The Most Undervalued Relationship in Clinical Trials—and How Technology Can Determine Its Success1/7/2026 By Susan Najjar Clinical trials are built on protocols, powered by data, and governed by compliance. But according to Steve Rosenberg, CEO of uMotif and a veteran of clinical trial technology, they succeed—or fail—on something far more human: the relationship between the patient and the site. That perspective may sound obvious. Yet the industry has spent decades optimizing everything except that relationship.
Patients Are Not “Subjects”—They Are the Heroes Rosenberg’s view is candid and difficult to ignore: patients are the heroes of clinical research. They sacrifice time, comfort, and often physical well-being. Some enroll because it is their last option. Others participate to “pay it forward” for future patients. And yet, until recently, industry language lumped them into the same category as lab animals--subjects. In an era where endpoints increasingly rely on patient reported outcomes (PROs), quality of life measures, and real-world experience, failing to fully recognize and support patients is a miss on pharma’s part. More data than ever is coming directly from patients. If they disengage, misunderstand, or drop out, the trial is at risk of losing participation. Why the Patient–Site Relationship Matters Most Ask patients who they trust in a clinical trial, and most won’t name the sponsor. They may not even know who it is. They trust the investigator, the study coordinator, the nurse—the people guiding them through consent, screening, and day-to-day participation. That trust is what drives compliance, retention, and honest reporting. This becomes even more critical in rare disease trials, where patient populations are small and every participant carries significant scientific and financial value. When a single patient drops out, the cost can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars—and the loss of irreplaceable data. So Why Do Trials Still Fail to Prioritize Patients? It’s not deliberate. It’s complexity. By the time a protocol reaches a site, it has already passed through a maze of manufacturing logistics, global supply chains, regulatory approvals, translations, device provisioning, and statistical planning. Amid all of that operational pressure, the patient becomes abstract—a checkbox rather than a person with a family, a job, and a life disrupted by disease. Technology has historically made this worse. Most trial tools were designed top-down, forcing patients into rigid workflows: provisioned devices, unfamiliar interfaces, mandatory questionnaires, often delivered with little context, or gratitude expressed for participation Compliance was expected, not earned. Technology Should Be Invisible—and Human Rosenberg argues that good technology should disappear into the background. Patients shouldn’t wake up thinking about systems, platforms, or validations. They should think, “I need to answer a few questions today,” tap a reminder, and move on with their lives. Modern clinical trial technology must behave like consumer technology—not clinical machinery. At uMotif, that philosophy means:
Validation and compliance matter. But how patients experience those requirements determines whether the data are reliable. Measuring What Trials Usually Ignore One of the most overlooked drivers of dropout isn’t adverse events—it’s life friction. Parking. Transportation. Time off work. Feeling undervalued. Rosenberg recounts a moment that stunned a room full of cancer researchers: the number one reason patients declined trial participation wasn’t fear or side effects—it was parking.That insight reshapes how we think about “patient centricity.” It’s not just about endpoints and outcomes; it’s about logistics, dignity, and support. Capturing non-clinical signals--Do you feel valued? Is this creating financial hardship? Are you getting what you need?—can provide early warning long before a patient disengages completely. In rare disease trials especially, that foresight can make or break a program. The Biggest Myth: Patient-Centric Trials Cost More They don’t. According to Rosenberg, patient centricity is a mindset problem, not a budget problem. Designing trials around patients doesn’t inherently require more money—it requires different priorities. In fact, the economics often favor patient-first design:
The Takeaway for Biotech and Pharma Leaders As endpoints shift toward lived experience and trials become more decentralized and patient-driven, the industry faces a choice: Continue optimizing systems for protocols—or design trials for people. The science demands the latter.
