Ekta Grewal is shaking up the world of clinical research. As the founder of Sikhs in Clinical Research (SICR), she’s on a mission to improve health equity and make clinical trials accessible to all. With over a decade of experience, she knows firsthand how underrepresentation can lead to gaps in treatment safety and efficacy.
Ekta started SICR to raise awareness about clinical research within the Sikh community. She wants to change the narrative, noting that when she attends conferences, she often feels like the only Sikh in the room. She believes representation is crucial. “When one person from a community gets involved, it inspires others to follow,” she says. This ripple effect can lead to better health outcomes for everyone.
She shares a stark example: the epilepsy drug carbamazepine caused severe rashes in some Asian communities. If those communities had been included in earlier research, this could have been avoided. Representation matters, and it’s not just abstract; it’s a matter of health and safety.
Life experiences led Ekta to this path. She has witnessed family members struggle with serious health issues that rarely get discussed. Health disparities are rampant, mainly due to misinformation and a lack of resources. “Many people miss appointments because they don’t have health insurance, transportation, or even knowledge about what’s available to them,” she explains. This disconnect emphasizes the need for change.
Statistics amplify her urgency. The American Cancer Society notes that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer. The American Diabetes Association states that over 1.4 million new diabetes cases are diagnosed yearly. Many people, especially marginalized communities, lack access to clinical trials. It’s a pressing issue.
Ekta and SICR aim to change this by directly engaging communities. They set up booths to educate people in their native languages and emphasize the importance of regular health screenings. They also guide individuals in navigating platforms like clinicaltrials.gov to find trials nearby. Through outreach events, they’ve engaged over 7,000 community members and distributed thousands of educational resources. The response has highlighted a troubling trend: many people are unaware of clinical trials, often expressing, “I would have participated if I had known about it.”
Challenges are real. Ekta identifies major barriers to participation as lack of awareness, language differences, and cultural misunderstandings. In response, SICR has developed educational materials and a Sikh Patient Care Guide for healthcare professionals to help provide culturally competent care. This foundation aims to break down the walls preventing fair access to clinical research.
With her extensive experience, Ekta sees the need for better interpreter services and understanding cultural differences in healthcare. Change won’t happen overnight, but the push for awareness is critical. “Research moves at the speed of trust,” she emphasizes. Building that trust takes time, but it is essential to ensure everyone receives equitable healthcare opportunities.
In the end, Ekta’s steadfast belief is clear: everyone deserves equal access, affordability, and representation in healthcare. “Compassion is the child of righteousness,” she concludes. This ethos drives her daily work, reminding us that advocating for ourselves and one another is vital. Through efforts like SICR, steps toward a more equitable healthcare system are not just possible; they’re underway.
