While 2020 was not the year anyone hoped it would be, it did succeed in showing us what medical research can achieve when the life sciences sector works together to overcome a challenge. Three COVID-19 vaccines developed and licensed in less than a year, with more still in development, is certainly extraordinary. But what is also remarkable is that, even in the rush to find and develop effective treatments and vaccines for a completely new virus, the life sciences sector achieved what it has struggled with for years: diverse patient involvement in clinical trials that truly represents the global population. Kate Shaw at Innovative Trials discusses why patient diversity in research must become the norm.