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By Meghan O'Sullivan  When Rick Lee co-founded Hea!thrageous, many dismissed it as just another meal-delivery service for seniors. But the meal was never the mission; it was the on-ramp to something larger, a way to rebuild trust and engagement with adults over 65, one of healthcare’s most underserved populations. “Food sits at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy,” says Lee. “If you don’t have nutrition, you can’t reach the higher levels of growth and maturity that most people seek.” Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a psychological framework that ranks human needs from the most basic—like food, water, and safety—to higher-level goals such as belonging, purpose, and self-actualization. By starting at the foundation, Hea!thrageous meets people where they are and providing nourishment and dignity first, then building upward toward engagement and empowerment. The company uses nutritious, ready-to-eat meals as the first touchpoint for members—particularly those who are the costliest to health plans, often representing just 3–5% of members but over 50% of total healthcare spend. Once trust is built, Hea!thrageous leverages data and behavioral science to guide individuals toward healthier habits and self-care through personalized digital nudges.   Simplicity Over Shiny Tech In an era of endless apps and dashboards, Hea!thrageous has chosen the simplest path possible: text messaging. “More than half of seniors report they’ve never downloaded a healthcare app,” Lee notes. “They’ll use apps for family photos or restaurant deliveries, but not for managing their health.” By eliminating logins, passwords, and app downloads, Hea!thrageous meets members where they are. “We’ve used SMS with no username or password, so engagement starts right away. Meals open the door. Then we can communicate about what really matters like hydration, movement, appointments, and preventive care,” says Lee. This “friction-free” approach isn’t just good UX—it’s empathy in action. “Too much friction, not enough simplicity,” he adds. “We’ve opened the pickle jar for them.” The Power of a Gentle Nudge Behavioral economics plays a central role in Hea!thrageous ’s model. Members receive short, context-aware text nudges such as “Have you had water today?” or “Time to take a quick walk.” “These aren’t interruptions,” explains Lee. “They’re micro-moments of self-reflection.” It’s a strategy that works. In a three-year study of more than 28,000 members, Hea!thrageous reported average savings of roughly $2,000 per member per year—with significant reductions in ER and inpatient visits. The secret, Lee says, is replacing punitive regulation with self-awareness. “Healthcare relies too much on policing behavior, denying claims and pre-authorizing procedures. We focus on biofeedback instead. When you show people real-time data, like how last night’s poor sleep raised their blood pressure, they become active participants in their own health.”  Tackling the Loneliness Epidemic Hea!thrageous ’s next frontier is addressing social isolation, which Lee calls “the epidemic behind the epidemic.” Many seniors live alone, juggling multiple conditions and medications. “Humans need connection,” he says. “If you solve loneliness, you unlock motivation for better nutrition, activity, and self-care.” The company’s new program, HelloMadeEasy, aims to bring social engagement to the same level of priority as meal delivery and hydration reminders. “Nutrition and connection sit on the lower rungs of Maslow’s hierarchy, but they’re foundational,” Lee explains. “If we can restore those, everything else—purpose, joy, and health—can build on top.”  Home: The Next Healthcare Frontier Half of all Medicare spending occurs in the last six months of life, yet 80% of people say they want to die at home, and only 20% do. Lee sees that as a solvable systems failure. “It’s not because people don’t want to be home, it’s because homes become unsafe,” he says. “Trip hazards, broken windows, poor lighting, no railings are all small things that can cause catastrophic injuries.” Hea!thrageous is exploring how its engagement model could extend into home-based safety assessments. “If I trip on a rug, break my hip, and die from a hospital-acquired infection, that’s a preventable death,” Lee explains. “If health plans thought about homes as healthcare environments, we could save lives and costs.”  Trust First, Technology Second For Lee, all roads lead back to trust. “Simplicity, trust, and technology, in that order,” he says. “If we win your trust with a simple solution that helps you, you’ll lean into the technology. And that’s when transformation begins.” Hea!thrageous ’s success isn’t about a new platform or device; it’s about human connection delivered through empathy, simplicity, and data-driven insight. As Lee puts it: “We’re not trying to fix people. We’re helping them invest in themselves.” Reimagining Engagement, One Human Moment at a Time
