Adam Walker’s Pharma Prescribed Podcast

Andy York on AI, Data Science & Why 80% Accuracy Isn’t Good Enough | Pharma Prescribed

Adam Walker sits down with Andy York — statistician, clinical data science leader, and former VP of Clinical Data Science at Novo Nordisk — for a masterclass in where pharma's data revolution has been, where it's heading, and why the AI hype needs a reality check.
With over 30 years spanning Roche, Covance, and Novo Nordisk, Andy now advises Verisian, a company building next-generation AI and traceability tools for clinical reporting. He brings rare historical depth and hard-won perspective to one of the industry's most pressing questions: can we actually trust AI with patient safety?
In this episode:
Why 80% AI accuracy equates to a process out of control — and what the Six Sigma reality check means for drug development
The journey from paper CRFs and carbon copies to EDC, CDISC standards, and AI-assisted programming
SAS vs R vs Python — what the shift to open source really means for regulatory submissions
How guardrails, not raw AI, are the key to hitting 95%+ accuracy in clinical reporting
The future of statistical programming: from code developers to validators
Why pharma's AI revolution will realistically take a decade — and what to do in the meantime
Career advice for the next generation entering clinical data science
Whether you're a statistical programmer, data scientist, biometrician, or simply curious about AI's real role in drug development, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and sharpen your thinking.
🎙️ Pharma Prescribed is hosted by Adam Walker, biometrics consultant and independent voice in clinical research and healthcare leadership.
🔗 Listen on all platforms: pharmaprescribed.com
📧 Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Meet Andy York — Career & Mission
02:00 Why Pharma? The Noble Cause Behind the Data
04:30 Lessons From 30 Years — Advice for Newcomers
05:30 From Paper CRFs to EDC: How Data Collection Evolved
07:00 Standards, CDISC, SAS & the Programming Revolution
08:30 AI in Pharma — The Reality Check
10:00 The 80% Problem & Six Sigma Thinking
11:00 Guardrails: How to Make AI Reliable in Clinical Reporting
13:00 Human in the Loop — The FDA's Stance on AI Submissions
15:00 Parallel Streams & Freeing Up Resource Through Automation
17:00 Expanding Drug Indications With AI Efficiency
18:00 Conference Trends — The Move From SAS to R
20:00 Open Source vs Validated Systems — Regulatory Perspectives
23:00 SAS, R, Python — The Right Language for the Right Job
24:30 Future Roles: From Programmer to Data Scientist
27:00 The Next Generation — Gamers, AI Natives & Skills for Tomorrow
29:00 Science Fiction Becoming Science Fact
30:30 Verisian's Roadmap — What's Coming Next
32:30 Andy's Closing Advice for Programmers at Every Stage
🏷️ TAGS
clinical data science, statistical programming, AI in pharma, drug development, clinical trials, SAS vs R, open source pharma, CDISC standards, regulatory submission, FDA AI, Novo Nordisk, Verisian, biometrics, data science careers, pharma podcast, clinical research, Adam Walker, Pharma Prescribed, Andy York, EDC, SDTM, ADaM, PharmaVerse, R consortium, double programming, AI accuracy, patient safety, pharmaceutical industry, clinical data management, real world evidence, pharma careers

Dermot Whelan on Burnout, Anxiety & the Science of Mindfulness | Pharma Prescribed

