Parexel to Lead Sessions at DPHARM 2026 on AI, Talent and the Future of Clinical Operations

CEO and other Parexel executive leaders will examine enterprise AI adoption, future workforce readiness and patient-first drug development

RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parexel, a leading global clinical development partner providing insights-driven Clinical and Consulting solutions to the world’s life sciences industry, today announced it will lead and moderate three expert panel sessions on enterprise AI innovation, future workforce readiness and patient-first drug development at DPHARM 2026, the 16th annual conference on modernizing clinical research, September 15-16 in Boston.

The sessions come as sponsors weigh how to best leverage AI to deliver greater speed, quality and efficiency. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has moved to pilot real-time clinical trials and continues to evolve its thinking on AI in drug development, while clinical operations teams face sustained pressure to deliver more against flat resources – a tension running throughout the DPHARM agenda. Parexel enters those conversations with results already in market: ParexelAI™, the company's proprietary suite of human-led AI services launched in May 2026, is delivering a 50% reduction in site selection process timelines, a 30% reduction in clinical study report preparation time in medical writing and a 60% reduction in safety literature screening and pharmacovigilance case processing.

"DPHARM brings together clinical operations leaders and innovators who are shaping the future of drug development," said Peyton Howell, Chief Executive Officer. “The sessions Parexel is leading bring together industry experts to discuss and explore how organizations can leverage emerging technologies and talent strategies to build more efficient, resilient and patient-first operations. As clinical development evolves, Parexel is committed to helping sponsors learn more about how to navigate this transformation and deliver better outcomes for patients.”

Sessions featuring Parexel executives are scheduled throughout the conference:

• Patient Keynote:
  • Moderator: Stacy Hurt, Chief Patient Officer, Parexel
  • Date and time: Tuesday, September 15 from 8:05 a.m. – 8:25 a.m.
  • Context: Hurt joins Gunnar Esiason, Vice President, Patient Strategy and Innovation at Raven, RA Capital, a cystic fibrosis patient and advocate focused on early-stage drug development, patient empowerment and health policy.
• Senior Leadership Panel: “Building a Future-Ready Clinical Operations Workforce: Talent, Tech, and AI Readiness”
  • Moderator: Peyton Howell, Chief Executive Officer, Parexel
  • Date and time: Wednesday, September 16 from 8:25 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
  • Context: Howell will moderate a discussion with senior leaders from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Regeneron and Merck on preparing the clinical operations workforce for an AI-enabled future, including workforce transformation, talent development, AI implementation and behavioral change.
• “Citizen Developers: How Democratizing AI Unlocks Enterprise Value”
  • Speaker: Boris Braylyan, Chief Digital & Data Officer, Parexel
  • Date and time: Wednesday, September 16 from 11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
  • Context: Braylyan will detail Parexel's citizen developer program, an initiative in the ParexelAI suite that combines enterprise AI with internally-developed solutions to transform clinical operations.
    
    

In addition to Howell, Hurt and Braylyan, other Parexel senior leader attendees include Chief Business & Strategy Officer, Keri Mattox and Senior Vice President, Global Head Real World Research, Mike D’Ambrosio. Attendees can visit Parexel at Booth #531 to learn more about the company’s clinical development solutions and connect with the team.

DPHARM (Disrupting Pharma) is a premier industry conference bringing together 1,000+ industry executives and innovators, including enterprise and biotech leaders, clinical operations leaders, patients and solutions providers. The event focuses on modernizing clinical trial operations, advancing regulatory innovation and leveraging emerging technologies – including AI and automation – to accelerate clinical development and improve patient outcomes.

About Parexel
Parexel is a leading global clinical development partner providing insights-driven Clinical and Consulting solutions to the world’s life sciences industry. Leveraging deep local knowledge and a global breadth of clinical, regulatory and therapeutic expertise, our 22,000+ global employees work in partnership with biopharmaceutical leaders, emerging innovators and sites to design and deliver clinical trials with patients in mind — broadening access and making clinical research a care option for anyone, anywhere. Our proven track record spans 40+ years and drives us forward, advancing clinical research in healthcare’s most complex areas while harnessing innovation to drive efficiencies across every phase of the clinical development process. Our insights-driven approach, proven delivery and trusted execution are accelerating the delivery of life-changing treatments to patients — With Heart®. We continue to earn recognition industrywide, including the 2025 Scrip Award for “Best Contract Research Organization – Full-Service Provider,” the 2024 Fierce Biotech CRO Award for "Innovative Approaches to Patient-Centric Research" and the 2024 and 2023 Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) Eagle Award for advancing the clinical research profession through strong site partnerships. For more information, visit parexel.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.  

Media

Danaka Williams
+1 (984) 298-4207
Danaka.Williams@parexel.com

Addison Stallings 
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Addison.Stallings@parexel.com