JAMES H. POWELL

JAMES H. POWELL, MD

Dr. James H. Powell received his B.S. in Chemistry from Virginia Union University, and his M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College. He trained in clinical pharmacology at Weill-Cornell, where he was an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology before joining the pharmaceutical industry. He left the industry in 2006 after 24 years as a clinical research executive directing global clinical trials. These included initial human exposure research for many new chemical entities, Phase 1 through 4 clinical trials and Rx to OTC switches, and establishment of molecular pharmacology and biomarker capability in support of clinical drug trials. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Investigators and recipient of its Lifetime Honorary Membership Award.

Beginning in 2000, Dr. Powell served as Principal Investigator for the National Medical Association’s Project IMPACT (Increase Minority Participation and Awareness of Clinical Trials) – directing a national effort to educate African American and other physicians and consumers on clinical research participation. In this project, he designed and led programs to educate more than a thousand diverse physicians in skills, ethics, cultural competence, business aspects, and regulatory understanding required for becoming investigators for clinical trials in diverse communities. He was also a member of Baylor College of Medicines EDICT Project (Elimination of Disparities in Clinical Trials) and was appointed to the Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services Advisory Committee for Human Research Protection (SACHRP). He serves on the Board of “Closing the Health Gap” of Greater Cincinnati, a local health advocacy organization, is a former member of Harvard and Brigham’s Multi Regional Clinical Trials Diversity Roundtable and was a founding member and contributor to the Alliance of Multicultural Physicians℠ (A nonprofit organization developed as a collaboration between the National Hispanic Medical Association, the Association of American Indian Physicians, the National Council of Asian and Pacific Islander Physicians).

In 2007, Dr. Powell founded Strategic Medical Associates to consult with clinical developers of new drug products and other organizations to educate diverse patients/consumers about clinical research, and enable physician and patient influence, engagement, and inclusion for speed, efficiency and diversity in clinical trials. He has authored many publications on molecular pharmacology, basic and clinical research, and has conducted numerous lectures and scientific presentations including several on clinical trials in people of color.