Cynthia Ouandji is an engineer, activist and thought leader from the Bay Area. Though she was originally born in Cameroon, Ouandji grew up both in Africa and the United States. Her diverse upbringing has imbued her with a deep sense of cultural respect and opened her eyes to the existing health disparities that exist both abroad and in the United States. In both their work and life, they are a champion for community, diversity, equity and inclusion (13+ years). Ouandji's work includes, but is not limited to: volunteering as Poll Worker for the 2020 local & Presidential election, protesting for BLM and against Asian Hate, speaking at local middle schools to champion STEM, mentoring junior students/engineers, and organizing events for the Black/African-American ERGs at Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific. As he continues his journey in life, Ouandji wishes to continue working on innovative technologies that drive down the cost of healthcare, improve quality of care, and/or make quality healthcare more accessible for underserved communities and those in developing countries. Cynthia Ouandji is a proud alumni of San Jose State University, having graduated with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering the Fall of 2016.

Abstract

DEI and Ethics in Healthcare: Whom have we, and whom are we designing Biomedical Products For?

Who is medicine and Healthcare made for? Although the obvious answer might be "everyone", that has not, and is not always the case. From aspirin to blood pressure cuffs, Apple watches, and soon potentially--artificial intelligence--Biomedical Products (and health tracking wearables) are all around us. However, it wasn't until 1993 that Federal Law mandated women be included in Clinical trials for products that could potentially impact them, and later still in 2022 when the FDA issued guidance on the inclusion of underrepresented ethnic groups in clinical trials. This talk will: (i) explore the history of healthcare and Biomedical research, {ii) offer insights into current directions with regards to innovation, and (iii) propose solutions to innovate for a diverse and global population using Steve Blank's customer development methodology.