The Syneos Health Podcast

In this special edition of the Syneos Health Podcast recorded from the floor of Asembia’s AXS25 Summit, host Michael Sarshad sits down with Kim Plesnarski, SVP of Market Access and Patient Support Services at Syneos Health and Kelly Carter, AVP of Patient Support at Amgen, to unpack the evolving landscape of patient support. 

The discussion explores the blurring lines between general and specialty medicine, the growing administrativ...

In this episode of our Navigating Modern Market Access series, recorded from the floor of Asembia's AXS25 Summit, host Sara Rubin sits down with Rob Truckenmiller, the newly appointed CEO of PharmaCord. 

Drawing from his deep experience across small, mid-sized and large pharmaceutical companies, Rob explores how market access strategies must evolve to meet today’s healthcare challenges. From the integration of patient services ...

In this special episode recorded from the floor at Asembia’s AXS25 Summit, host Michael Sarshad sits down with Tiara Green, President of Accessia Health, to explore the evolving landscape of patient support. 

They discuss how Accessia Health is addressing the growing needs of individuals with rare and chronic conditions—not just through copay assistance, but by tackling social determinants of health like transportation, food insecur...

In this special edition of the Syneos Health Podcast recorded from the floor of Asembia’s AXS25 Summit, host Michael Sarshad speaks with Kim Plesnarski, SVP of Market Access and Patient Support Services at Syneos Health and Greg Morris, Chief Strategy Officer at CareMetx. 

They explore the latest trends shaping patient support services—from the surge of AI-powered solutions to the shift toward hybrid hub models. The conversation div...

We continue our Project Optimus series with a focus on clinical pharmacology—a foundational element in redefining dose optimization in oncology drug development. 

Dr. Wael Harb is joined by Pierre-Olivier Tremblay, Vice President of Clinical Pharmacology at Syneos Health, to discuss how model-informed strategies, exposure-response analysis and biomarkers are transforming early phase trials. They examine how tools like PK/PD modeling...

Hosted by Drew Beck, Head of Strategy, Growth and Innovation for Syneos Health Learning Solutions, this limited series dives into the breakthrough trends redefining health in 2025 and beyond. From bold moves in R&D and medical affairs to next-gen trial design, product launch strategies and the future of healthcare communications, each episode connects you with the minds driving real change. Big ideas. Real-world impact.
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2025 Health Trends meets The Syneos Health Podcast for a limited series exploring how Trends come alive in the life sciences industry with host Drew Beck, Head of Strategy, Growth and Innovation for Syneos Health Learning Solutions.

Syneos Health experts Brian Carver, Executive Director of Therapeutic Strategy and Innovation, Rare Disease Consortium, Vik Chawla, Managing Director, Syneos Health Consulting and Katya Magon...

The biopharma market is booming—but not without turbulence. In this kickoff episode of our special podcast series in collaboration with Asembia, hosts Michael Sarshad, Managing Director, Commercial Advisory, Syneos Health and Sara Rubin, Senior Vice President, Market Access Strategy at Spherico, a Syneos Health company, unpack the dynamic forces reshaping how therapies reach patients. Recorded ahead of Asembia’s AXS25 Specialty Pha...

As regulatory expectations evolve under the FDA’s Project Optimus oncology dosing initiative, biostatistics is emerging as a central pillar in designing and executing trials that move beyond the traditional maximum tolerated dose (MTD) approach.

In this fourth episode of our Project Optimus series, host Dr. Wael Harb is joined by biostatistics expert X.Q Xue, PhD, Vice President and Global Head, Biostatistics at Syneos Health to exp...

In this episode of The Syneos Health Podcast, we continue our exploration of Project Optimus and the evolution of dose optimization in oncology drug development. Following our discussion on regulatory expectations in the previous episode, we now turn to the operational challenges and strategies required to implement optimized dosing in real-world settings.

Host Dr. Wael Harb is joined by Patrick Melvin, Vice President, Oncology &...

Unlike general health and wellness apps, Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs) are FDA-authorized, prescribed by healthcare professionals, and rigorously studied in clinical trials. With the global PDT market projected to reach $43 billion by 2032, new regulatory pathways, including CMS billing codes in 2025, are set to enhance adoption and accessibility.

In his final episode hosting the Syneos Health Podcast, Nick Kenny is joine...

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Rishi Kakar, Chief Scientific Officer and Medical Director at Segal Trials. Host Andy Moniz, Vice President, Therapeutic Strategy & Innovation at Syneos Health, sits down with Dr. Kakar to explore his inspiring journey from a 15-year-old immigrant discovering neuroscience in a Queens library to becoming a leader in clinical research and innovation.

Dr. Kakar shares the personal moments t...

In this episode of the Syneos Health Podcast, series host Dr. Wael Harb, Vice President of Medical Management at Syneos Health, continues the exploration of FDA's groundbreaking Project Optimus and its profound implications for oncology drug development. He is joined by Zohra Lomri, Executive Director, Regulatory Affairs at Syneos Health, to discuss how this initiative is transforming dose optimization strategies and reshaping...

For our special series celebrating 15 years of innovation with CNS Summit, host Dr. Alexandria Wise sits down with Ryan Brooks, Executive Chairman and CEO of CenExel, a leading specialty site network. In this discussion, recorded from the floor of CNS Summit 2024, Ryan shares his journey from a farm in Idaho to leading a network of Centers of Excellence, driven by personal health challenges and a passion for advancing healthcare. T...

In this episode, Dr. Alexandria Wise speaks with Steve Rosenberg, CEO of uMotif, recorded from the CNS Summit 2024 exhibit floor. With over four decades of experience in software development and two decades in clinical research, Steve shares his journey from early tech innovations to his current mission of revolutionizing patient engagement and site support in clinical trials.

Steve discusses the pivotal role of patient-centric tool...

In this inspiring look at the progress and potential in psychiatry research, Dr. Alexandria Wise sits down with Dr. Stephen Brannan, former Chief Medical Officer of Karuna Therapeutics, to discuss the groundbreaking approval of KarXT—the first muscarinic mechanism antipsychotic in decades. Dr. Brannan reflects on his journey in psychiatry, the challenges of clinical trials, and the transformative impact of KarXT on treating schizop...

In this episode, host Dr. Alexandria Wise sits down with Dr. Najat Khan, Chief R&D Officer and Chief Commercial Officer at Recursion Pharma, live from the floor of CNS Summit 2024. Together, they explore how cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning are transforming drug discovery and development, shortening timelines, and driving precision medicine.

Dr. Khan shares her inspiring journey, from her upbringi...

In this special edition of The Syneos Health Podcast, host Dr. Alexandria Wise celebrates 15 years of innovation with CNS Summit by interviewing Dr. David Walling, Chief Clinical Officer at CenExel CNS. Recorded from the floor of CNS Summit 2024, the conversation dives into Dr. Walling’s career journey, his passion for advancing care for individuals with schizophrenia, and the evolution of clinical trials over the past two decades....

Recorded from the 15th annual CNS Summit, Andy Moniz, Vice President of Therapeutic Strategy Innovation at Syneos Health, sits down with Jane Metcalfe, Board Chair of the Human Immunome Project, to discuss the transformative potential of immunology in medicine. Jane shares her inspiring journey into this groundbreaking field, highlighting how advanced biological measurements, machine learning, and personalized immune profiling are ...