The future of medicine is not just about scientific discovery; it’s about who participates in it. That was the message from Dr. Floyd B. Willis, a Mayo Clinic physician and researcher, who hosted a reception in Chicago to spotlight the importance of inclusive participation in biomedical research.
For Willis, the issue is clear: the absence of underrepresented communities from clinical studies doesn’t just perpetuate inequality; it undermines science itself. “When communities are left out of clinical trials and health studies, the science we produce is incomplete,” he told attendees. “Inclusive research ensures that the treatments we create are accurate, effective, and equitable.”
The event, which drew community leaders, medical professionals, and advocates, served as both a networking forum and a call to action. And while it was local in scope, the implications of Willis’ work are national—and increasingly global.
A Career Built on Inclusion
Willis has made community-based participatory research his professional foundation. Currently a consultant in the Department of Family Medicine and Director of the Mayo Foundation Office of Population Health Management, he has spent decades confronting disparities in healthcare delivery and research. His areas of expertise—Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and prostate cancer—are conditions with significant racial and socioeconomic disparities in diagnosis and outcomes.
At the Chicago reception, Willis described efforts to improve recruitment for Alzheimer’s studies among African American families, where historical mistrust of the medical system has discouraged participation. He also discussed the role of genetics in understanding Alzheimer’s and cancer risk among Black men, pointing to studies funded by the Department of Defense and the National Institute on Aging in which he serves as co-investigator.
“Genetics matter, but so does trust,” Willis said. “And trust is built in communities, not just laboratories.”
Chicago as a Testing Ground
Chicago’s role as host city for the reception was more than symbolic. With its history of both pioneering medical institutions and entrenched health disparities, the city represents the dual reality of American healthcare: world-class care exists alongside stark inequities.
On the South and West Sides, residents face higher rates of chronic disease, shorter life expectancies, and more barriers to healthcare access than those in wealthier neighborhoods just a few miles away. In that sense, Willis’ reception tapped into a broader national conversation about health equity, but grounded it in a city where those disparities are visible in daily life.
Attendees included not just physicians and researchers but caregivers and local advocates—people grappling with the challenges of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and cancer in their families. For them, Willis’ message was more than academic. “He doesn’t just talk about disparities—he partners with the very people affected by them,” said one attendee.
The Policy Context
Willis’ work comes at a time when public policy is catching up to the reality of health inequities. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have both issued guidance emphasizing the need for diversity in clinical trials. Recent legislation has also placed new requirements on pharmaceutical companies to demonstrate that therapies are tested in populations that reflect the nation’s demographics.
But the gap between policy and practice remains wide. Recruitment is costly and time-consuming, and mistrust persists, especially in communities with historical reasons for skepticism. That’s where physicians like Willis—grounded in community relationships—play a crucial role.
Where Technology Fits In
Although the Chicago reception focused on face-to-face dialogue, Willis’ message resonates with emerging digital health platforms that aim to make research participation and healthcare navigation more accessible. One example is STEM City USA, a virtual environment built to merge technology with equity.
Through its QuantumCare Advocates initiative, STEM City offers services such as patient advocacy, care coordination, AI-powered health monitoring, and immersive education programs. While STEM City was not present at the event, platforms like it could extend Willis’ work by providing caregivers with digital tools, offering students educational experiences in the metaverse, and equipping families with real-time health data.
The overlap between Willis’ emphasis on inclusivity and STEM City’s emphasis on accessibility points to a broader trend: as healthcare becomes more digitized, the challenge is to ensure innovation does not replicate the inequities of the physical world. Instead, platforms must bridge those divides.
A Broader Business and Social Imperative
The stakes go beyond fairness. There is a business case for diversity in research. Misdiagnoses, ineffective treatments, and inequitable health outcomes drive up costs for insurers, employers, and the healthcare system at large. The U.S. spends more per capita on healthcare than any other developed nation but continues to see persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities in outcomes.
For companies developing new therapies, the implications are clear. Without diverse trial populations, the effectiveness of drugs and treatments is called into question—not only medically but also in terms of regulatory approval and market adoption.
Inspiring the Next Generation
For younger attendees, including students from local universities, the Chicago reception offered a model of how medical careers intersect with advocacy. Willis’ trajectory—from Yale to Morehouse School of Medicine to his long career at the Mayo Clinic—underscored that professional achievement and community impact are not mutually exclusive.