Dermot Whelan — broadcaster, comedian, bestselling author and certified meditation teacher — joins Adam Walker for one of the most personal and practical conversations on the Pharma Prescribed Podcast.
This episode holds a special place — meeting Dermot in Prague in early 2025, in the middle of my own grief, was one of the moments that led to this podcast existing.
Dermot left his radio show at Today FM at the height of its ratings to dedicate himself full-time to making mindfulness accessible. In this conversation, he shares the panic attack in 2007 that changed everything, why stress has terrible marketing, and the simple tools — including Navy SEAL box breathing — that can shift your nervous system in just 16 seconds.
Adam opens up about his own breakdown following his father's stroke, and how meeting Dermot at a conference in Prague in early 2025 became a turning point. Raw, warm, and full of practical frameworks you can use today.
🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APPSpotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wcigm9yKnpbvD86nGPRRVApple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pharma-prescribed-with-dermot-whelan-broadcaster/id1829715970?i=1000771679527Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcastPodbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/
📖 WHAT WE COVER- Why Dermot walked away from radio at the peak of his career- The 2007 panic attack that woke him up — and what he learned from it- Why stress has terrible marketing (and the study that proves it)- The 'busyness badge of honour' and how modern society got addicted to overwhelm- The DRAMA framework: a science-backed filter for choosing hobbies that actually reset you- Box breathing: the 16-second Navy SEAL technique for immediate calm- Why your heart is a better compass than your brain- What Everest Base Camp taught Dermot about values and simplicity- The moment Adam asked Dermot for a hug — and why vulnerability changes everything
⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Meet Dermot Whelan3:40 Audience Softening and Curiosity7:20 Early Anxiety Signs11:00 Adam Shares His Breakdown14:40 Reframing Stress as Helpful18:20 Modern Busyness and Noise22:00 Everest Base Camp Reset25:40 Advice to a Younger Self29:20 Skateboards and the DRAMA Framework33:00 Protect Your Reset Rituals36:40 Heart as Compass40:20 16-Second Box Breathing44:00 Gratitude and Farewell
👤 ABOUT DERMOT WHELANDermot Whelan is one of Ireland's most recognised broadcasters and the author of the bestselling books Mind Full and Busy and Wrecked. A certified Masters of Wisdom and Meditation teacher, he hosts The Mind Full Podcast and has helped thousands reframe stress and reclaim their wellbeing.🌐 https://www.dermotwhelan.com📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dermotwhelanofficial/
🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBEDPharma Prescribed is the podcast for people who want the conversations the life sciences industry rarely makes time for — hosted by biometrics consultant Adam Walker. New episodes every week covering clinical research, digital health, mental wellbeing and leadership.🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/
#DermotWhelan #Mindfulness #BusyAndWrecked #MentalHealth #Meditation #Burnout #BoxBreathing #PharmaPrescribed #Wellbeing #StressManagement

Sharmila Hume on Brain Injuries, Suicide Prevention & the Body's Hidden Signals | Pharma Prescribed

⚠️ This episode discusses suicide, traumatic brain injury, and grief. Please take care if these topics are difficult for you.
Sharmila Hume — known as the "Biomedic Detective" — joins Adam Walker for one of the most profound and wide-ranging conversations on the Pharma Prescribed Podcast.
Originally trained as a telecoms engineer, Sharmila rebuilt her life after her own battle with ME and fibromyalgia, then spent months in Mexico rehabilitating her brother Arnie after a near-fatal head-on collision with a drunk driver. When Arnie later died by suicide, Sharmila connected the dots between his unaddressed traumatic brain injury and his death — and turned that grief into a mission.
Today she runs the Headstrong campaign and her Bioperformance System, using German bioresonance technology to treat the body as a communication network — identifying and clearing the disruptions that conventional medicine misses. This is a conversation about what we overlook, and what it costs us.
Adam also opens up about the death of his sister Naomi by suicide, and the striking connections between viral meningitis, brain function, and the mental health crisis that followed.
Recorded during Mental Health Awareness Week.
🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APPSpotify → https://open.spotify.com/search/Sharmila%20Hume%20pharma%20prescribed/episodesApple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/search?term=Sharmila%20Hume+pharma+prescribedAmazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcastPodbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/
📖 WHAT WE COVER- Sharmila's diagnosis with ME and fibromyalgia at age 15 — and how it sparked everything- The 2009 phone call that changed her family's life: Arnie's near-fatal crash in Mexico- Two months of improvised rehabilitation in a foreign country — with a surgeon's blessing- The Will Smith film Concussion that unlocked the connection between TBI and suicide- What bioresonance technology actually does — explained clearly, no jargon- Why viruses, heavy metals and modern technology disrupt the brain's regulatory systems- The link between post-viral infection, long COVID, mood changes and suicide risk- Why "it's all in your head" is the most dangerous thing a doctor can say- How grief and trauma are stored physically in the body — and how to release them- "Receipts for love are grief and anxiety" — the Scott Galloway quote that stopped Adam cold- Why mental health cannot be resolved without first addressing physical health- The DRAMA of Sharmila's golden rule: never stop learning
⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction & Trigger Warning2:15 Meet Sharmila Hume8:40 Brain Science Meets Innovative Care21:30 Rethinking Recovery35:00 What's Next — Headstrong & the Future
👤 ABOUT SHARMILA HUMESharmila Hume is a healthcare practitioner, biomedic detective and creator of the Bioperformance System. Trained in telecoms engineering, she transitioned into healthcare after her own recovery from ME and fibromyalgia and her experience rehabilitating her brother following a catastrophic road accident. She leads the Headstrong campaign to raise awareness of the long-term impact of brain injuries on male mental health and suicide prevention.🌐 https://www.holistichub.uk📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bioperformance_uk/💼 LinkedIn: Search "Sharmila Hume"
🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBEDPharma Prescribed is the podcast for people who want the conversations the life sciences industry rarely makes time for — hosted by biometrics consultant Adam Walker. New episodes every week covering clinical research, digital health, mental wellbeing and leadership.🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/
#SharmilHume #BrainInjury #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealth #TBI #Bioresonance #Headstrong #LongCovid #MEfibromyalgia #PharmaPrescribed #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #AdamWalker

