Pharma Prescribed is a podcast about the people, data and decisions behind clinical trials - hosted by Biometrics leader and visionary Adam Walker. No jargon walls. No corporate gloss. Just the real conversations the industry rarely makes time for.
The premise
Pharma is full of brilliant people doing meaningful work — yet most of it stays hidden behind acronyms, slide decks and closed conference rooms. Pharma Prescribed exists to bring those conversations into the open, with honesty about what the work actually looks like day to day.
Statistical programmers, data managers, biostatisticians, medical writers, clinical operations leads, sponsors, CROs, and the next generation breaking into the industry. If you care about clinical trials, patients and the data behind both — you're in the right place.
Give clinical trials a more human voice. Demystify Biometrics. Champion the people doing the work. Help newcomers find a way in, and help leaders make better, more patient-centred decisions.
Adam's story
I help pharmaceutical and life science organisations strengthen data integrity, optimise biometrics operations and accelerate evidence generation. With 25+ years leading global teams, platforms and transformation programmes, I have worked across the full spectrum of clinical, rare disease, real-world and post‑market data.
In roles with AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Glenmark, Jazz Pharma, the UK regulator MHRA and multiple MedTech innovators, I have built and led biometrics functions, delivered complex global programmes and shaped data strategies for vaccines, immunotherapies and rare disease research.
My work spans:
After decades inside the engine room of clinical trials; Database Design, Data Management, Statistical Programming, Biostatistics and Medical Writing, one thing became impossible to ignore: the people doing this work rarely get to talk about it openly. Conferences are full of polished decks. Career guidance for newcomers is scarce. And somewhere along the way, the patient often disappears from the conversation.
Pharma Prescribed was created to change that; a podcast where life science leaders sit down and talk like humans. About the craft. About the pressure. About the responsibility behind every dataset. It's a space for the conversations leaders should be having about innovation, leadership and the humanity centred around the future of life sciences.
If your organisation needs to reduce risk, modernise data operations or navigate complex evidence landscapes, I bring the strategic clarity, technical depth and leadership experience to make it happen.
What guides every episode
Real talk over polished talking points. The good, the hard and the unfinished.
Hosted by someone who has lived inside SDTM, ADaM, SAS, R and submission deadlines.
Every dataset represents a person. That perspective shapes every episode.
New episodes drop regularly. Start with the back catalogue, follow along, or reach out if you'd like to be a guest.
Start here
New to the show? These conversations are a great way in — one pick from each major theme we cover.
Mental Health & Wellbeing
Dermot Whelan
Burnout, Anxiety & the Science of Mindfulness
AI & Technology
Dr Andrée Bates
Pharma AI, Saving Lives with Data & the HelloFresh of Medicine
Leadership & Career
Natalie Douglas
Why Pharma Needs Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
Patient Voice
Maya Zlatanova
Designing Trials for Real Patients (Not Unicorns)
Clinical Trials
Adam Baumgart
RBQM, AI in Clinical Trials & 38 Years of Hard-Won Pharma Wisdom
Healthcare Systems
Sharmila Hume
Brain Injuries, Suicide Prevention & the Body's Hidden Signals