His parents, especially his mother, and teachers encouraged him to work hard in school. “They inspired me not only because of what they have done,” he says. “They provided guidance, direction, and encouragement.” But when he started college, he felt he wasn’t as well-prepared as other students. And he felt the fact he was African-American caused some people to doubt his ability. “Overcoming that forced me to work harder” and gain confidence in himself, he says. “As a result, I became a perennial overachiever.” After completing his medical training, Dr. Clark first worked in an academic medical center and later joined Merck, a global healthcare company. He is global director of scientific, medical, and patient perspective in Merck’s Office of the Chief Patient Officer. Merck is focused on discovering and developing new medicines. Dr. Clark is working to get a more diverse group of people to participate in clinical trials. “The world we live in is diverse,” he says. Medicines need to be tested in different popula- tions—young and old, male and female, and multiple races and ethnicities—because people of diverse backgrounds may react differently to a medication. Luther Clark Healing the heart Dr. Luther T. Clark didn’t know what kind of doctor he wanted to be when he went to medical school. He was interested in everything he learned about, from surgery to mental health. He found his passion when he started studying the heart. So he became a cardiol- ogist—a doctor who treats heart-related problems, such as high blood pressure and strokes. “When I rotated through cardiology, it all seemed to fit,” he says. He was fascinated that the heart is a muscle and a pump, and it has valves and an electrical system. He also liked knowing that, with proper treatment, many people could get better after a heart attack. In addition, the cardiologists “were fun to be around,” he says. “I could see myself becoming one of them.” Dr. Clark had been interested in science since working on a science project in seventh or eighth grade. “As I reflect back,” he says, “the seed may have begun even earlier.” 8