Science 37 Taps Veteran Leader to Scale Patient-Centric Clinical Trials

MORRISVILLE, N.C. – January 27, 2026 – Science 37, a company at the forefront of expanding patient access to clinical trials, today announced a significant leadership addition, appointing industry veteran Kelly Johnston McKee as its new Vice President of Strategy & Transformation. The move signals a strategic doubling-down on patient-centricity and operational excellence as the market for decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) transitions from a phase of experimentation to one of scaled execution.

McKee, who brings over two decades of leadership from pharmaceutical giants like AstraZeneca, Merck, and Eli Lilly, as well as the clinical tech leader Medidata, is tasked with a critical mission: designing the company’s future-state patient experience. Her role will focus on modernizing trial execution, advancing innovation, and strengthening partnerships to fuel long-term growth.

This appointment comes at a pivotal moment for both Science 37 and the broader clinical research industry. As CEO Tyler Van Horn noted, McKee’s expertise is precisely what the company needs to navigate this evolving landscape. "Kelly’s expertise sits at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and execution, the exact space where Science 37 is focused," said Van Horn. "Her ability to translate bold ideas into scalable impact will be instrumental as we advance next-generation patient experiences and deepen our industry partnerships."

For her part, McKee acknowledged the industry's inflection point. “Science 37 has long challenged conventional thinking around access and execution in clinical trials,” she stated. “As the industry moves beyond experimentation, the opportunity now is to scale innovation and optimize experiences in a way that is operationally sound and holds meaningful value for patients, sites, and sponsors. I am excited to help shape that next phase.”

A Strategic Play in a Maturing Market

The decentralized clinical trial market is no longer a niche concept; it's a rapidly expanding sector projected to surpass $14 billion by 2031. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a powerful accelerant, but the sustained growth is driven by the clear value proposition of DCTs: increased efficiency, reduced costs, and, most importantly, improved patient access. Regulatory bodies like the FDA have provided clearer guidance, further legitimizing and encouraging the adoption of remote and hybrid trial models.

However, this growth brings new challenges. The industry is grappling with the complexities of integrating disparate technologies, ensuring robust data governance across regions, and overcoming workforce shortages. The central theme for 2026 is no longer if DCTs work, but how to make them work efficiently, reliably, and at scale. McKee’s appointment is a direct response to this challenge.

Her extensive background, which includes winning the PharmaTimes US Clinical Researcher of the Year award, demonstrates a deep understanding of the entire clinical development lifecycle. Having served in senior roles at both sponsor organizations and technology providers, she possesses a rare 360-degree view of the ecosystem. This experience is critical for translating innovative concepts into the “scalable, enterprise-ready solutions” that the industry now demands. Science 37 is betting that her leadership will be the key to solidifying its market position against formidable competitors like IQVIA and Medidata, moving from a disruptor to an established leader in operationalizing next-generation research.

Redefining the 'Next-Generation' Patient Experience

At the heart of McKee's new role is the mandate to architect the future of the patient experience. For decades, the clinical trial paradigm has been defined by significant patient burden, requiring participants to travel frequently to centralized, often distant, research sites. This model has historically excluded vast segments of the population, leading to trials that are not representative of real-world patient diversity.

Science 37 has built its reputation on challenging this model. The company reports its platform can lead to enrollment that is up to 15 times faster, with 28% better participant retention and a threefold increase in patient diversity. This is achieved through a unified technology platform and a “Metasite” model that leverages telemedicine and local healthcare providers to bring the trial to the patient.

The 'next-generation' experience McKee is tasked with building will expand on this foundation. It involves a seamless integration of digital tools—from eConsent and electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePRO) to wearable devices and direct-to-patient medication shipments. The goal is to create a cohesive and supportive journey that minimizes burden and maximizes engagement. This isn't just about convenience; it's about building trust and creating engaged patient communities that feel like active partners in the research process, rather than just subjects.

By making participation more accessible for rural, elderly, and mobility-impaired individuals, this patient-centric approach directly addresses one of the most persistent ethical and scientific failings of traditional research. The result is not only faster and more efficient trials but also higher-quality data that better reflects the diverse populations new therapies are intended to serve.

From Bold Ideas to Operational Reality

The greatest challenge in the current DCT landscape is not a lack of innovation, but a deficit in scalable execution. Many pharmaceutical sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs) struggle to stitch together a patchwork of point solutions, leading to fragmented workflows, data silos, and a disjointed experience for both patients and site staff. The promise of DCTs can quickly evaporate amidst this operational complexity.

McKee’s focus on “modernizing trial execution” and “strengthening cross-organizational collaboration” is aimed squarely at this problem. Her appointment follows a series of strategic moves by Science 37 to bolster its operational backbone. In 2024, the company simplified its contracting and introduced a more performance-based pricing model, signaling a commitment to delivering tangible value. More recently, in October 2025, it successfully completed its third FDA inspection for a Phase 3 trial, a critical validation of its platform's quality and compliance standards.

This groundwork sets the stage for McKee to build out robust, repeatable processes that can support increasingly complex global studies. Her work will involve refining the company’s unified platform, which integrates everything from telemedicine and scheduling to data capture, ensuring a consistent and compliant user journey. By focusing on creating an ecosystem that is both innovative and operationally sound, Science 37 aims to provide a clear path for sponsors looking to move beyond small-scale pilots and fully embrace the potential of decentralized research across their portfolios.