Hea!thrageous isn’t just feeding people, it’s feeding possibility. Its model tackles one of healthcare’s most persistent and expensive problems; how to engage the members who need the most care and often get the least attention. The outcomes speak volumes: fewer ER visits, lower inpatient costs, and roughly $2,000 saved per member, per year. But the real breakthrough is behavioral. By earning trust through basic human needs like food, connection, and encouragement, Hea!thrageous transforms passive patients into active participants. “We’re proving that empathy can outperform algorithms,” says Lee. “When you make people feel seen, they start investing in their own health and that’s when everything changes.” For health plans, investors, and partners, that’s not just a good social story. It’s a sustainable growth model, one built on simplicity, trust, and human connection that scales. AI is changing how we work, but it hasn’t changed what people respond to: real voices, real expertise, real connection. If 2025 was the year of artificial intelligence, 2026 will be the year of authenticity, when brands refocus on the human experience behind the technology, and nothing conveys that authenticity better than a story told by the people living it. According to Xtalks, while data and research are essential, they don’t inherently inspire trust, loyalty or engagement. After months of scrolling past AI-generated posts and polished corporate language, audiences in life sciences are tuning out automation and craving something human. Scientists, clinicians, and decision-makers are no different. They want to see and hear the people behind the innovation, the ones translating discovery into real-world impact. For life science brands, that shift presents both a challenge and a tremendous opportunity: how to move from static storytelling to a video-first approach that connects data to purpose and people to possibility.  1. The Content Pendulum Is Already Swinging Back to Human AI has accelerated content creation, but it’s also flooded feeds with sameness. Product updates blur together. Company news sounds algorithmically optimized. And audiences, particularly those who live and breathe science, can spot the difference between canned content and genuine perspective. According to Acrolinx, audiences increasingly “crave honesty and authenticity from the brands they support,” especially as automation grows more pervasive (Acrolinx). In the life sciences, that craving translates into a renewed appetite for real stories told by real people. A recent industry analysis notes that while research and data drive credibility, it’s storytelling that transforms complex science into trust and engagement (Xtalks). Scientists, clinicians, and business leaders are gravitating toward human-centered narratives, content that captures the why behind innovation, not just the what. The next competitive edge won’t come from who automates fastest, but from who communicates with the most empathy, clarity, and conviction. In 2026, differentiation won’t come from who’s using AI, it’ll come from who’s using their voice. Video allows subject-matter experts, researchers, and executives to convey something text can’t: energy, conviction, and nuance. It transforms “marketing” into communication that feels alive. Research backs this up, people retain 95% of a message when watching a video compared to only 10% when reading text (KNB Communications). That’s not just a statistic; it’s proof that audiences feel more through sight and sound than through slides or scripts. 2. Scientists & Physicians Are Consuming Video and Expecting It Let’s dispel a lingering myth: professionals in science only read papers. The truth? They watch videos. In one healthcare survey, 88% of physicians said they preferred video-based learning over text-based content. MM+M Across sectors, 72% of consumers say they prefer videos over text when learning about products or services , a figure that hints at the broader preference of professional audiences. DemandSage+1 In the life sciences, you’re now seeing: conference organizers turning keynotes into highlight reels. Journals producing 60-second paper summaries. Start-ups launching science-explainer videos instead of 20-slide decks. When an executive, researcher or clinician shows up authentically on camera, explaining not just what they do but why it matters, it creates clarity and connection faster than any white-paper ever could. 3. Video Builds Trust in a Trust-Dependent Industry Trust is the ultimate currency in healthcare. Whether you’re launching a diagnostic platform, pitching a novel therapy, or scaling a digital health solution, credibility determines adoption. Video helps build that credibility at scale. Unlike static graphics or text posts, it humanizes complex science and shows tone, transparency, and intent. When audiences can see the people behind the technology, skepticism gives way to belief. In short: trust travels faster on video. 4. Authentic Beats Perfect Every Time The best life science videos aren’t raw, they’re real. They balance credibility with humanity, capturing the enthusiasm of a founder, the precision of a scientist, or the insight of a thought leader in a way that feels genuine. In an era of over-produced content, authenticity stands out. When people appear unscripted, thoughtful, and human, their message resonates long after the closing frame. As one marketing analysis put it, while AI is efficient, “humans tell stories that connect emotionally, and emotion is what drives decision-making” (GeistM). 5. From Awareness to Advocacy: What Companies Can Do Now Forward-thinking life science brands are already shifting their strategy for 2026. Here’s how to start:
 6. The Future of Engagement Is Human
As we head into 2026, one truth is becoming clear: automation can accelerate your marketing, but only authenticity will amplify it. Video isn’t just a medium, it’s a mirror. It reflects the values, vision, and purpose of your organization. And in a world where credibility drives growth, that reflection matters more than ever. 2026 will be the year life science brands stop hiding behind polished decks and start leading on camera. Those who do will own the conversation. Veteran industry executives Susan Najjar, MS, MBA and Meghan O’Sullivan bring decades of experience guiding companies to achieve lasting market impact – one story at a time