Bilal Bham on Life Sciences Strategy, Human Perspective & Building Amodaia | Pharma Prescribed

Bilal Bham — founder and CEO of Amodaia — joins Adam Walker to explore what it really takes to guide a biotech, pharma or medtech company through its most critical decision points.
Bilal brings nearly two decades of life sciences experience across regulatory affairs, medical affairs, market access, marketing communications and fundraising. But what sets him apart is the lens through which he approaches all of it: lived experience. His own journey with Graves' disease and thyroid eye disease, alongside family mental health challenges and his experience as an autistic leader, has shaped a consultancy built around the belief that science and human perspective are inseparable.
This is a conversation about the gap between clinical data and commercial reality — and what it takes to close it.
🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APPSpotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/6gPpTo25uSfdcVQCtcBw2XApple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pharma-prescribed-with-bilal-bham-ceo-of-amodaia/id1829715970?i=1000769475494Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcastPodbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/
📖 WHAT WE COVER- What Amodaia does and why integrated consultancy beats siloed departments- Navigating regulatory, medical affairs and market access as a unified strategy- Why patient-first thinking must drive commercial strategy — not follow it- Bridging the gap between clinical data and the human story payers and providers need to hear- Fundraising realities for emerging biotechs at critical decision points- How lived experience with chronic illness and neurodiversity shapes Bilal's leadership- Why the most important question in drug development is still: does this improve a patient's life?
⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction & podcast mission1:00 Meet Bilal Bham — founder of Amodaia2:00 The mission: helping biotechs survive & reach patients3:30 From medical writing to cross-functional consultancy5:00 "Telling them their baby's ugly" — diagnosing client friction7:00 The consultation process: NDAs, diagnostics & trust building9:00 Trust, loyalty, respect — Amodaia's six core values11:00 Shared experience: redundancy as the spark for independence12:30 Losing his father, returning home & going freelance15:00 Growth strategy & the AI reset reshaping life sciences17:30 Building proprietary AI vs off-the-shelf tools20:00 Breaking pharma silos — why pillars beat silos22:00 The AI stack: Claude, ChatGPT, Scite, Perplexity & beyond24:30 Scaling lean — seven-figure revenue without a big headcount26:30 It takes a village: mentors inside and outside the industry30:00 Self-education through audiobooks — dead time to active time32:30 Empathy as a leadership principle — "it costs nothing to be nice"33:00 Living with autism, ADHD & the power of neurodiversity37:30 Masking, diagnosis & finding a methodology that works40:00 Routine as regulation — bookending the day42:00 Quick-fire round44:00 Closing reflections
👤 ABOUT BILAL BHAMBilal Bham is the founder and CEO of Amodaia, a senior-led life science consultancy supporting biotech, pharma and medtech teams across regulatory affairs, medical affairs, market access, marketing communications and fundraising. With nearly two decades in life sciences, he brings both strategic rigour and a human perspective shaped by his own experience with Graves' disease, thyroid eye disease and life as an autistic leader.💼 LinkedIn: Search "Bilal Bham Amodaia"
🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBEDPharma Prescribed is the podcast for people who want the conversations the life sciences industry rarely makes time for — hosted by biometrics consultant Adam Walker. New episodes every week covering clinical research, digital health, mental wellbeing and leadership.🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/
#BilalBham #Amodaia #LifeSciences #Biotech #PharmaStrategy #MarketAccess #RegulatoryAffairs #PatientFirst #PharmaPrescribed #AdamWalker #HealthcareLeadership #Neurodiversity

