Where Does Trust Begin in a Clinical Trial?

Beyond The Protocol

In clinical trials, trust isn’t a soft skill it’s the foundation of everything. But trust doesn’t just happen between patients and sponsors.

It begins with the teams who run the trials. Without strong leadership, mentorship, and ongoing training, operational cracks erode not only team confidence but also trial credibility.

In this episode, Melody Keel sits down with Cornelia Baumgartner, founder of Cetacea Clinical, to explore how mentorship, professional development, and team culture shape trust across rare disease, early-phase, and lean biotech environments. With over two decades of experience, from study nurse to strategist, Cornelia shares how clinical ops leaders can build resilient teams, embed trust at every layer, and position trials for success.

What you’ll learn:
• Why trust starts with leaders who mentor, train, and invest in their teams
• How ongoing professional development strengthens trial quality and culture
• The risks of misaligned outsourcing and the need for empowered internal teams
• The connection between mentorship, operational readiness, and regulatory trust
• Practical steps for sponsors to embed credibility without unnecessary complexity

Welcome to Beyond the Protocol—where authentic conversations about clinical research happen.

Hosted by Melody Keel, bringing together diverse professionals from across the industry to share insights and experiences about what it really takes to deliver successful clinical trials.

This isn't about perfect processes—it's about real people sharing real solutions.

Let's go beyond the protocol.

That's all for today's episode of Beyond the Protocol—where we explore what it truly takes to deliver successful clinical trials.

If you found value in today's conversation, please subscribe, share with your network, and leave a review.

Have experiences or insights to share? Reach out and be part of the conversation.

Join us next week as we continue to discover what lies beyond the protocol.

You can catch it on :
📺 LinkedIn Live

📺 YouTube ▶️https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheProtocol

🎧 Spotify ▶️https://open.spotify.com/show/5tJlyePbEkmXLEPzSPtBcK?si=d209a257a8224056

🎧 Apple Podcasts ▶️https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-protocol/id1798238612

🎧 Deezer ▶️https://dzr.page.link/Wy8E6rSXR7NpR15W7

🎧 Podcast address ▶️https://beyondtheprotocol.buzzsprout.com/
This Podcast is Sponsored by The Research Associate Group, Inc.

챕터

1. Welcome & Guest Intro (00:00:00)

2. Cornelia’s Clinical Journey (00:02:46)

3. Balancing Multiple Roles (00:04:40)

4. Shared Goals in Trials (00:06:43)

5. Breaking Down Silos (00:09:04)

6. Patient-Centered Protocols (00:11:44)

7. Building Trust & Collaboration (00:14:59)

8. Transparency & Context in Trials (00:18:44)

9. Post-Pandemic Connections (00:22:44)

10. Practical Biotech Solutions & Close (00:27:44)