September 25, Boston, Mass. – Life sciences organizations seeking to grow and gain visibility now have an expert content creation partner in Life Sciences Decoded. The platform produces business development and marketing assets that feature thought-provoking discussions with industry leaders, highlighting real-world applications of cutting-edge science and unfiltered insights on the latest trends. Life Sciences Decoded brings client stories to life through video interviews with executives and experts spanning the C-Suite, R&D, manufacturing, diagnostics, lab operations, and more. Deliverables include video interviews, companion pieces, and media promotions to gain exposure, strengthen thought leadership, and build lasting credibility with buyers worldwide. Unlike traditional long-form interviews and webinars that put significant burden on client teams, Life Sciences Decoded does the research, shapes the questions, and makes the process easy. Each focused interview goes straight to the essentials, helping clients answer their buyer’s most important questions in under 20 minutes. The platform is the brainchild of industry veterans Susan Najjar, MS, MBA and Meghan O’Sullivan, who bring decades of experience knowing which questions to ask to highlight client strengths, uncover unique insights, and position companies for greater visibility. Susan Najjar is a senior strategy, marketing, and business development executive with 25 years of experience in the industry. She has held leadership positions at organizations including Thermo Fisher Scientific, LabCorp (formerly Covance, now Fortrea), Verista, and Sciformix Corporation. Susan holds an MS in biochemical engineering from Tufts University, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. For 25 years Meghan O’Sullivan has helped early-stage companies translate complex science into clear, compelling stories that create awareness and generate leads. She is an expert in communications strategies, business development, product launches, brand repositioning, and message development focused on scientific, clinical, and investor audiences. “Clients come to Life Sciences Decoded because we understand how to overcome the growth challenges life sciences companies face,” said co-founder Susan Najjar, MS, MBA. “We help organizations improve awareness, deliver impactful stories, and build sustained trust in a crowded market—ultimately supporting a stronger revenue pipeline.” In addition to partnering directly with companies who want to tell their stories via multi-media platforms, Life Science’s Decoded also works with PR agencies, publications/magazines, tradeshow organizers, financial/investment firms, and other agencies. About Life Sciences Decoded Life Sciences Decoded helps life sciences and healthcare organizations showcase their expertise and grow revenue with content that increases exposure, thought leadership, and credibility. Learn how Life Sciences Decoded can help your organization claim its place in the conversation by transforming your expertise into stories that attract and reach real buyers by visiting www.lifsciences.com. Agencies interested in collaborating with us to grow their revenue, co-create compelling content, and unlock new opportunities for their clients can visit www.lifesciences.com/partners. Partners benefit from an expanded offering, shared expertise, amplified marketing impact, and stronger connections across the life sciences ecosystem. Link to PR Wire By Meghan O'Sullivan Most life science companies obsess over two points in the buyer journey: the top of the funnel (building awareness) and the bottom of the funnel (closing deals). What gets overlooked far too often? The middle of the funnel — the quiet, treacherous space where prospects stop moving forward. Silence in the middle of the funnel is the hardest obstacle to overcome. It’s also where most marketing fails. What Is the Middle of the Funnel? The middle of the funnel is where interest turns into evaluation — and where most opportunities stall. By the time prospects or investors reach the middle of your funnel, they already know the basics: Who you are, what category you operate in, the problem your technology is supposed to solve What they don’t know yet is whether to trust you. At this stage, buyers aren’t asking “Does this work?” so much as:
That shift from technical validation to emotional validation is exactly why the middle is so tricky. And when companies fail to recognize it, conversations stall. Why Silence Happens Here Silence creeps into the middle of the funnel for a few common reasons:
The result? Weeks—or months—of nothing. Prospects disengage. Deals die in limbo. Common Mistakes in the Middle Building Trust in the Middle Breaking the silence requires a different kind of content: the kind that builds confidence in people, not just products. What works?
This isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about becoming more relatable, more credible, and more human.  Why Interviews Are the Secret Weapon
One of the most powerful tools for the middle of the funnel is the interview. Interviews don’t just showcase your technology. They put faces, voices, and conviction behind the science. They help prospects move from knowing about you to believing in you. When your scientists, customers, or partners tell the story themselves, the message becomes:
And unlike other content, interviews are flexible. A single conversation can become:
That’s a lot of middle-of-funnel firepower from one authentic exchange! Don’t Let Innovation Die Quietly If your funnel feels quiet in the middle, it’s not your science that’s failing—it’s the story around it. Give your prospects a reason to trust you. Show them the people behind the innovation. Put your voice, your conviction, and your passion into the story.Because when the story is spoken, seen, and shared, innovation doesn’t die quietly. It accelerates.
