Female Involvement in Clinical Trials with Dr. Rasha Babikir from Cedar Health Research - Ep.196

FemTech Focus

Dr. Rasha Babikir is head of business development at Cedar Health Research, a Clinical Trials site in Dallas, Texas. In this episode, Dr. Rasha teaches us all about the different entities involved in a clinical trial, how much one costs, why women were excluded from clinical trials in 1977 and reintroduced in 1993, and what we can do to ensure equality in clinical trials moving forwards.

Guest bio

Dr. Rasha Babikir is a first generation American with Afro-Arabian origins in Egypt and Sudan. She acquired her medical education and training in Sudan before she immigrated to the United States. While living in the US, she succeeded in combining her passion for patient care and unfulfilled hunger for knowledge by becoming a clinical research professional. She gained her clinical research experience while working at UT Southwestern Medical Center and while working in academia, she pursued an MBA with a focus in Healthcare Management to expand her knowledge and support her professional growth.

Company bio

Cedar Health Research is a clinical trial site network in Dallas Fort Worth, Texas, that uses machine learning to match candidates to trials from their partner community practices. They then perform the trials themselves and they have a focus on recruiting diverse populations, leading to success in enrolling underrepresented groups to their trials.

FemTech Focus Podcast bio

The FemTech Focus Podcast with Dr. Brittany Barreto is a meaningfully provocative conversational series that brings FemTech experts - including doctors, scientists, inventors, and founders - on air to talk about the innovative technology, services, and products (collectively known as FemTech) that are improving women's health and wellness. Though many leaders in FemTech are women, this podcast is not specifically about female founders, nor is it geared toward a specifically female audience. The podcast gives our host, Dr. Brittany Barreto, and guests an engaging, friendly environment to learn about the past, present, and future of women’s health and wellness.

Time Stamps

[03:34] Dr. Babikir’s background

[06:40] What is Cedar Health Research?

[13:17] Diversity in Clinical Trials

[18:38] The different entities involved in a Clinical Trial

[24:17] The cost of a Clinical Trial

[28:31] The reason women were banned from Clinical Trials for 15 years

[35:18] Representation in Clinical Trials today

[41:15] How to increase female participation in Clinical Trials

[46:07] Birth control in Clinical Trials

[50:27] What’s an area of women’s health and wellness that still needs innovating?

[52:00] What does the femtech industry need in order to be successful?

Resources

Cedar Health Research: https://www.cedarhealthresearch.com/

Call to Action!

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Episode Contributors

Dr. Rasha Babikir

LinkedIn

Cedar Health Research

Website: https://www.cedarhealthresearch.com/

LinkedIn

Twitter: @CedarTrials

Instagram: @cedarhealthresearch

Facebook: Cedar Health Research

Dr Brittany Barreto

LinkedIn

Twitter: @DrBrittB

Instagram: @drbrittanybarreto

FemTech Focus

LinkedIn

Twitter: @FemTech_Focus

Instagram: @femtechfocus