LaShell Robinson
Executive Director,
Head of Global Feasibility and Trial Equity;
Clinical Site Startup & Engagement
Takeda
LaShell Robinson is a dedicated and innovative leader in the field of clinical research, currently serving as the Executive Director, Head of Global Feasibility and Trial Equity. In this role, LaShell is committed to integrating health equity into clinical research from a global perspective. This includes leveraging social determinants of health to better understand communities of patients who are missing in the research whether it be geography, socioeconomics, health coverage, and other factor.
Previously, LaShell was the Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Clinical Research Department, where her goal was to ensure that every person has access to clinical trials. Together with her team, they were committed to creating partnerships and implementing strategies that promote education, awareness, and access through Takeda’s “P.A.V.E.” strategic program. This program focuses on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical research by collaborating with community stakeholders, eliminating systemic operational barriers that may hinder patient access, and expanding research opportunities to physicians and health centers traditionally left out of the system.
LaShell’s experience began with volunteering at a research site. Here, she saw how clinical research could change a family’s life, what it meant for physicians, and how impactful diverse representation in clinical research could be. Shortly after that, she transitioned into the industry after a seven-year stint in education. Before joining Takeda, she was part of the inaugural DEI in clinical trials team at Janssen Research & Development, a Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Company. There, she served as the first Clinical Operations Lead, Diversity & Inclusion in Clinical Trials (DICT) and provided strategic and tactical support across therapeutic areas, including the COVID-19 trials.
Throughout her career, she has remained committed to her initial inspiration: helping all people understand why all communities must be included in research to address health equity gaps.
LaShell grew up in Salt Lake City, where she was regularly found volunteering in the community—whether that was for voter registration, teaching religious studies at church, or serving in student government. These service-oriented activities inspire her work today.
LaShell is a proud alumna of Tuskegee University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in both Biology & Physics. She saw firsthand the impact of history on patients’ perception of clinical research, which drives her passion for educating others about clinical research and the diversity of the patient experience. LaShell holds a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of South Florida, and she currently resides in Maryland with her family.