Paula Tilley Floyd, a distinguished public health administrator and a leading voice in clinical research equity, passed away on March 6, 2026, in her hometown of Durham, North Carolina, at the age of 54. A lifelong resident of the “City of Medicine,” Floyd dedicated her career to bridging the gap between groundbreaking medical research and the marginalized communities that have historically been excluded from it. Her pioneering methodologies in community-based healthcare initiatives fundamentally altered how clinical trials are conducted within the Research Triangle Park and beyond.
Early Life & Education
Born in 1971 and raised in the heart of Durham, North Carolina, Floyd’s early life was deeply influenced by the city’s rich history of medical innovation and its complex socioeconomic dynamics. Observing the disparities in healthcare access within her own community ignited a lifelong commitment to public health.
Floyd pursued her undergraduate studies at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education in 1993. Her time at NCCU cemented her understanding of grassroots community engagement. Driven by a desire to influence health policy at a systemic level, she subsequently attended the globally recognized UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1996, she graduated with a Master of Public Health (MPH), specializing in Health Behavior and Health Education. Her master’s thesis, which examined the root causes of medical mistrust in Southern urban populations, laid the academic foundation for her future life’s work.
Career Zenith & Contributions
Floyd’s professional career was characterized by a seamless integration of scientific rigor and profound community empathy. She spent her early career working with the Durham County Department of Public Health, where she designed localized intervention programs targeting chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension.
Her career reached its zenith when she transitioned into the clinical research sector within the Research Triangle Park (RTP). Recognizing the dangerous lack of demographic diversity in medical research, Floyd assumed the role of Director of Community Engagement for a prominent RTP-based clinical research organization. In this capacity, her expertise in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) proved transformative.
Floyd developed innovative, culturally competent frameworks designed to educate, recruit, and retain minority participants in vital clinical trials. By replacing transactional recruitment methods with sustainable, relationship-building strategies, she significantly increased the participation of underrepresented groups in studies related to cardiovascular disease and oncology. Her methodologies provided an industry-standard blueprint for ethical research practices, ensuring that newly developed medical therapeutics were safe and effective for all demographic groups.
Leadership & Affiliations
A recognized authority in health equity, Floyd held numerous leadership roles across state and national organizations. She was a long-standing board member of the North Carolina Public Health Association (NCPHA) and served a pivotal term as the Chair of the state’s Health Equity Task Force. Under her leadership, the task force published comprehensive guidelines for equitable data collection in state-funded health initiatives.
Floyd was also a distinguished Fellow of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Her authoritativeness in the field was frequently called upon; she was a recurring keynote speaker at national health disparities conferences and co-authored several peer-reviewed papers on demographic parity in clinical research. In recognition of her exceptional contributions to the field, she was awarded the NCPHA Distinguished Public Health Service Award in 2021, cementing her status as a premier strategist in North Carolina’s public health sector.
Legacy & Impact
Paula Tilley Floyd leaves behind a formidable legacy that will continue to shape public health administration for generations. The recruitment protocols she designed are now taught in academic public health programs and utilized by major pharmaceutical researchers worldwide.
Beyond her systemic contributions to clinical research, Floyd is remembered as a devoted mentor. She spent countless hours advising young women of color entering the fields of public health, epidemiology, and clinical administration, ensuring the next generation of leaders was equipped to continue the fight for health equity.
Her life was a testament to the profound impact that a dedicated, highly skilled professional can have on their community. Paula Tilley Floyd is survived by her devoted family, a vast network of colleagues, and the countless individuals in Durham and beyond whose lives and health outcomes were improved by her tireless advocacy and administrative excellence.