Dominique Higgins, MD, PhD is committed to increasing diversity in clinical trials at UNC Health and has been selected as one of the recipients of the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Award.

As a recipient of the award, Dr. Higgins will participate in the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program that aims to train, develop and mentor more than 308 clinical trialists and 308 medical students by 2027 who are diverse or who have a demonstrated commitment to clinical trial diversity.

Dr. Higgins is one of 65 physicians selected by an independent national review committee. The recipients of the award represent a diverse group of races, ethnicities, and geographic locations, and are each committed to increasing diversity in clinical trials.

The Winn Award Program was created in 2020 to address the longstanding lack of diversity in clinical trials. According to the Food and Drug Administration, close to 80% of participants in historical clinical research trials are white. Diversifying clinical trials will ensure that medicines are safe and effective for all patients.

Dr. Dominique Higgins is a neurosurgical oncologist at UNC Health in the Department of Neurosurgery. He is currently an Assistant Professor and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator for the department. He recently received an award from the Neurosurgeon Research Career Development Program (NRCDP) to fund his study of the metabolomics of post-treatment recurrent glioma. His brain tumor research may provide new therapeutic approaches to recurrent glioblastoma, the most aggressive brain tumor in adults.

Written by: Makenzie Hardy, Marketing Coordinator, UNC Health Department of Neurosurgery