AI for predicting treatment outcomes
- Article in Patterns
Minimal residual disease as an endpoint
- FDA information package (multiple myeloma)
Window-of-opportunity clinical trials
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research webpage
HIV treatments for Alzheimer’s?
- Proof-of-concept study in Pharmaceuticals
Implantable device for brain disorders
Lack of diversity in Alzheimer’s disease trials
- Study about differences in plasma biomarker eligibility
OMB’s updated race/ethnicity standards
- PDF of final recommendations
Guest
Yvonne Rodriqguez, CEO of Egality Sciences
Yvonne Rodriguez, founder and CEO of Egality Sciences
Yvonne Rodriguez is the founder and CEO of Egality Sciences. Originally from Socorro, Texas, she started working on clinical trials after receiving her BBA from St. Mary’s University, in San Antonio, Texas. She brings over 20 years of clinical research industry experience having worked at clinical research sites, IRBs, CROs, and pharmaceutical and biomedical device companies.
Prior to starting Egality Sciences, Yvonne worked at AstraZeneca and led projects in the DEI space that had successful results.
Yvonne holds a Master’s of Science in Health Sciences from George Washington University, and has received a professional certificate from Oxford University.
