Beyond Inclusion: Enacting Team Equity in Precision Medicine Research

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2022 Feb 7

PMID 35130331

Authors

Melanie Jeske

Emily Vasquez

Stephanie M Fullerton

Aliya Saperstein

Michael Bentz

Nicole Foti

Janet K Shim

Sandra Soo-Jin Lee

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To identify meanings of and challenges to enacting equitable diversification of genomics research, and specifically precision medicine research (PMR), teams.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 102 individuals involved in three U.S.-based precision medicine research consortia and conducted over 400 observation hours of their working group meetings, consortium-wide meetings, and conference presentations. We also reviewed published reports on genomic workforce diversity (WFD), particularly those relevant to the PMR community.

Results: Our study finds that many PMR teams encounter challenges as they strive to achieve equitable diversification on scientific teams. Interviewees articulated that underrepresented team members were often hired to increase the study's capacity to recruit diverse research participants, but are limited to on-the-ground staff positions with little influence over study design. We find existing hierarchies and power structures in the academic research ecosystem compound challenges for equitable diversification.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that meaningful diversification of PMR teams will only be possible when team equity is prioritized as a core value in academic research communities.

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