Adam Baumgart on RBQM, AI in Clinical Trials & 38 Years of Hard-Won Pharma Wisdom | Pharma Prescribed

Adam Baumgart — biometrics and risk consultant with 38 years across AstraZeneca, Covance and beyond — joins Adam Walker for a masterclass in risk-based quality management, the future of clinical trials, and what it actually takes to build a career worth having.
Adam fell into clinical research in 1988 when data was collected on non-carbon required paper. He's watched the industry move from paper forms to web-based entry, integrated databases, and now AI-driven analytics. Along the way he discovered a passion for RBQM — and spent four years leading the risk-based monitoring initiative at Covance that transformed how clinical trials are overseen.
This episode is part technical deep-dive, part career masterclass, and part honest conversation about mentorship, loss, men's mental health and the Monday morning accountability group that changed both Adam's life and the host's.
🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APPSpotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/6XT6cpwCmk4eo3KookDaMAApple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pharma-prescribed-with-adam-baumgart-from-paper-to/id1829715970?i=1000767784416Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcastPodbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/
📖 WHAT WE COVER- RBQM explained simply: the four pillars of quality by design, risk management, quality control and quality assurance- Why 38 years of broad experience is what made RBQM click — and how to accelerate that understanding- From paper forms in 1988 to AI copilots in 2025: the technology evolution in clinical data- Critical to quality factors: the one place every company should start before anything else- How to reduce 60 active risks down to 20 manageable ones — and why that changes everything- The skills young people need now: critical thinking, data science, UX awareness and relationship building- Why programming experience — even two years of it — makes you a fundamentally better clinical trial professional- Mentors that shaped him: from Glaxo Med Africa to an inspiring father-in-law who was a post-war refugee- 10 years teaching clinical data management for ACDM — and why giving back matters- Ryan Parke's Monday morning men's accountability group: what it is and why it works- Visualization, discipline and learning to follow your passion without guilt- Operation Cyclops: cataloguing a comic collection started in 1976
⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction & podcast mission1:00 Meet Adam Baumgart — biometrics & risk consultant2:00 Mission: transforming RBQM across the industry3:30 RBQM explained in plain English — the four pillars7:00 How a career spanning 38 years led to this passion9:00 From agrochemical field trials to clinical data management11:00 Lean Six Sigma, the 2014–2017 guidance changes & the RBQM spark13:00 Mentors: Glaxo Med, Covance & an extraordinary father-in-law16:00 Giving back through ACDM — 10 years of teaching19:00 From paper to pixels: the technology evolution since 198822:00 Why trials are exponentially more complex than they used to be23:00 Key skills for the next generation: critical thinking & data science25:00 UX design, relationship building & not being intimidated by brilliant people27:00 The value of two years programming — and why it still pays off30:00 Building RBQM from scratch: where to start31:00 Critical to quality factors — filtering out the noise33:00 Ryan Parke's Monday morning men's group & the power of accountability37:00 Visualization, discipline & being forgiving of yourself39:00 Quick-fire round43:00 Closing reflections & how to connect
👤 ABOUT ADAM BAUMGARTAdam Baumgart is a biometrics and risk consultant with 38 years of experience across clinical research organisations and pharma, including leadership roles at AstraZeneca and Covance. He is an advisor at ZS Associates and Alcedo Consulting, a volunteer expert on RBQM for the Association for Clinical Data Management (ACDM), and a passionate advocate for risk-based approaches to clinical trial quality.💼 LinkedIn: Search "Adam Baumgart"
🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBEDPharma Prescribed is the podcast for people who want the conversations the life sciences industry rarely makes time for — hosted by biometrics consultant Adam Walker. New episodes every week covering clinical research, digital health, mental wellbeing and leadership.🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/
#AdamBaumgart #RBQM #ClinicalTrials #RiskBasedQualityManagement #ClinicalData #PharmaLeadership #PharmaPrescribed #LifeSciences #ClinicalResearch #AstraZeneca #Covance #ACDM #MensHealth #AdamWalker

