Clinical research gives people hope. For some, it’s the chance to hold a new grandchild. For others, it’s walking a child down the aisle or celebrating a graduation. These are important milestones for many, but for patients facing life-threatening diagnoses, reaching them means everything.
That belief has guided my career for more than two decades. I didn’t set out to work in clinical research; I started in agriculture and logistics, where I learned that the same qualities essential in those industries—precision, quality, trust, and reliability—are vital in the delivery of clinical trials. When I moved into healthcare and later joined Pfizer, I saw how clinical trials bring hope in the form of new therapies. Years later, while leading research at large health systems, including Blumenthal Cancer Center, Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, and Novant Health, I saw patients turn to clinical trials when standard therapies no longer worked. For many, those trials weren’t just “options.” They were their last resort.
CISCRP released a video a few years ago featuring a pharmacy with empty shelves, which they cleverly called the “MT Pharmacy.” The point was simple: Without clinical trials, there would be no medicines. That image has stuck with me and served as a grounding reminder of the promise clinical trials bring. And that’s why I’m so passionate about removing barriers and friction within the research process.
For over a decade, I have been an Advarra customer. I first met the leadership team in 2010 while working for Atrium Health, and I recall texting them directly when issues arose. They always responded, not as a vendor trying to close a ticket, but as a true partner dedicated to resolving the problem at hand. Whether it was through IRB review, technology platforms, or the Onsemble user community, I consistently experienced collaboration, responsiveness, and above all, integrity.
Now, I’m excited to join Advarra as SVP of Global Customer Experience and Service Delivery. My role is simple to describe but complex to realize: Make the entire customer journey, from onboarding through adoption and beyond, more connected, more transparent, and easier.
Customers turn to Advarra to help solve the complexities that challenge the industry. Our technical and regulatory experts bring deep experience to those challenges, but our work goes far beyond the transactional. In this new role, my focus is on making the customer journey as seamless and valuable as possible across all our products and services. That means ensuring clients always know who to turn to, setting up consistent onboarding experiences that help them realize value quickly, and creating clear feedback channels that lead to real change in how we work. Equally important is connecting the dots across platforms and services, so customers spend more time on what matters most.
When clients work with Advarra’s technology or review services experts, they’re not engaging with a single product or service in isolation; they’re partnering with a collaborative organization that understands and serves the entire research ecosystem. Whether through IRB review, technology enablement, site and sponsor services, or strategic consulting, our teams are united by a single mission and purpose. We want every client to feel like Advarra is working alongside them to advance their research. That sense of connection and continuity is what transforms service delivery into strategic partnership.
Throughout my career, I’ve carried four non-negotiables with me: ethics, safety, quality, and compliance. One is no more important than the other; they work together. Advarra also embodies these principles, making the decision to join the team an easy one. These values will continue to guide how we refine and expand Advarra’s customer experience and delivery model.
Ultimately, clinical research isn’t just about processes or platforms. It’s about people, patients, and their families, waiting for hope. And together, we can deliver it. By working together as a connected Advarra, we can help deliver that hope faster, more reliably, and with greater impact across the research community.
