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The Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP), a national program out of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, has officially launched its fourth annual cohort, taking place during the summer of 2025. Through the program, 66 outstanding medical students from across the United States have begun externships at clinical research sites around the country, united by a shared commitment to the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award (Winn Awards) Program’s mission of Better Science For All.

Winn CIPP is a prestigious six-week summer program designed to ignite a passion for community-engaged research among highly talented medical students. The program provides participants with immersive, first-hand exposure to clinical research at top institutions, where they engage in service-learning projects that prioritize real-world impact. The experience culminates in a symposium in July — held this year in Seattle at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center — where students will gather for a weekend of workshops, educational programming, sharing professional experiences and networking opportunities.

Winn CIPP is one of multiple opportunities offered through the Winn Awards, a national initiative implemented under the direction of Robert A. Winn, M.D., director of VCU Massey, that is stewarded by the Medical College of Virginia Foundation (MCV Foundation). The mission: improving participation in clinical trials to drive better health outcomes in all communities and save more lives.

The program is built around a simple but powerful premise that all communities deserve access to clinical trials and the most advanced, evidence-based care. Through Winn CIPP, future physicians learn not only the pathways to becoming clinical investigators but also the critical role of research in ensuring that treatments developed are safe and effective for everyone – and that all patients have access to powerful medical breakthroughs.

Winn CIPP students learn the power of a community-centered research-based approach by being mentored at 16 leading clinical and translational research sites across the country, including VCU Massey.

At the program’s virtual kickoff event, students heard opening remarks from the program’s namesake, Robert Winn. He emphasized the urgency and importance of engaging communities in research — not only for maximum generalizability of the results, but also to expand access to new therapies and offer patients from all communities new options – and hope – when the standard of care is no longer enough.

“The world needs researchers who are committed to bringing new treatments to every community, and ensuring those communities are included in clinical trials,” Winn said. “That is the only way we can make sure that new treatments work safely for everyone.”

Representatives from some of the program’s funding partners — Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (its establishing partner), as well as Gilead Sciences and Amgen — also shared their support and encouraged students to remain focused and inspired throughout their journeys.

The keynote address, delivered by Brian Rivers, Ph.D., MPH, director of the Cancer Health Equity Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine, illuminated persistent gaps in health care and emphasized the importance of researcher-community partnerships to close those divides.

​​“Ensuring that clinical trials reflect the populations affected by disease is not just a scientific imperative – it is a matter of ensuring all communities benefit from medical progress,” said Catharine Grimes, president of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, an independent charitable organization with a mission to improve global health. “The students joining the Clinical Investigator Pathway Program represent the next generation of physician-scientists who will lead with purpose, challenge the status quo and drive meaningful change in how clinical research is conducted.”

The Winn Awards program is unique in its support by multiple pharmaceutical companies, foundations and organizations collaborating toward a shared goal that they recognize as an urgent priority.

“Gilead Sciences is honored to be a part of this effort and for our ability to collaborate with other industry partners,” said Bilal Piperdi, M.D., FACP, vice president of Clinical Development Oncology at Gilead. “Right now, the industry really needs to hold our hands together to get important things done, and the Winn Awards is the right place to be at the right time for this. We are thankful to all who are here with us.”

Osa Eisele, M.D., MPH, executive director and head of representation in clinical research at Amgen, agreed. “True progress in health care comes from partnerships that listen, learn and uplift communities,” she said. “The Winn CIPP is exactly that: an inspiring program that brings together the next generation of clinical investigators and the people they aim to serve, helping to ensure research reflects all patients. Amgen is honored to stand alongside the Winn Awards in advancing this critical work.” 

Among this year’s cohort are three VCU students, representing the School of Medicine:

• Mariana Fernandes Gragnani (funded by Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation) — has a passion for addressing health disparities and plans to continue devoting herself to her community and serving those in need.
• Asma Ibrahim (funded by Gilead Sciences) — is deeply committed to service and leadership, and she aims to bridge clinical training with community engagement and health care access for all individuals.
• Jewel Ng (funded by Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation) — has committed herself to tackling health disparities in communities through targeted, sustainable improvements, and she hopes to provide care that acknowledges variations in care delivery to communities in need.

View the full list of this year’s 66 awardees here

Poised to become future leaders in clinical research and community health, Winn CIPP students are working to ensure that tomorrow’s treatments are built with, by, and for the communities they serve.

Written by: Sara Furlong