Transparency was the guiding theme as more than 50 study teams and community organizations welcomed over 200 community members to the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR)’s 3rd Health Research Day, held on Saturday, May 17 at Eager Park. The event commemorated Clinical Trials Day, which marks the anniversary of James Lind’s pioneering scurvy trial in 1747—widely recognized as the first randomized clinical trial.
Clinical Trials Day shines a light on the critical role clinical research plays in advancing medicine, while also honoring the dedicated clinician investigators, research staff, and especially the patient participants who make these studies possible.
“We put a lot of thought into planning today’s event,” shared Cassie Lewis-Land, Assistant Director of the ICTR Recruitment Innovation Unit. “We really wanted to give research teams an opportunity to share the results of their studies with the people who volunteered and those impacted by the outcomes. We also hoped to answer questions from anyone who may have doubts about clinical research. We understand that the community may be hesitant to participate in clinical trials, and this serves as a way for study teams to be transparent and open.”
A Day of Engagement and Discovery
The day began with festive energy, featuring performances by local marching bands and a visit from the Orioles Bird mascot. Guests explored research booths, engaged directly with investigators, and took advantage of free health screenings, including blood pressure checks, eye exams, and seated massages.
Meanwhile, children enjoyed a moon bounce, face painting, and hands-on science experiments, offering fun and educational activities for the whole family.
Elevating Voices in Research
Afternoon presentations showcased current and impactful research, including:
- Dr. Sumrah Jilani and Rebecca Urbonas, who discussed their study on childhood eczema.
- Dr. Liisa Hantsoo, Director of Research at the Johns Hopkins Reproductive Mental Health Center, who explored how stress and ovarian hormones impact women’s mental health.
- Rebekha Atnafou, who shared her work examining colorectal cancer screening behaviors among African and Caribbean immigrants.
Community Perspectives
A highlight of the event was a panel discussion featuring members from the ICTR’s Community Research Advisory Council (C-RAC) and from the SONS of Phoenix youth development group. This conversation provided a platform for community members to share their experiences, concerns, and hopes for the future of health research—reinforcing the importance of community voices in shaping ethical and effective clinical studies.
Roger Clark, co-chair of the ICTR C-RAC, emphasized the critical role of relationship building between researchers and the community:
“Clinical Trials Day is a great way for community and researchers to engage. It is this type of effort that helps the community in a very unencumbered way meet with and begin to understand the importance of research. It also helps researchers engage in relationship building with community members” shares Clark.
He continued by addressing the importance of trust and accessibility in research participation:
“While we hear that distrust still lingers, it is important now more than ever for Johns Hopkins to double down on relationship building at the street level. I saw people from the community who were very hungry for information and access. Researchers/Research Assistants have to understand that you will gain more participants in the process if you are prepared to meet people where they are.
I just want people to see and understand that we live in a community where we have access to one of the top research institutions in the world. I hope we as a community take full advantage to engage, ask questions, and be willing to be heard.”
Celebrations Continue Across Johns Hopkins Medicine
The Clinical Trials Day celebrations extended into May 20, with events hosted by the Office of Clinical Trials across all Johns Hopkins Medicine locations, including Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. These gatherings brought together researchers, patients, hospital visitors, and study team members to engage in meaningful conversations about the clinical research process. Topics included study design and planning, participant recruitment, available research resources, volunteer experiences, and the dissemination of study results—all reinforcing the importance of transparency and collaboration in advancing medical research.
Questions?
Learn About Research
Contact us!
Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research ICTR | [email protected]
Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Clinical Trials | [email protected]
