New DEI Director Sets Bold Goals for Diversity in Clinical Trials

As Javara’s first Director of DEI & Community Engagement, Ashley C Moultrie, CCRP hit the ground running in her first 60 days on the job. The creation of this role underscores Javara’s commitment to being an industry leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). As an ACRP Adversity Advisory Council Member with extensive experience in clinical research and community engagement, Ashley has already made significant strides towards ensuring Javara is an inclusive and equitable workplace, for patients and staff alike.

One of her first orders of business as the new Director of DEI & Community Engagement? Initiating community needs assessments to ensure Javara is working on trials that match the needs of the communities we serve. These assessments are instrumental in identifying unique populations and their unmet needs.

The data collected from each location’s community needs assessment will allow Ashley to create custom diversity action plans for all upcoming Javara studies. This included identifying demographics for the patients we serve, language needs assessments, recognizing potential barriers to participation in clinical trials, and engaging with community groups to better understand their unique perspectives. By doing so, Javara can develop strategies to better engage with underserved and underrepresented communities and ensure our clinical trials are more representative of the broader population.

In her short time as Director of DEI & Community Engagement, Ashley has also collaborated with site teams to set community engagement goals, with a minimum of one event per quarter across all Javara locations. These outreach events will provide opportunities for Javara staff to engage with their local community and gain valuable insight into patients’ concerns surrounding trial participation. In addition to quarterly events, engaging with local community groups will help Javara identify areas of need and develop clinical trials that are tailored to address those specific needs.

Reflecting on her first 60 days, Ashley shared her excitement for the role and why DEI is so important to clinical research.

“It’s exciting to be part of a company that is committed to driving diversity, equity, and inclusion within the clinical research industry,” Ashley said. “By engaging with underserved and underrepresented communities to address their unique needs, we can ensure clinical trial participants are more representative of the broader population, ultimately leading to greater health equity.”

With so much accomplished in her first 60 days, we can’t wait to see what the future holds, and the positive impact Ashley’s work will have not only on Javara but the communities we serve.