Don't Start With AI—Start With the Bottleneck

Everyone wants to apply AI to drug development. But what if the smartest place to start isn't the technology at all—it's the bottleneck. In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, we sit down with Anastasia Christianson, former innovation and AI leader at Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, now Managing Principal at EPAM Systems, to explore how artificial intelligence can move beyond experimentation and begin transforming clinical development. Anastasia makes a compelling case that successful AI adoption starts not with tools, but with business problems—specifically the friction points slowing trial design, patient recruitment, protocol optimization, and execution. Rather than chasing "AI everywhere," she argues companies should focus AI where it can solve high-impact challenges and deliver measurable outcomes. We dive into digital twins, virtual trials, synthetic control arms, and AI-driven patient engagement, exploring how these technologies are already improving clinical trial design and could ultimately reshape how therapies are brought to market. Anastasia also shares practical lessons on change management, scaling innovation inside complex organizations, and why process redesign—not technology alone—is often what determines whether transformation succeeds. If you're interested in AI in pharma, clinical trial innovation, digital twins, drug development, or biotech strategy, this episode offers a compelling roadmap for where the next wave of innovation is heading.