 Why Clinical Laboratories are at a Crossroads. Since 2022, more than 40% of independent labs have shut their doors, according to Lighthouse Lab Services’ recent analysis of CLIA and CMS data. Many of these closures stem from a lack of preparedness or reliance on outdated operating models. The result has been an industry shake-out that few are openly discussing. Yet within this disruption lies opportunity. As Jon Harol, Founder of Lighthouse Lab Services, explains, “The herd has been thinned. But the labs that adapt and prepare are the ones that continue to grow.” Consolidation means that while fewer labs remain, the demand for testing hasn’t disappeared, these sample volumes still need to be processed. For the organizations prepared to adapt, this moment represents a chance to capture more volume and expand their market position. Meeting Lab Owners Where They Are Lighthouse began in 2003 as a staffing and recruiting firm, created in response to widespread shortages of medical laboratory professionals. Over time, the company expanded its services based on client demand—adding part-time and full-time lab directors, PhD-level expertise for LDT validations and lab design, revenue cycle management, field service engineering, and even payer network access support. Harol describes the philosophy as simple: listen and respond. “We’ve always grown by asking what our clients need next and figuring out how to provide it,” he says. That approach has positioned Lighthouse as a multi-stop partner for more than 200 high-complexity CLIA labs across the country Tackling the Workforce Crisis  Despite industry shifts, staffing remains a perennial challenge. Lighthouse’s Wage & Morale Report underscores what many already know: labs are struggling to attract and retain qualified professionals. The difference, Harol notes, is in how leaders approach the problem. “The best labs play the long game. They invest in their culture because good culture attracts and retains talent.” Rather than relying solely on stopgap solutions like temporary workers, he encourages lab managers to focus on morale, team development, and flexibility. Even small changes, such as offering occasional remote work days for tasks like QC or paperwork, can have an outsized impact. “That kind of work-life balance often means more to employees than a pay bump,” Harol adds. Turning Compliance and Reimbursement Into Strengths For many lab managers, compliance oversight and reimbursement pressure feel like constant vulnerabilities. Harol sees it differently. With the right strategies, these areas can become competitive strengths. One key is being selective about sample volume. “We see labs chasing growth by bringing in as many samples as possible, but 40% of that work can end up unpaid,” he explains. Instead, successful labs ensure they’re targeting the right samples, those that drive revenue rather than drain resources. On the compliance side, Harol emphasizes that regulations, when taken seriously, can improve efficiency. Cutting corners often leads to wasted time and risk exposure. “Haste makes waste,” he says. Recent CLIA crackdowns on workforce credentialing are a case in point. While some push back at the added paperwork, Harol believes these checks ultimately strengthen labs and improve patient outcomes.  Busting Myths About Lab-Developed Tests Another area where Harol sees misunderstanding is in the perception of lab-developed tests (LDTs). “There’s no data showing that LDTs are driving bad results,” he points out. In fact, most errors occur in FDA-approved tests. Rather than vilifying LDTs, Harol argues, the real need is to modernize CLIA, which hasn’t been updated since 1988. With AI algorithms now producing lab results and digital samples flowing between laboratories, outdated regulations risk falling behind reality. “These are the areas we should focus on if we want to ensure quality testing for the future,” he says. Positioning Labs for the Future Looking ahead, Harol sees major changes on the horizon, not just for labs, but for healthcare overall. The shift from fee-for-service to value-based care will reward outcomes and preventative measures over volume alone. That puts labs in a powerful position. Despite accounting for just 2.6% of healthcare spend, laboratory testing informs 70% of medical decisions. “We are the best dollar you can spend in healthcare,” Harol says. “The labs that position themselves as partners in value-based care will thrive.” Final Takeaway Preparedness is no longer optional for clinical labs. Whether it’s building strong cultures, making strategic decisions about reimbursement, or modernizing compliance processes, resilience depends on a willingness to adapt. For Harol, the message is clear: “The labs that think long-term, invest in their people, and align with where healthcare is heading will not only survive—but grow stronger in the process.” This blog was compiled from key insights shared by Jon Harol, Founder of Lighthouse Lab Services, during his recent interview on Life Sciences Decoded. You can watch the full conversation here: https://youtu.be/BcPSO2hewgg By Susan Najjar In life sciences, thought leadership carries a different weight than in other industries. Here, influence doesn’t just shape business decisions—it can affect funding priorities, regulatory frameworks, clinical practices, and ultimately, patient outcomes. That raises a critical question: how do you know if thought leadership is actually working? The Ultimate Measure of Success At its core, thought leadership in life sciences isn’t about personal brand, organizational visibility, or even influence alone. Its true measure is whether it advances science and improves health outcomes. Did your perspective help accelerate new approaches to rare disease trials? Did your work shape a regulatory framework that ensures patient safety? Did your collaboration bring diverse experts together to solve a complex challenge? Those are the outcomes that matter most. They are harder to measure than clicks or views, but infinitely more meaningful. The Long Game: Reputation and Trust Unlike marketing campaigns that can show immediate results, thought leadership is a long-term investment. It compounds over time. Each article, keynote, or collaborative paper adds to a reputation that can’t be built overnight. In life sciences especially, trust is the ultimate currency. Building that trust requires consistency, transparency, and a willingness to engage in dialogue—not just broadcast polished messages. The leaders who play the long game ultimately become the ones who guide how entire industry thinks about science, regulation, and innovation. Moving Beyond Vanity Metrics Too often, success is measured through digital vanity metrics—likes, views, or impressions. While those numbers show visibility, they don’t capture credibility or real-world impact. In life sciences, thought leadership must be measured by deeper indicators that reflect trust, relevance, and tangible outcomes. It’s tempting to equate popularity with impact. A LinkedIn post that racks up 10,000 impressions may feel like a win, but unless it sparks meaningful engagement or influences decisions, its value is limited. True thought leadership is less about being seen everywhere and more about being heard in the right places by the right people.  Metrics That Matter in Life Sciences
So, what does meaningful measurement look like? Here are the indicators that signal thought leadership is creating influence that lasts: 1. Invitations to Speak When your perspective is valued, others want you on their stages—whether at academic conferences, policy panels, industry roundtables, or internal leadership sessions. Speaking invitations show that peers recognize your authority and want your voice in critical conversations. 2. Policy and Regulatory Influence Perhaps the most powerful marker of thought leadership in life sciences is shaping policy. If your ideas are referenced in regulatory guidance, cited in public consultations, or included in industry position papers, it means your voice is advancing standards that govern how science is practiced and applied. 3. Citations and Mentions Whether in journals, industry reports, or digital forums, citations signal credibility. When others reference your work, it demonstrates that your insights are viewed as trusted resources within the field. 4. Collaborations and Partnerships Thought leadership often opens doors to new research collaborations, grant opportunities, and cross-sector partnerships. Influence becomes impact when it attracts others who want to innovate with you. 5. Recruitment and Retention Strong thought leadership makes organizations talent magnets. Top scientists and professionals want to work with leaders who are shaping their field. It also strengthens retention by fostering pride in being part of a forward-looking team. Final Thoughts Measuring thought leadership in life sciences means asking tougher questions than “how many people saw this?” It’s about assessing whether your work earned trust, opened doors, and contributed to progress that ultimately benefits patients and society. In a field where credibility is everything, the path from influence to impact is measured not by visibility, but by the legacy you leave in advancing science and improving lives.  By Meghan O'Sullivan Science can fail in the lab - but more often if fails in the story. Great products, ideas, and innovations don’t fail because they don’t work. They fail because no one understands why they matter. That usually comes down to one thing: poor storytelling. Without a clear, compelling narrative, science stalls before it starts which leads to no funding, no adoption, no impact. You can have the most advanced platform, the most precise assay, or the most cutting-edge robotics, but if your story doesn’t cut through the noise, your breakthrough will disappear in a sea of “solutions” that all sound the same. Innovation rarely dies with a bang. More often, it dies quietly, in the silence that follows a story never told, or told badly. Here are 5 of the most common storytelling mistakes in science and how to avoid them.