Helen Palk on 30 Years of NHS Nursing, COVID Vaccines & Human Side of Healthcare | Pharma Prescribed

Helen Palk — general practice lead nurse with nearly 30 years in the NHS — joins Adam Walker for one of the warmest and most grounded conversations on the Pharma Prescribed Podcast.
Inspired by her grandmother, an army nurse who cared for injured troops during the Second World War, Helen's path began behind a pharmacy counter and took her through urology, theatre recovery, midwifery and finally to general practice in the southeast of England — where she has been ever since.
This is a conversation about what nursing actually looks like from the inside: the intimacy, the consent, the emergencies that change your mind about a career, the COVID vaccine hubs that ran on sheer goodwill, and why a smile is still the most powerful clinical tool in the room.
🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APPSpotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WHPgLyUjB6FNpa4dv4VCCApple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pharma-prescribed-with-helen-palk-lead-practice-nurse/id1829715970?i=1000766643013Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcastPodbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/
📖 WHAT WE COVER- How her grandmother's wartime nursing shaped Helen's entire career from childhood- Why getting into nurse training in the 1990s was fiercely competitive — and completely different to today- The realities of midwifery: 15-hour shifts, delivering 100 babies to qualify, and a baby named after her- The emergency that nearly made her quit — and why she stayed- Why she left midwifery for general practice and never looked back- The intimacy of everyday nursing: consent, patient anxiety and the power of a warm bedside manner- The paradox of NHS staffing: newly qualified midwives unable to find jobs despite a national shortage- Continuous professional development and revalidation — why nursing never stops being a learning profession- Six years before you're truly confident: honest advice to new graduate nurses- Volunteering for COVID vaccine hubs — the numbers, the nerves and the housebound home visits- What the pandemic taught her about teamwork, personal risk and gratitude- The future of the NHS: what worries her and what gives her hope
⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction & podcast mission1:34 Meet Helen Palk3:08 Mission: bringing back old-fashioned bedside nursing4:42 Grandmother's wartime influence & getting into nurse training in the 90s6:17 Why midwifery? Training routes, ward life and finding her fit7:51 The midwifery path — 18 months of training and 100 deliveries to qualify9:25 Midwifery realities: 15-hour shifts, sleep deprivation and a baby named Helen11:00 The emergency that nearly made her quit — and the lessons it taught12:34 Finding her home in general practice: variety, confidence and teamwork14:08 Intimacy, consent and patient comfort in everyday procedures15:42 Putting patients at ease — the clinical power of warmth and a smile17:17 Consent in practice: Gillick competence, documentation and protecting everyone18:51 CPD, revalidation and mentoring new nurses20:25 COVID vaccine clinics — how it started with an email22:00 Volunteering to vaccinate: stepping up when the NHS needed it most23:34 Early hub nerves and learning on the job at pace25:08 Housebound vaccine runs — taking the jab to those who couldn't come in26:42 Team bonds, gratitude and moments that stay with you28:17 Lessons learned and personal risk during the pandemic29:51 Working alongside Milo — and the joy animals bring to healthcare31:25 Looking back with fond memories — the good and the hard33:00 The future of the NHS — staffing, funding and what worries her34:34 Advice for new nurses: it takes six years to feel truly confident36:08 Teamwork, purpose and why attitude makes all the difference37:42 Quick-fire round39:17 Animals, joy and life outside the surgery40:51 What she'd tell her younger self42:25 Golden rule and farewell44:00 Final thanks and closing reflections on a life in service
👤 ABOUT HELEN PALKHelen Palk is a registered general nurse and midwife with nearly 30 years of experience as a general practice lead nurse in the southeast of the UK. Inspired by her grandmother's service as an army nurse in WWII, she has dedicated her career to maintaining the tradition of compassionate bedside care within the NHS.
🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBEDPharma Prescribed is the podcast for people who want the conversations the life sciences industry rarely makes time for — hosted by biometrics consultant Adam Walker. New episodes every week covering

