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webinar from CRC

A Bold

   Conversation

A Bold Conversation

Registration: Opens Early June

Availability: 100 Seats

Format: Live Webinar with Expert Panel Discussion

Sign-up: Get Notified the Moment Registration Opens

When Timelines Trump Science

     in Neuropsychiatric Trials

Speed Kills:

When Timelines Trump Science in Neuropsychiatric Trials

When pressure rises, pace takes over—and critical decisions get made too quickly. Timelines begin to overshadow strategy, and early missteps in CNS trials lead to preventable failure. Recovery is possible. But prevention is powerful.


This Bold Conversation brings together leaders from biotech, site operations, and CRO to unpack the root causes of signal dilution and share practical ways to protect outcomes from the start.


It’s built for those who lead with intention. Who know that success takes more than speed. It takes clarity, control, and the courage to get it right.

When pressure rises, pace takes over—and critical decisions get made too quickly. Timelines begin to overshadow strategy, and early missteps in CNS trials lead to preventable failure. Recovery is possible. But prevention is powerful.


This Bold Conversation brings together leaders from biotech, site operations, and CRO to unpack the root causes of signal dilution and share practical ways to protect outcomes from the start.


It’s built for those who lead with intention. Who know that success takes more than speed. It takes clarity, control, and the courage to get it right.

Speed Kills:

When Timelines Trump Science in Neuropsychiatric Trials

When pressure rises, pace takes over—and critical decisions get made too quickly. Timelines begin to overshadow strategy, and early missteps in CNS trials lead to preventable failure. Recovery is possible. But prevention is powerful.


This Bold Conversation brings together leaders from biotech, site operations, and CRO to unpack the root causes of signal dilution and share practical ways to protect outcomes from the start.


It’s built for those who lead with intention. Who know that success takes more than speed. It takes clarity, control, and the courage to get it right.

Speed

  Kills:

meet the speakers

Voices You'LL Want to Hear From

Voices You'll Want to Hear From

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Steve Brannan, M.D.

Consultant, CNS Drug Development


Dr. Brannan is a neuroscience drug development expert with over 15 years of experience overseeing clinical development and medical affairs. He has held senior roles at Forum Pharmaceuticals, Takeda, Novartis, Cyberonics, Eli Lilly, and most recently served as Chief Medical Officer at Karuna Therapeutics. He has contributed to the development of several important CNS treatments, including Cymbalta®, Exelon Patch®, Trintellix®, and Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression. His experience spans drug development, regulatory strategy, launch, and lifecycle management across psychiatry and neurology.


A doctor is sitting at a desk with his hands folded and smiling.


David Walling, Ph.D.

Chief Clinical Officer, CenExel CNS


Dr. Walling has served as Principal Investigator on more than 600 clinical trials, with a focus on schizophrenia, mood disorders, and CNS trial execution. As Chief Clinical Officer at CenExel CNS, he oversees clinical operations and site performance across high-volume programs. His previous roles include leadership at UHS-affiliated organizations and academic appointments as assistant professor and research scientist at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Walling is widely published in top-tier journals and brings site-level insight into how trial pace, protocol design, and operational coordination impact study success. 

A female doctor is using a tablet computer in a hospital.


Tom Zoda, PhD  (Host)

Chief Executive Officer, CRC


Dr. Zoda brings 30 years of leadership in CNS clinical research, with deep expertise across operations, business development, and strategic trial execution. He has held senior roles at PPD, Apex Innovative Sciences, and CenExel, and previously served as EVP and General Manager of the CNS Business Unit at Syneos Health, where he helped lead significant expansion. At CRC, Dr. Zoda guides sponsors through the complexity of trial design and delivery, with a sharp focus on aligning pace with performance. His career has been defined by helping teams navigate high-stakes studies with clarity.

Be Bold. Be ready.

Be Early.

Be first to access insights that could prevent your trial from becoming a cautionary tale.

The Cost of

  Getting It Wrong

Most trials don’t fall apart all at once. They drift—slowly, and often unnoticed—until the data no longer tells the story it should.


It can start with a protocol designed in isolation from site realities. Or delayed responses when support is needed most. Or with pressure to enroll rather than follow the science. And without the right conversations, structure, or processes in place, things begin to slip.


This session shares real-world examples of both failure and success, focusing on the turning points that shaped outcomes and challenged teams to think differently.


You’ll gain perspective on:

  • Designing protocols that hold up in real-world settings
  • Balancing speed with science across cross-functional teams
  • How sponsor and CRO misalignment disrupts site execution
  • What pragmatic and thorough eligibility review looks like in practice
  • Setting the stage early for effective collaboration and communication


why it matters