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Clinical Trialblazers: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Parexel
Clinical Trialblazers invites you into the world of biotech leaders as they share the untold stories behind their journeys to bring breakthrough innovations to life. This 10 episode monthly series asks biotech visionaries to explore pivotal moments in their careers and the milestones that shaped their lives. Through unscripted conversations, host Alberto Grignolo dives into the decisions, risks, and accomplishments that define these trialblazers legacies to uncover the heart, grit, and ingenuity driving the future of scientific innovation.
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- 3 days ago38 min
Putting Patients First: Kirk Taylor on Clinical Trials, Trust, and Access to Medicines
In this episode of Clinical Trialblazers, host Alberto Grignolo sits down with Dr. Kirk Taylor, a physician, neurologist, and life sciences executive whose career has spanned leading pharmaceutical companies, emerging biotech organizations, and public-sector leadership. Drawing on decades of experience at Pfizer, Biogen, Sanofi Genzyme, EMD Serono, and other life sciences organizations, Dr. Taylor currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at the CLL Society. He shares lessons from a career at the intersection of medicine, clinical development, and business leadership. He discusses what early-stage biotechs need to build in-house, when to rely on external partners, and how to make sound decisions when clinical data are promising but inconclusive. Dr. Taylor also explains why patient access and affordability must be considered early in drug development. We hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of Clinical Trialblazers. Please take a moment to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen. Special thanks to our production partner, Wonder Media Network. Our producer is Brittany Martinez, our editor is Gianna Palmer and our production assistant is Joia Putnoi.
- Oct 6, 202632 min
Leading Neuroscience Innovation: A Biotech CEO Playbook with Neil Warma Description: In this episode of Clinical Trial Blaz
In this episode of Clinical Trial Blazers, host Alberto Grignolo sits down with Neil Warma, President and CEO of Promise Neurosciences. Neil has more than 25 years of leadership experience across North America, Europe, and Asia, and shares how his unconventional career path—from neuroscience and Novartis to founding and leading multiple biotech companies—shaped his approach to leadership. Neil shares his perspective on Promise Neurosciences' Alzheimer's program, including the thinking behind its comprehensive Phase 1b study and the company's expectations for its next major data milestone, the future of AI in biotech and more. We hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of Clinical Trialblazers. Please take a moment to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen.Special thanks to our production partner, Wonder Media Network. Our producer is Brittany Martinez, our editor is Gianna Palmer and our production assistant is Joia Putnoi.
- Sep 1, 202633 min
Biotech’s Next Era: Data, AI and the Future of Decision-Making with Jay Roberts
In this episode of Clinical Trial Blazers, host Alberto Grignolo speaks with veteran biotech executive, investor, and board member Jay Roberts about his journey from CFO to CEO and the leadership lessons that shaped his career. Jay explains how a foundation in finance prepared him to lead biotech companies through clinical uncertainty, capital challenges, and high-stakes decision-making, while emphasizing the importance of building strong teams, making fact-based decisions, and knowing when to pivot, partner, or stop a program. He also shares his perspective on investor expectations, board governance, the evolving role of AI and data in drug development, and the qualities tomorrow's biotech leaders will need to successfully bring innovative therapies to patients. We hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of Clinical Trialblazers. Please take a moment to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen. Special thanks to our production partner, Wonder Media Network. Our producer is Brittany Martinez, our editor is Gianna Palmer and our production assistant is Joia Putnoi.
- Aug 4, 202627 min
A Journey through Academia, Big Pharma and Biotech: Building Breakthrough Medicines with Dr. Briggs Morrison
In this episode of Clinical Trialblazers, host Alberto Grignolo sits down with Dr. Briggs Morrison, CEO of Crossbow Therapeutics and former Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Medicines Development at AstraZeneca. Briggs shares lessons from a career spanning academia, Big Pharma, and biotech entrepreneurship—including leadership roles at Merck, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, and now Crossbow. The conversation explores how small biotech companies drive innovation, why constraints can improve execution, and how leaders build teams capable of navigating scientific, clinical, and financial uncertainty. Briggs also discusses Crossbow's recent $77 million Series B financing, the promise of TCR mimetic antibody therapies, and the realities of raising capital in today's biotech environment. We hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of Clinical Trialblazers. Please take a moment to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen. Special thanks to our production partner, Wonder Media Network. Our producer is Brittany Martinez, our editor is Gianna Palmer and our production assistant is Joia Putnoi.
