Skin of Color Savvy: On-Site Interviews at the Meeting the Challenge Summit

Welcome to Skin of Color Savvy: The Art and Science of Treating Patients of Color!

In this special on-site episode of Skin of Color Savvy, recorded at the Skin of Color Society (SOCS)’s Meeting the Challenge Summit in Washington, DC, leaders, faculty, and trainees reflect on the origins, evolution, and future of an initiative dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusivity in dermatology clinical trials. Through a series of interviews conducted throughout the summit, the episode highlights how intentional collaboration across stakeholders is reshaping research design and patient engagement.

The episode opens with reflections from 2 past SOCS presidents and founding co-chairs of the Meeting the Challenge initiative. Valerie Harvey, MD, MPH, the director for Hampton University Skin of Color Research Institute. and Valerie Callender, MD, the founder and medical director of the Callender Dermatology & Cosmetic Center and Callender Center for Clinical Research, spoke about several key elements of the Meeting the Challenge Summit.

They describe the impetus behind its creation. The concept originated in 2019 amid growing recognition that dermatology lagged behind other specialties in addressing racial and ethnic disparities in clinical trials. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored these inequities, reinforcing the urgency to bring together stakeholders from academia, industry, advocacy organizations, regulatory bodies, and patient communities to address structural barriers to inclusion.

This episode also included 2 on-site interviews, 1 of which featured Angel S. Byrd, MD, an associate professor at Howard University College of Medicine and an adjunct assistant professor at JHUSOM. Additionally, the podcast featured Stafford Brown, MD, a medical resident at Washington University in St. Louis. A central theme throughout these discussions was the importance of inclusive trial design from the outset.

All 4 of the speakers emphasize that diversity cannot be an afterthought, but rather must be embedded in protocol development, eligibility criteria, and outcome measure. One illustrative example highlights how seemingly neutral study requirements, such as daily hair washing in shampoo trials, can inadvertently exclude women of color, underscoring the need for culturally informed trial design.

The episode also traces the initiative’s evolution since its inaugural summit in 2022. Each meeting has built on lessons from the previous year, leading to focused discussions on population descriptors, factors beyond race and ethnicity that influence disparities, and, most recently, the expansion and refinement of outcome measures. These efforts have resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications and growing engagement from industry partners, reflecting increased awareness and accountability across the dermatology research landscape.

A significant portion of the summit focused on outcome measures, particularly how traditional endpoints may fail to capture disease severity or treatment response in patients with skin of color. Speakers discussed limitations of erythema-based scoring systems in inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and lupus, and emphasized the need to develop tools that are representative and clinically meaningful across diverse skin tones.

The episode also features insights from summit speakers and committee members, including reflections on patient advocacy, workforce diversity, and mentorship. Panelists stress that trust is foundational to research participation and that patients must see themselves reflected not only in study populations, but also within research teams. Engaging patients early, and closing the loop by sharing study outcomes, was repeatedly emphasized as critical to building lasting trust.

Finally, perspectives from trainees highlight the summit’s impact on professional development, mentorship, and leadership pathways, illustrating how Meeting the Challenge serves as both a research and educational platform. Together, this on-site episode captures the dynamic, collaborative spirit of the Meeting the Challenge Summit and reinforces the SOCS’s ongoing commitment to improving equity, representation, and rigor in dermatology research.

To learn more about SOCS’s programs and initiatives, visit Skin of Color Society.

Editor’s note: This summary was edited with the help of AI tools.