On Feb. 12, McGill’s DNA to RNA (D2R) initiative hosted a webinar in honour of Black History Month. Led by Mariloue Daudier, Senior Advisor, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for D2R, the session explored the opportunities and challenges faced by Black individuals in genetics research. The webinar featured three guest speakers who shared their insights on the importance of Black representation in RNA research and therapeutics.
Daudier began with an introduction to D2R—a McGill-led research initiative with the goal of developing an inclusive Canadian approach to genomic-based RNA therapeutics. She described a brief history of Black people in Canada, explaining that Black people continue to face equity and inclusion issues today, with particular barriers to representation in research.
However, she noted McGill’s commitment to addressing these issues and highlighted the university’s anti-Black racism action plan.
“Why this is so important to me is because by always putting Black people in the broad category of racialized individuals, we lose track of the actual representation and issues faced by the Black communities [specifically],” Daudier said. “I think [McGill’s action plan is] really a game changer to make life better for Black communities.”
The first speaker, Paul Wankah, an Assistant Professor in McGill’s Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, discussed the importance of Black representation in research, as well as issues of mistrust between Black communities and the medical field.
Wankah presented findings from various studies, examining the different ethnic groups represented within these findings. Notably, he presented a study that looked at racial and ethnic representation across several clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine, a prevalent RNA therapeutic. This study revealed that Black participants made up only five to seven per cent of the trial population, as compared to white participants, who made up 83 to 89 per cent.
“Here we have evidence that there is under-representation of Black people in genomic research and therapeutics,” Wankah said. “[The authors] argue that the dominance of European and American genomic research is related to advances in genomic technologies within these countries, and them having better funding opportunities, might be why [Caucasians] are much more represented in genomic research.”
Wankah then explained the origin of mistrust between Black communities and the field of medicine, referencing historical abuses in healthcare research that have led to hesitancy among Black people to participate in such studies.
“We need more studies to understand and develop strategies to close this diversity gap,” Wankah concluded.
The second speaker, Momar Ndao, an Associate Professor in McGill’s Department of Medicine, addressed the issue of medical mistrust in Black communities abroad, focusing on his lived experience in Senegal.
Ndao discussed gender roles as an important factor in vaccine decision-making, particularly in developing countries. He asserted that in these communities, the father makes the primary decision for their kids’ vaccination status. With limited access to information, they may be hesitant to trust the effectiveness of vaccines.
“We absolutely need to work together to make sure vaccines and technologies can be transferred [to developing countries],” Ndao said, emphasizing the importance of targeting rural areas in developing nations rather than just capital cities.
The final speaker, Loydie Jerome-Majewska, a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, discussed the importance of Black inclusion in pediatrics. She began by discussing the prejudice faced by Black physicians, particularly when patients select a physician for their care.
She referenced a study that found Black babies had higher survival rates when cared for by Black physicians.
“We need researchers and participants that are Black in order to really understand the diseases that impact children and contribute to their low birth weight,” Jerome-Majewska said.
This powerful finding highlights the need for greater involvement of Black physicians in pediatric care and research. Jerome-Majewska concluded by reiterating the realities behind Black individuals’ mistrust of medical research, both as participants and as researchers themselves.
