BETTER Center Hosts AHA Science of Diversity in Clinical Trials SFRN Semi-Annual Meeting

The Behavioral Economics to Transform Trial Enrollment Representativeness (BETTER) Center, housed within the PAIR Center, hosted the 2025 American Heart Association (AHA) Science of Diversity in Clinical Trials Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) Semi-Annual Meeting from April 23-24 in Philadelphia. This SFRN brings together six centers that aim to understand and improve representativeness in clinical trials focused on cardiovascular health.

BETTER Center Director Scott Halpern, MD, PhD, and Managing Director Adina Lieberman, MPH, welcomed guests to Penn’s campus on Wednesday morning. BETTER Center Project ITERATE Co-PI Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, followed with the opening keynote on using behavioral economics to improve health. His talk illuminated the behavioral economics framework that underlies the BETTER Center’s research aims and specifically the design of Project ITERATE.

In the afternoon, Debora Grandison facilitated an engaging panel discussion with three former clinical trial participants on how to improve representativeness in clinical trials. The three panelists had previously participated in other trials at the University of Pennsylvania.

Day two of the meeting commenced with a poster session, followed by a keynote by Derek Griffith, PhD, the Risa Lavizzo-Mourey Population Health and Health Equity University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Griffth’s talk emphasized the importance of researcher trustworthiness, particularly in the historical context of research that has abused the trust of underrepresented groups.

Additional sessions included a panel on measuring representativeness—highlighting a recent cross-network collaboration—and a panel on sustaining the work of the SFRN, guided by insights of experienced research sponsors, including Tracy Wang of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Eduardo Sanchez of the AHA, Roberta Chapman of Johnson & Johnson MedTech / Abiomed, and Paul Wang of Stanford. Building on this momentum, Jon Epstein, MD, Dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, gave closing remarks in which he encouraged attendees to continue this impactful work.

Thank you to the American Heart Association for investing in this network, and to University of Pennsylvania, Emory University, MedStar Health, and Grady Health for their many contributions to the BETTER Center.

Photos courtesy of Adina Lieberman.