Conversations with Black Pharma - Fighting For Survival

Hosted by Adeola Adelusi serves as a Global Study Manager and holds the position of Lead Host for our Conversations with Black Pharma events. With a robust 6-year tenure in clinical research, Adeola's expertise spans across various therapy areas. He is deeply committed to personal development and has contributed his skills at esteemed organizations including Richmond Pharmacology, Novartis, Re: Cognition Health, Astra Zeneca, and Roche. In his leisure time, Adeola is a dedicated guitar player and a creative individual who takes pleasure in bringing people together.

Guest Speaker:

Fitzroy Dawkins, M.D. is a medical oncologist and haematologist, Biotech executive and book author. For the first 14 years of his career, he was first an Assistant Professor of Medicine, then Associate Professor at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. where for the last 4 years of his tenure he led the Division of Haematology and Oncology as the Interim Chief. Transitioning from Howard University in 2005, he joined Johnson and Johnson Pharma as an Associate Director in Medical Affairs. After 2 years, he transitioned to Janssen R&D as Director of Oncology Drug Development. For the next 5 years, he led and monitored multiple trials across melanoma, prostate cancer and prior to leaving a Phase 3 global trial in ovarian cancer. Seeking increased responsibility and personal development, next he joined Incyte Corporation in Wilmington, DE as an Executive Director, leading multiple Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 clinical trials across various tumour types with both small and large molecules. He was privileged to be the lead Incyte physician for the first FDA-approved drug, ruxolitinib, indicated in patients diagnosed with acute graph versus host disease. Continuing to seek more influence in shaping and influencing clinical trials in the African-American community, in 2020, Dr. Dawkins joined Forma Therapeutics, in Watertown, Massachusetts as Vice President, Clinical Development focused on sickle cell disease and prostate cancer. In every step of his career, he has passionately advocated for more clinical trials focused on the cancer that affect our community, improved understanding of the benefits of cancer prevention and for the training of more Black physicians skilled in the science and art of clinical trials, so they can better serve their community.

Dr. Fitzroy Dawkins received his Bachelor of Science from City University of New York- York College. He was accepted and completed his M.D. from Jacobs School of Medicine and Biologic Science in Buffalo, New York. He stayed on in Buffalo for the next 3 years to complete his training in internal medicine. Between 1988 and 1991, he completed a fellowship in haematology and medical oncology at the George Washington University Medical Centre. He is the author and co-author of more than thirty peer reviewed paper, with publications in the New England Journal of Medicine, Blood, Journal of Clinical Oncology, among others. Most recently, he published his first book, Fighting for Survival: Conquering Cancer and The African American Patients. Dr. Dawkins lives in the Princeton area and is a Principal Clinical Consultant with ELIQUENT Life Sciences (formerly Data Revive).