 Create A Winning Story Great products fail every day, not because they lack features, but because they lack a story that resonates. To win, your solution must be clearly connected to your customer’s problem. If you want your product to stand out, you need to:
In the end, your product is your story. If you don’t own it, get it right, and tell it often, the market will only hear silence. At Life Sciences Decoded, we help life science leaders turn their story into an engine for trust and visibility. One on-camera interview becomes a full package of assets — clips, blogs, and distribution through leading publications. Start simple: book a single interview, and see how far your story can travel.  An interview with Eric Mayton, CEO of Cerillo | As featured on the Life Sciences Decoded podcast
Scientific research is moving faster than ever, and so is the need for tools that match that pace. On a recent episode of Life Sciences Decoded, we sat down with Eric Mayton, CEO of Cerillo, a company that's making waves with its innovative platform for microbial research and beyond. Cerillo is a bio-tools company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, spun out of the University of Virginia. While small in size, just ten employees, Cerillo’s reach spans nearly 30 countries, thanks to a nimble business model, powerful partnerships, and a bold mission: to make research more reproducible, scalable, and flexible. What’s Broken in Scientific Research? According to Mayton, one of the major pain points in scientific research is the inability to study real-world microbial interactions with accuracy and speed. “Microbes don’t live in isolation, but we’ve been studying them as if they do,” he says. “It’s hard to control the thousands of variables that affect microbial behavior, and wet lab validation has been too expensive, too slow, and too complex.” Cerillo’s solution? Miniaturized hardware, intuitive software, and a novel consumable that together create a platform for real-time, high-throughput experimentation, without the overhead of traditional systems. The Duet System: Rethinking Microbial Interactions One of Cerillo’s most innovative offerings is the Duet system, a plastic consumable that lets scientists study microbial interplay in a shared environment while keeping organisms physically separate using a semipermeable membrane. It’s a deceptively simple innovation with game-changing impact. Mayton shares the story of a hospital-affiliated researcher investigating antibiotic-resistant syphilis cases post-COVID. Using just one Duet tray, the researcher tested various combinations of microbes and pinpointed the single species responsible for resistance, something that would have taken weeks using conventional tools. That discovery is now guiding more targeted therapies and reducing the unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. From Yogurt to Bioreactors The use cases don’t stop at healthcare. “We have customers using the Duet for biofuel development, alcoholic fermentation, and even probiotic research in yogurt manufacturing,” says Mayton. “Our platform meets scientists where they are, whether they’re at the bench or scaling up for production.” The key to this flexibility? Everything fits in a briefcase. Cerillo’s field kits are shipped globally, enabling partners to demonstrate, deploy, and support without an army of application specialists. Most users can go from unboxing to collecting data in under ten minutes. Punching Above Their Weight So how does a 10-person company compete in a space dominated by giants? Agility. “We’re able to take real feedback from customers and rapidly iterate,” says Mayton. “It’s not about the size of your R&D team—it’s how fast you can get the right tools into the right hands.” Cerillo also emphasizes self-service and support. Their online Help Center, born from support ticket trends and FAQ analysis, ensures users can find what they need quickly. “It’s about empowering scientists to move at the speed of their ideas,” Mayton explains. AI in the Lab: Hype or Help? Mayton acknowledges that AI is everywhere, but it’s important to understand how and where it fits. “Large language models are great for speeding up documentation, protocol generation, and customer support,” he notes, “but they can’t make scientific decisions.” Instead, Cerillo is exploring other AI models, like Bayesian optimization, for real-time experimental design and autonomous science. Myth-Busting the Bio-Tools Market As we wrapped up, Mayton addressed a common myth in the scientific tools space: “Just because you’ve built a cool product doesn’t mean people will adopt it. You have to connect the dots, show the customer how it fits into their workflow and why it matters.” Cerillo’s success lies not just in what they’ve built, but in how well they’ve listened, adapted, and supported their users. From Bench to Breakthrough Cerillo’s story is a compelling reminder that innovation doesn’t require a sprawling team or massive infrastructure. Sometimes, it just takes a smart system in a suitcase—and the will to meet scientists where they are. The Big Chill moment that made me rethink how we talk about science By Meghan O'Sullivan The other night The Big Chill was on, so I did my usual routine: hit “info” to check the year and see how old the actors were back then. And then I saw it. The movie description. Either the work of a well meaning intern, or more likely AI. “A group of old college friends sit around, listen to records, and talk.” I called my husband into the living room and we had a good laugh. “Technically accurate. Emotionally bankrupt.” I said with a grin. You see, the description failed to mention that it’s about a group of college friends who reunite after 15 years for the funeral of one of their friends, who committed suicide. Or that the film explores themes of friendship, loss, disillusionment, and the passage of time. That’s the story. Strip it down and you lose the soul of it. It made me wonder; is storytelling lost on the next generation? And then I realized that maybe it’s not just a generational issue. Maybe it’s that AI is forcing us to undersell ourselves. We bury the why in a sea of how.
The result? A lost opportunity to connect, not just with customers, but with patients, partners, and investors. Because no matter how brilliant your science is, if people don’t feel something, they won’t remember it.  So Why Are Life Science Companies So Reluctant to Embrace Storytelling? Here are the five most common reasons life science companies have given me over the years, for not focusing on their story. - "It feels forced.” - “Our CEO is really low-key." - “What we do isn’t that exciting.” - “It’s too complicated to explain.” - “Only a small audience really gets what we do.” Enough with the excuses. I’m calling them out one by one! Excuse #1: “It feels forced.”
