According to Arfan Ikram, head of Epidemiology at Erasmus MC, member of the Executive Board of NWO (the Dutch Research Council) and Chair at ZonMw, inclusion and diversity are the driving force for innovation. “When embedded systematically, inclusion and diversity can accelerate and enhance value creation for society. More money is not always the solution – having a wider spectrum is.”

Bridging borders and connecting different worlds. Ikram is no stranger to it – neither at home nor at work. I meet him in Rotterdam-South at the Varkenoordse flyover. At first sight, not the most obvious venue for an interview on bridging the gap between science and society. But while crossing this bridge, amidst cars whizzing by, it dawns on me why he has chosen this location.

Ikram smiles. He seems relaxed and in good spirit. After weeks of rain and dark clouds, the sun has finally appeared. “Look,” he enthusiastically points to the right, “that’s the Essalam mosque.” He frequently attends the mosque. “And do you see the Feyenoord stadium over there?” The silhouette of ‘De Kuip’ appears from behind the minarets of the mosque. He can hear Feyenoord score well before he sees the goal on TV, he grins. “These buildings are truly iconic,” he exclaims with pride. “This is the real Rotterdam!”

photo: Michelle Muus

This bridge connects everything – the diversity that he observes here in his own neighbourhood and the diversity he seeks to capture in his research as an epidemiologist. “It may sound like a paradox, but a representative sample does not always suffice to test the efficacy of a drug or health intervention in a diverse population, like that of Rotterdam-South. When there are too many variables, it is a challenge to pick up the signals you are looking for.”

Patchwork quilt

Focussing on just one specific population segment – too often white men – does not yield an intended output. Instead, the same research question should be studied in multiple homogeneous groups. For example, as indicated by earlier research, certain cardiovascular drugs affect people of Asian descent differently. Ikram compares it to a patchwork quilt. “Eventually, all these separate patches of information will form a clearer pattern. And this helps in extracting an answer to the same question for the entire population.”

photo: Michelle Muus

“But diversity in research populations is insufficient,” he emphasizes. “We also need diversity among researchers, as new ideas and insights often stem from different perspectives. Inclusion is vital to ensure the quality of research.” According to Ikram, diversity and inclusion should be treated on a par with other well-established values and norms, like scientific integrity, patient safety, data security, or ethics.

But this is not what he observes on the ground. Ikram thinks this can be attributed to the way science is recognised and rewarded, especially in the ivory tower of academia. “If you know only one world, it is difficult to understand a different world. I used to think having different perspectives was normal but later, I realised that it was not always so.”

Shift

Nonetheless, Ikram does notice enhanced awareness among his colleagues. The collaboration in Convergence – the alliance of TU Delft, Erasmus MC and Erasmus University Rotterdam – is a good example. “It is at the intersection of multiple disciplines where magic happens. At a macro level, Convergence embodies diversity and inclusion. The way in which technical, applied, social and medical sciences are brought together is unique. That is the strength of Convergence.”

He also observes a shift at funding agencies such as NWO and ZonMw. “At ZonMw, we have more and more consortium applications. We set prerequisites, for instance, in terms of a good mix of academic and non-academic institutions, and diversity not only within the research population but also among the researchers themselves. Ideally, this should not be needed, but we promote this message to challenge researchers.”

photo: Michelle Muus

Inclusion and diversity, says Ikram, help drive science forward – more so in these times of budget constraints. “Austerity forces you to make choices, but you must not compromise on your standards and values. These must be honoured. More money is not always the solution, but a wider spectrum to find solutions is. In addition, collaboration leads to more efficiency. It enables you to achieve almost the same with less money.”

Intellectual emotion

According to Ikram, it is all about having the right mindset. “As a researcher, you must realise that you are just a part of a bigger picture. It is about contributing to your team, asking what I can do to advance science and find solutions for patients or society. This requires you to work together, learn from one another, and refrain from being too preoccupied with yourself.”

“So, the goal is not to drive competition but to join forces to find the solutions that society really needs,” he reiterates. This, he explains, requires what he calls ‘intellectual emotion’ – the feeling that arises when you embrace unexpected discoveries and encounters. He himself has experienced it at times when he brought people into contact who would otherwise have never met. “For me, that has been truly rewarding and fulfilling.”