Steven Thompson on AI, Clinical Trial Activation & Why 85% of Trials Are Delayed | Pharma Prescribed

Steven Thompson — founder of Next Trial AI — joins Adam Walker to explain why 85% of clinical trials are delayed before a single patient is enrolled, and what he's building to fix it.
Steven spent two decades in high-stakes regulatory environments: first with American Airlines on FAA compliance, then with Embraer in Brazil, then building data engineering pipelines for oncology and vaccines at Biogen and Takeda. When his father died of cancer — after going through an informed consent process based on static eligibility data that couldn't predict whether he'd even tolerate the trial — it became personal.
Now, from his base in Brazil, Steven is building the infrastructure that makes clinical trials predictable. Trial ready in 30 days. Zero rejection packets. AI that is provably right — not probably right.
🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APPSpotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/0w2wWweDIb8K95Q5YymjefApple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pharma-prescribed-with-steven-thompson-ceo-of-nextrial/id1829715970?i=1000763824689Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcastPodbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/
📖 WHAT WE COVER- Why 85% of clinical trials are delayed — and it's not the science, it's the paperwork- IRB rejection rates of 25–30% and sponsors burning $55,000 a day on delays- Why 97% of capable physicians are locked out of clinical research — and how AI unlocks them- From American Airlines FAA compliance to pharma: why regulations are architecture, not constraint- The story of Steven's father: static eligibility data, an unknowable trial trajectory, and a choice he could have made differently- Trial activation intelligence: from 60–120 days to 30 days using deterministic, auditable AI- "Provably right, not probably right" — why probabilistic AI is a regulatory liability- Physics-informed trajectory modelling: patients aren't data points, they're differential equations- Stanford/Harvard formal verification frameworks and what they mean for FDA and MHRA submissions- Brazil's 200 million patient records, willingness to collaborate, and why it's becoming a clinical research powerhouse- Meet Selena — Next Trial AI's coordinator-facing AI persona- The human in the loop: what it actually means in practice- The jobs question: will AI replace clinical trial coordinators?- The roadmap: pay-for-outcomes models and what's next
⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction & podcast mission2:56 Steven's mission — building infrastructure that makes trials predictable5:52 From aviation compliance to pharma purpose8:48 His father's cancer trial — the moment it became personal11:44 Next Trial AI explained — trial activation intelligence14:40 Physics-informed verified AI — provably right, not probably right17:36 The team: physicists, rocket scientists and brilliant people in Brazil20:32 Brazil's healthcare data opportunity — 200 million patient records23:28 The role of AI in clinical trials — what changed when ChatGPT arrived26:24 Human in the loop — what it really means in practice29:20 Results: faster activation, better screening, fewer rejections32:16 Meet Selena — Next Trial AI's coordinator-facing AI persona35:12 Jobs, the future and personal balance38:08 Roadmap: pay-for-outcomes models41:04 Quick-fire round44:00 Conclusion and final thoughts
👤 ABOUT STEVEN THOMPSONSteven Thompson is the founder of Next Trial AI and an expert in high-stakes regulatory environments, having spent over two decades building infrastructure for American Airlines, Biogen and Takeda. Based in Brazil for the last eight years, he specialises in trial activation intelligence, physics-informed prediction engines and human-centred design for clinical research.🌐 https://www.nexttrial.ai💼 LinkedIn: Search "Steven Thompson Next Trial AI"
🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBEDPharma Prescribed is the podcast for people who want the conversations the life sciences industry rarely makes time for — hosted by biometrics consultant Adam Walker. New episodes every week covering clinical research, digital health, mental wellbeing and leadership.🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/
#StevenThompson #NextTrialAI #ClinicalTrials #AIinPharma #TrialActivation #ClinicalResearch #PharmaPrescribed #AdamWalker #ArtificialIntelligence #DrugDevelopment #RBQM #FDA #MHRA #BrazilHealthcare #LifeSciences

