Pioneering Clinical Research for Native American Communities in South Dakota
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Lynn Bartholow is transforming the clinical research landscape for local Native American populations. Lynn, a Native American with over 20 years of passionate involvement in the industry, founded Circle Clinical Research to engage a community that has long been underserved in research.
From Vision to Reality: Lynn’s Journey
A personal mission fueled Lynn’s journey into clinical research—she had never seen a research site that catered to her own Native American community. Despite the increasing interest from sponsors in diverse research sites, Lynn faced an uphill battle. Many sponsors hesitated to engage with a Principal Investigator (PI) who was new to the field, making securing studies particularly challenging.
Lynn explained that areas with diverse populations often lack established research facilities. To reach her intended demographic, she needed to collaborate with inexperienced principal investigators who were new to research. While many sponsors desire diverse study participants, it can be challenging to persuade them that these new sites can maintain the same high-quality standards as more experienced sites.
Nevertheless, Lynn secured her first study by focusing on indications that align with the unique health challenges faced by the Native American population. It was a lung cancer screening trial for current or former smokers—a good fit given that her community has high smoking rates. By networking with connections in the industry and sharing compelling local data, she grabbed the attention of a sponsor. However, this success came after waiting for close to six months and numerous rejections from other potential sponsors. Now, Circle Clinical Research has four studies ongoing!
A Unique Community Engagement Plan
Lynn feels strongly that to win the trust of the Native American community, her site must focus on community engagement. To achieve this goal, Lynn has applied for several grants.
Circle Clinical Research was awarded a grant from the FDA Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. Lynn plans to use this grant to identify barriers to clinical trial participation among urban Indigenous communities and develop solutions by creating a Community Research Worker (CRW) position at her facility. This person(s) will have a close understanding of the community and will be able to continue building trust and understanding between her site and individuals in the community. Based on Indigenous values of respect, reciprocity and relationship, the goal of the CRW role is to meet people where they are at to build a trusted relationship which in turn may increase willingness to participate in clinical trials in a population that can be understandably hesitant.
Lynn is not stopping there. As more sponsors learn about her work, she is garnering more interest as a consultant. She has applied for other grants and continues formulating new ways to engage her target population including Indigenous cooking classes. This multi-purpose approach will not just engage her community in research trials but also connect them to traditional food pathways that were severed by dispossession of land and assimilation. The research team will then use this class to engage with the community around clinical trials.
Looking Ahead
Lynn’s dedication to improving clinical trial participation among Native American populations is reshaping research and setting a precedent for future initiatives. Her work underscores the importance of community engagement and entrepreneurial resilience in approaching and cultivating study opportunities.
The future of clinical research is bright, and with pioneers like Lynn and her team at Circle Clinical Research leading the charge, we can look forward to more inclusive and representative research landscapes.
