Clinical Trialblazers

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.