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Ed Ramos
Edward Ramos, Ph.D., is a prominent figure in the field of digital clinical trials, currently serving as the Director of Digital Clinical Trials at Scripps Research and as the Chief Scientific Officer at CareEvolution. He is also a co-founder of the Digital Trials Center, which aims to innovate clinical research by integrating digital health technologies and promoting decentralized study designs that enhance participant engagement and data collection.
Professional Background
Dr. Ramos has a robust background in research and public health, having spent nearly 15 years in various roles at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His work there included leading significant initiatives like the All of Us Research Program, which aimed to create a diverse health database for improved treatment and prevention strategies. Prior to his tenure at NIH, he served as a legislative fellow and assistant to then-Senator Barack Obama, focusing on health and science policy.
Education
He earned his Ph.D. in molecular biotechnology from the University of Washington, with his dissertation research conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He also holds a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University.
Research Focus
At Scripps Research, Dr. Ramos oversees various projects within the Digital Trials Center, including studies related to COVID-19 (DETECT), maternal health (PowerMom), and glycemic response (PROGRESS). His expertise encompasses population genomics, bioinformatics, mobile health, and digital clinical trials, making him a leading voice in transforming how clinical research is conducted.
Dr. Ramos advocates for decentralized clinical trials that not only broaden access but also reduce participant burden while ensuring comprehensive data collection. His work emphasizes addressing health disparities and promoting diversity within clinical research settings .123
Highlights
Another feather in the cap for the HLTH team! HLTH Europe 🌎 was a huge success!
I’m just scratching the surface of all the incredible sessions over the past few days but these are some that stood out for me:
–Tackling gut health 🥘 was front and center for Nicholas Syhler, Robert Garber, Bobby Prasad, and Zeina A. moderated by Chandana Fitzgerald. How do we scale the use of digital health technologies, access to health coaches, nutritional “training”, and various tools to motivate behavioral modifications all while tackling problems of reimbursement, tech interop, and the increasing impact of GLP-1 drugs?
–The session on inclusivity in clinical trials had a great title: “Why we really shouldn’t still be talking about this in 2024 (but have to!)”. James O’Shaughnessy moderated Cristina Ortega Duran, Michelle Longmire, Dina Gifkins, and Adama Ibrahim, EMBA. Bottom line: we all know we need to do better. The panel focused on describing methodologies to meet participants where they are, leveraging approaches (like hybrid, decentralized trials) that improve access, and putting AI to work for things like site selection.
–#womenshealth ♀ had a wonderful dedicated spotlight throughout the conference. The amazing, brilliant women that graced the stage didn’t hesitate to challenge the status quo & social norms that are misguided. We should be able to talk about things like menstruation (period blood is in fact red [duh] despite how portrayed!), incontinence (bladder control is real, let’s not ignore it), and perimenopause/menopause (hot flashes are just the tip of the iceberg). So many amazing speakers but Dr. Priya Agrawal, MD (BMBCh), MPH, Dame Lesley Regan, and Dr Antonella Santuccione Chadha put it best when asked by Paula Bellostas Muguerza what their call to arms is: money talks (women need to be a larger part of the investment community), education (let's focus on the messaging and information to young girls), and education of the healthcare system (raising awareness of women’s unmet medical needs and understanding the infrastructure that’s meant to deliver the care).
–Lastly, our bread and butter at Scripps Research Digital Trials Center and CareEvolution, digital health. Katie Baca-Motes dropped knowledge along with Manuel Marina Breysse, Alexandra Gonçalves, MD, MMSc, PhD, and Ryan Field in a session focused on digital biomarkers moderated by Shrawan Patel, MD. Katie and co-panelists gave their perspectives on what digital biomarkers we should be excited about, how digital biomarkers are used in drug development, and interesting use cases that highlight the power of leveraging continuous data for providing personalized health insights.
And if there were prizes for best quotes, I’d have to give it to John Krakauer during the panel on neurodegnerative diseases when asked what his call to action is: “Read. If you want new ideas, read old books. If you want old ideas, read new books.” (an Ivan Pavlov quote 📖 )
