Enhancing Cardiometabolic Trials with Configurable eCOA and Digital Health Technologies

Nicholas Alp, MD, PhD, FACC, Chief Medical Officer, Clinical ink

Nicholas has more than 30 years of clinical research experience as an academic cardiologist, clinical trialist and commercial drug development expert. Before joining Clinical ink, he was the Senior Vice President and Head of Cardiometabolic Research at Medpace, a global clinical research organization. Previously, Nicholas was Vice President and Global Head of Cardiovascular Drug Development at ICON. He also simultaneously held appointments as a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and a Senior Academic Appointment in Cardiovascular Medicine at Oxford University.

Nicholas trained in medicine at London University and Oxford University, completed a PhD in Immunology at Cambridge University and earned a postdoctoral Doctor of Medicine (DM) degree in Cardiology at Oxford University. He has also contributed to more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and books.

Steve Polyak, PhD, SVP, Head of Global Product Innovation, Clinical ink

Steve Polyak is the Senior Vice President, Global Head of Product Innovation at Clinical ink, where he leads innovation, architecture and product design for new clinical trial capabilities. His organizational scope includes an innovation lab staffed with engineers, designers and scientists working on connected device integrations, wearables, sensors and digital biomarkers for therapeutic areas including diabetes, weight management, movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and ALS. Steve received a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Edinburgh University in Scotland and a Master’s degree in Computer Science in Chicago. Steve has many years of experience building solutions for large-scale assessments in both health and education markets. Previous work includes innovation at the college entrance exam company ACT, state assessments with Pearson Education, bringing the Encyclopaedia Britannica online and software consulting at Accenture and Computer Sciences Corporation.

Bill Barrasso, MBA, Chief Compliance Officer, Clinical ink

Bill Barrasso has years of operational and compliance experience with multiple eCOA service providers. Prior to joining Clinical ink, Bill established the eCOA Services team at Parexel and led eCOA services organizations at both ERT and PHT Corporation. He also held the position of Director of Operations at Concordant Rater Systems (rater monitoring and eCOA data collection in CNS studies), which was acquired by United BioSource Corporation and spun off into Bracket (now Signant Health). Bill earned his MBA at Northeastern University in Boston. He is currently on hiatus from a PhD program for Personal Healthcare Informatics, also at Northeastern University.

Jennifer Guild, MBA, PMP, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Cardiometabolic Operations, Clinical ink

Jennifer Guild is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Cardiometabolic Operations at Clinical ink. With more than 15 years of experience in eClinical technologies and drug development, she has built a career at the intersection of clinical operations, digital health and technology-driven transformation.

Jennifer has led global teams across IRT, eCOA and decentralized trial solutions, with expertise spanning risk management, regulatory readiness and operational delivery. Her background includes senior leadership roles at leading health technology organizations, where she oversaw large-scale programs and partnerships supporting some of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies. Known for her ability to align stakeholders and guide complex digital health initiatives, Jennifer is passionate about helping sponsors and CROs harness eCOA and digital health technologies (DHT) to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency in clinical research.

(Moderator) Jessica Ryter, MBA, Sr. Director, Product Strategy, Clinical ink

Jessica Ryter serves as the Senior Director of Product Strategy at Clinical ink. With over 13 years of experience in product management and product strategy for clinical software (both clinician and patient-facing), Jessica is a champion for user experience. She is dedicated to translating patient and site feedback into meaningful product enhancements, ensuring that solutions are continually refined to meet the needs of both customers and users. In her role, Jessica oversees Clinical ink’s site and patient experience programs and partners with clients to ensure strategic alignment as the industry evolves. Jessica holds an MBA from Northeastern University in Boston.