podcast January 29, 2026
Do Clinical Trials Have An Invisibility Problem?
The Invisibility Problem of Clinical Trials
Clinical trials power medical innovation, yet most patients never see them. In this episode, Javara CEO Jennifer Byrne explains why research access is still broken — and what must change.
About the Episode
Today’s guest on The Healthcare Theory Podcast is Jennifer Byrne, a veteran clinical research leader and CEO of Javara, an integrated research organization that has raised over $100 million to modernize how clinical trials are run inside health systems.
Drawing on nearly three decades of experience, Jennifer explains why clinical trials remain largely invisible to patients and clinicians, despite being central to drug and device development. The conversation unpacks how changes in healthcare delivery, increasing trial complexity, and physician burnout have made access to research harder rather than easier. We also explore why patient recruitment isn’t just a technology problem, but a question of trust, infrastructure, and incentives. Ultimately, this episode reframes clinical research not as a niche research activity, but as a core part of public health, and a test of whether innovation in medicine is truly accessible.
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