Commentary|Articles|November 2, 2026

Embedding AI Across the Clinical Operating Model: Q&A with Rajneesh Patil, Syneos Health

Author(s)Rajneesh Patil, Andy Studna, Senior Editor

In this Q&A, Rajneesh Patil, global head of AI, digital, and innovation in clinical development at Syneos Health, discusses what changes when AI is embedded across protocol strategy, data infrastructure, and workflow tools at once, where governance frameworks tend to fall short, and why CROs must orchestrate AI ecosystems rather than simply aggregate them.

As artificial intelligence (AI) moves from isolated task automation into protocol design, feasibility, monitoring, and data review at the same time, the real question for ClinOps is no longer whether individual tools work, but whether the handoffs between them finally get faster.

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