- Jul 7, 202636 min
From Setback to Breakthrough: A CEO’s Journey to a First-in-Class Approval with Reenie McCarthy
In this episode of Clinical Trialblazers, host Alberto Grignolo sits down with Reenie McCarthy, the CEO of Mighty Therapeutics, formerly known as Stealth BioTherapeutics. Reenie shares her path from venture investor to biotech CEO and the years-long effort to develop and secure approval for a first-in-class therapy targeting mitochondrial dysfunction. She discusses the scientific, regulatory, and funding challenges of advancing a novel treatment through clinical development, as well as the critical role of patient advocacy and the lessons learned from setbacks that ultimately helped shape the company's success. The conversation also explores the future of mitochondrial medicine and Mighty Therapeutics' mission to bring innovative treatments to patients with serious unmet needs. We hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of Clinical Trialblazers. Please take a moment to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen.Special thanks to our production partner, Wonder Media Network. Our producer is Brittany Martinez, our editor is Gianna Palmer and our production assistant is Joia Putnoi.
- Jun 2, 202625 min
From Startup to Global CRO: Joe von Rickenbach on Building Parexel and Transforming Clinical Research
In this episode of Clinical Trialblazers, host Alberto Grignolo sits down with Joe von Rickenbach, co-founder of Parexel and a pioneer of the modern clinical research organization (CRO) industry, to discuss his journey from launching a two-person regulatory consulting firm in 1982 to building a global CRO that helped redefine drug development worldwide. Joe reflects on the evolution of clinical trials, the rise of outsourcing and digitization in pharma, and the leadership lessons learned from scaling Parexel over 35 years. He also shares insights on entrepreneurship, navigating major business decisions and the future of AI-enabled clinical research, and why trust, relationships, and adaptability remain essential for success in biotech and healthcare innovation. We hope you enjoyed this week’s episode of Clinical Trialblazers. Please take a moment to rate and review this podcast wherever you listen. Special thanks to our production partner, Wonder Media Network. Our producer is Brittany Martinez, our editor is Gianna Palmer and our production assistant is Joia Putnoi.
- May 5, 202630 min
From Legal to Leadership: Becoming a Successful Biotech CEO with Heather Turner
How do you go from lawyer to biotech CEO? In this episode of Clinical Trialblazers, Heather Turner, CEO of LB Pharmaceuticals, shares her journey from legal counsel to leading a late-stage biotech company. She discusses the mindset shifts required to step into the CEO role, making high-stakes decisions with incomplete data, and balancing risk versus benefit.. Heather brings more than 25 years of experience across biotech and life sciences, with a career that uniquely spans legal, operational, and executive leadership. Clinical Trialblazers is back for Season Two. Host Alberto Grignolo speaks with Paul Garofolo, Co-Founder and CEO of Locus Biosciences, about the leadership mindset behind capital efficiency, resource prioritization, and disciplined execution. Drawing on Paul’s journey from global leadership roles at Patheon to founding a next-generation precision medicine company, this episode explores fundraising across market cycles, founder-friendly capital, strategic and government partnerships, and the science behind Locus’ bacteriophage-based platform aimed at tackling multidrug-resistant infections.
- Apr 14, 202633 min
From Physician to Biotech CEO: Building High-Impact Clinical Development with Dr. Allison Jeynes
In this episode of Clinical Trialblazers, host Alberto Grignolo sits down with Dr. Allison Jeynes, CEO of Nefro Avillion Clinical Development, to explore her remarkable journey from clinician to biotech leader. With over 30 years of experience and a track record that includes the development and approval of nearly 20 drugs, Allison shares how she built a 100% success-rate model in clinical development, and what it takes to sustain excellence in a high-risk industry. Clinical Trialblazers is back for Season Two. Host Alberto Grignolo speaks with Paul Garofolo, Co-Founder and CEO of Locus Biosciences, about the leadership mindset behind capital efficiency, resource prioritization, and disciplined execution. Drawing on Paul’s journey from global leadership roles at Patheon to founding a next-generation precision medicine company, this episode explores fundraising across market cycles, founder-friendly capital, strategic and government partnerships, and the science behind Locus’ bacteriophage-based platform aimed at tackling multidrug-resistant infections.
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About Clinical Trialblazers
Clinical Trialblazers invites you into the world of biotech leaders as they share the untold stories behind their journeys to bring breakthrough innovations to life. This 10 episode monthly series asks biotech visionaries to explore pivotal moments in their careers and the milestones that shaped their lives. Through unscripted conversations, host Alberto Grignolo dives into the decisions, risks, and accomplishments that define these trialblazers legacies to uncover the heart, grit, and ingenuity driving the future of scientific innovation.
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