Please be assured this is not a woke rant dealing with micro-aggressions or cultural stereotyping, but about something potentially much more impactful on drug development outcomes. It deals with the associations we all hold, outside of our conscious awareness and control, that are triggered by our brain automatically making quick judgements and assessments. The essence of the scientific method is to be objective, grounded in sound logic and documented assumptions, and for our actions to be fact and evidence based. However, as humans, it is inevitable that unconscious bias creeps in to the decisions we make, even in an R&D context. Biases can lead to poor decisions that result in reduced productivity and efficiency, missed opportunities, and even expensive late-stage failures.
