A practical guide through the complete Clinical Research Project lifecycle and key Management Skills in small bytes.
These posts walk you through each stage primarily from a CRO perspective with Pharma insights where processes differ. You'll find real experiences from 25 years in the field, templates you can adapt, brain-based strategies to reduce chances of burnout, and AI prompts that actually can help you.
Where project management methodology meets neuroscience and practical AI application.
Featured Articles
The "Work Smarter" Myth Cracked (1/18): Why Your Brain Needs a Better Plan
𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫! 𝐎𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐎𝐖?
Happy New Year, everybody! I hope that you had a nice break
Does this sound familiar to you: "New Year's resolution: Work smarter."
I hear this every January. And honestly? It's good advice. We all want to work smarter, not harder. But here's what nobody tells you: the HOW.
After 25 years in clinical research programme management (pharma and CROs sides), my Brain-Based Coaching certification and now completing my Executive Coaching certification, I've learned something important:
Working smarter isn't about motivation or discipline. It's about understanding how you work best in general and your brain in particular.
Your working memory can hold about 7 items at a time. Most PM/PDs are trying to juggle 70.
Every time you switch tasks, you lose about 23 minutes of focus to something called "attention residue." And you're probably switching 60+ times per day.
Your brain has a filter system (the Reticular Activating System) that decides what you notice. Have you programmed it intentionally, or is it running on default?
This isn't motivational advice. This is neuroscience.
🎁 So, I am starting this new 2026 with a present for you and your brain: 17 neuroscience strategies for clinical research PM/PDs who want to excel, and potentially advancing their careers, without burning out
Starting this week I will be posting one strategy each time. These are the strategies I wish someone had taught me 20 years ago. The ones that help you advance your career without sacrificing your wellbeing.
Brain-Based Strategies to Manage the Chaos (2/4)
Juggling active projects while waiting on proposal responses isn't just stressful, it's cognitively expensive. Your brain's working memory can only handle 4-7 items at once, and context-switching costs you up to 23 minutes of productive focus each time.
This post shares 5 strategies to manage this reality.
These aren't just organisation tips. They're cognitive offloading techniques that free up your mental bandwidth for what matters most.
Mastering RFI/RFP Responses. A PML Survival Guide 1/4
Understanding the RFI/RFP response phase isn't just about learning a process. It's about preparing yourself for one of the most demanding, uncertain, and high-stakes periods in clinical research project management. By combining brain-based strategies with strategic use of AI tools, you can navigate this phase more effectively, reduce cognitive overload, and deliver stronger proposals without burning out in the process.
Whether you're a PM looking to grow into a PD role or already navigating these waters, recognizing these challenges and implementing practical solutions is what separates good PMLs from great ones.
The future of proposal development isn't about AI replacing your expertise. It's about AI amplifying your capabilities so you can focus on what you do best: strategic thinking, relationship building, and crafting winning narratives that convince sponsors you're the right partner for their critical research programs.