Episode 1: From Med School to Medable: Pamela Tenaerts, Chief Scientific Officer of Medable

What does it take to change an industry built on caution? In this thoughtful, candid conversation, Pamela Tenaerts, MD, Chief Scientific Officer at Medable, joins Patty to take an honest look at the state of decentralized clinical trials, what the evidence is beginning to show, and why innovation in clinical research moves at the pace it does. You will hear a grounded perspective shaped by decades spent across medicine, academic research, and industry-wide collaboration.

Along the way, Pam shares how a small-town family practice in Belgium set her on an unexpected path into research, and how lessons from the volleyball court still shape the way she works. She and Patty also dig into what decentralized models could mean for trial access and representation, and what leading change looks like day to day. This episode explores what it takes to turn promising innovation into lasting change in clinical research.

What you'll hear about

• Did the pandemic era give decentralized trials a fair test?

• What does emerging evidence actually say about decentralized trial performance?

• Why does meaningful innovation in clinical research take so long to stick?

• Can decentralized models help trials reach more representative patient populations?

• What does effective leadership look like when driving change in clinical research?

• How could clinical research and everyday medical care work more closely together?

This episode is intended for clinical operations leaders, offering a clear perspective on how to evaluate and adopt decentralized trial approaches with confidence.

Timestamps

01:05 – From Belgium to medicine: an unlikely origin story
04:25 – A family doctor at 25 and the job ad that changed everything
07:00 – What volleyball teaches about clinical research
09:50 – Regulators, technology and the road to Medable
12:50 – Inside the Chief Scientific Officer role
16:20 – Were COVID-era trials a fair test for DCTs?
19:40 – Innovating in a field that resists change
22:10 – Is the industry at an inflection point?
25:55 – The trial pain points that never seem to go away
26:40 – Opening the door to more diverse participants
29:20 – The digital divide no one can ignore
30:25 – Honest reflections on leadership
32:55 – How leaders manage stress and stay balanced
34:15 – Clinical trials in the next five to 10 years
35:55 – The legacy Pam hopes to leave

Guest Biography

Pamela Tenaerts, MD, MBA, is Chief Scientific Officer at Medable, where she leads efforts to drive the responsible, evidence-based adoption of decentralized research methods. A former family and emergency physician, she has spent more than 30 years in clinical research, including serving as Executive Director of the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative, the public-private partnership co-founded by Duke University and the FDA. Her work is guided by a clear mission: helping the industry find better answers for patients, faster.