The Truth: Then you’re telling the wrong story or telling it the wrong way. A good story never feels forced. It feels real. When you focus on the real impact of your work on patients, researchers, or even on the planet it becomes natural to tell. You don’t need to manufacture drama; you need to reveal the humanity behind the science. Start with the people side of it. Example: Imagine your company builds robotic automation for high-throughput screening. On the surface, it’s about precision, speed, and efficiency. But behind the hardware is something far more human. Because of that automation, a diagnostic lab was able to process thousands more samples each week, cutting turnaround time from days to hours. That meant a newborn with a rare metabolic disorder got the right treatment before symptoms even appeared. It meant a father with aggressive cancer started therapy while it could still make a difference. The story isn’t about robotics. It’s about what happens because of robotics. Faster answers. Earlier interventions. Lives changed. Lives saved. A title for this story could be: The Heartbeat Behind the Hardware. Excuse #2: “Our CEO is very low key.” The Truth: You don’t need a flashy spokesperson to tell a powerful story. In fact, some of the most compelling narratives come from quiet leaders who speak with conviction, not charisma. The key is to meet them where they are. Let them speak in their own voice. Maybe it’s a reflective quote on why they started the company, or a brief anecdote that anchors the mission. And if they’d rather stay behind the scenes? No problem. Let the science team, a patient advocate, a partner, or even a customer be the voice. Storytelling isn’t about spotlighting the loudest person it’s about illuminating the purpose behind your work. Authenticity beats volume every time. Excuse #3: "What we do isn’t really that exciting.” The Truth: Not exciting? You’re developing life-saving diagnostics, pushing the frontiers of biotech, decoding disease, or engineering the next generation of therapies. If that’s not exciting, what is? The challenge is not what you do, it’s how you talk about it. Example: Let’s say your company develops quality control software for clinical labs. It runs quietly in the background, flagging inconsistencies and ensuring that instruments are working properly. Not exactly headline material, right? But now imagine this: because of that software, a false negative was caught before a patient was mistakenly told they were cancer-free. That tiny flag in the system prevented a life-altering delay in treatment. Suddenly, what sounded routine is now a story about trust, accuracy, and accountability in moments that matter. The work may be invisible, but its impact isn’t. You don’t need to embellish. You just need to connect the dots between what you do and why it matters. 4. “It’s too complicated to explain.” The Truth: Yes, science is complex, and that’s a good thing. But complexity doesn’t mean your story has to be confusing. You’re not dumbing it down, you’re distilling it. Think of it like using a microscope: you don’t show your audience the entire slide, you zoom in on one meaningful field of view that tells the story. Lead with the why - the problem you’re solving or the outcome you’re enabling-then reveal just enough of the how to build trust and curiosity. Ditch the acronyms and layered mechanisms in your first breath. Start with impact. Example: Let’s say you’re a company using AI to optimize antibody discovery. The algorithm itself is complex, and the team gets lost in descriptors like “iterative active learning loops” and “sequence space mapping.” Now imagine reframing it this way: “Every day without an effective antibody means another patient with no treatment. Our platform learns from every failed experiment, so we get to the right therapeutic candidates in a fraction of the time.” You’ve just made a machine learning platform about human urgency. You didn’t ignore the science, you made it serve the story. The truth is, every company has a story worth telling. Especially in life sciences, where the stakes are high and the breakthroughs are real. Excuse #5: “Only a small audience understands what we do.” The Truth: Niche audiences tend to be highly engaged, especially when you speak their language and reflect their challenges. But don’t stop there. A well-told story can ripple far beyond the technical crowd. Investors, collaborators, future hires, and even regulatory reviewers pay attention when the narrative is clear and compelling. Good storytelling doesn’t dilute your science, it amplifies your mission. Example: Suppose you're a synthetic biology startup engineering microbial consortia for soil remediation. It sounds esoteric, and sure, your core audience might be environmental scientists and industrial biotech specialists. But when you explain it like this: “We’re programming microbes to clean toxic soil so that abandoned industrial sites can become places where kids play again,” You’ve suddenly opened the door to policymakers, grant funders, and impact investors. You didn’t lose your niche audience. And you expanded your reach. Conclusion: Bring Back the Story! We don’t need to abandon data. We just need to embed it in something human. Storytelling isn’t fluff. It’s not extra. It’s how we make meaning out of the work we do. It’s how we get others to care. To fund us. To join us. To believe in us. So, if you're sitting on a good story instead of making it technical and data driven – Stop! Find the life in your life sciences story. Or risk having someone sum it all up with: “A group of scientists just sit around, run assays, and talk.” |
Authors
Meghan O'Sullivan
Susan Najjar
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