Terrie G. Flatt, DO, MA
Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine; Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Kansas School of Medicine
Full BiographyTerrie Flatt, DO, MA, Hematology/Oncology/BMT, received a one-year, $50,000 Infrastructure Grant from St. Baldrick’s Foundation for his study on reducing potential language barriers to improve clinical trial engagement. This grant covers a project period of Jan. 1, 2026-June 30, 2027.
Some children are diagnosed with cancer more often than other children and sometimes they do not respond as well to treatment and have worse outcomes. In part, this is attributed to limited enrollment in clinical trials causing a lack of information in children with cancer.
Dr. Flatt’s project will use this grant to continue supporting a bilingual clinical research assistant who helps ensure all children understand clinical trials to encourage engagement, interest and participation in medical studies. The clinical research assistant provides additional language services to help families understand the purpose and process of clinical trials while answering questions and concerns along the way. Since April 2025, Dr. Flatt has observed a drastic increase in participation due to the clinical research assistant reducing potential language barriers.
The goal of this project is to help medical professionals learn more about why cancer is different in certain pediatric patients. By increasing engagement in clinical trials, the hope is to have the same amount of information for all children with the goal that every child has an equal chance in the fight against cancer.
“When families understand clinical research in a culturally inclusive and accessible way, we can begin to close gaps in outcomes for children with cancer,” said Dr. Flatt.