Amelia Wrighton on Suicide Loss, Grief & the Charity That Helped Adam's Family | Pharma Prescribed

⚠️ This episode discusses suicide loss and grief. Please take care. If you need support: Samaritans → 116 123 (UK, free, 24/7)
Amelia Wrighton — co-founder and CEO of Suicide&Co — joins Adam Walker for the most personal conversation on the Pharma Prescribed Podcast.
Amelia lost her mother to suicide at 19. She navigated that grief alone, without signposting, without counseling, suppressing everything until alopecia and a mental health crisis forced her hand. A decade later she met her co-founder Emma — who had lost her father — and the parallels in two completely different lives were the catalyst for Suicide&Co.
For Adam, this episode is deeply personal. He lost his sister Naomi to suicide in September 2024. Suicide&Co supported his family from day one. This is his first public conversation about it.
🎧 LISTEN ON YOUR PREFERRED APPSpotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/6JUbyszkVEyOrpvOU32tDiApple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pharma-prescribed-with-amelia-wrighton-ceo-co-founder/id1829715970?i=1000755087303Amazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1a43eb87-b83e-441d-9a87-321263e3f821/adam-walker%E2%80%99s-pharma-prescribed-podcastPodbean → https://pharmaprescribed.podbean.com/
📖 WHAT WE COVER- Amelia's journey: losing her mum at 19, silence, alopecia, and finding counseling 18 months later- Why suicide grief is different: shock, stigma, complexity and the disappearing friends- The body keeps the score: how trauma shows up physically in grief- Why talking to a counselor is different from talking to a friend — and why both matter- The hand-in-front-of-face metaphor: moving grief from overwhelming to visible- What Suicide&Co actually offers: the help hub, app, early support and counseling pathways- Why people don't seek help — and what makes them feel deserving of support- Suicide contagion explained: what it is and what actually helps- Asking the question: does talking about suicide increase risk?- High-risk groups, perinatal mental health and who the system misses- Adam's tribute to Naomi — and the orange connection
⏱️ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction & trigger warning2:05 Podcast intro and guest4:11 Meet Amelia Wrighton — turning loss into action6:17 Amelia's mission and the Suicide&Co story8:22 Losing her mum and the silence after suicide10:28 Finding help and healing — counseling 18 months later12:34 Why suicide grief feels different: shock, stigma and complexity14:40 Trauma lives in the body — alopecia and the body's score16:45 The power of talking therapy over friendly conversations18:51 Rebuilding life around loss — not erasing it20:57 The Suicide&Co support model: hub, app and counseling23:02 Day one support and feeling deserving of help25:08 Language, shame and Adam's own mental health history27:14 Double bereavement and rebuilding daily life29:20 Why people avoid counseling and how to make help-seeking normal31:25 Suicide contagion explained33:31 Asking the question — does it increase risk?35:37 Protective factors and what actually helps37:42 Gender, perinatal mental health and who the system misses39:48 Quick-fire reflections41:54 Orange connection — Adam's tribute to Naomi44:00 Closing thanks and final reflections
👤 ABOUT AMELIA WRIGHTONAmelia Wrighton is co-founder and CEO of Suicide&Co, the UK charity supporting everyone bereaved by suicide. She lost her mother in 2011 and co-founded the charity in 2020.🌐 https://www.suicideandco.com📱 Download the free Suicide&Co app
🎙️ ABOUT PHARMA PRESCRIBEDLong-form conversations with leaders in clinical research, digital health and mental wellbeing, hosted by Adam Walker.🌐 https://pharmaprescribed.com💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-walker-2327951/
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