Commentary|Articles|October 7, 2026

Using AI to Design Better Trials Before the First Patient Enrolls: Q&A with Claire Riches, Citeline

In this Q&A, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, discusses how AI is transforming endpoint selection and protocol pressure-testing, what data inputs matter most for realistic enrollment planning, and why the tools are more accessible than most sponsors assume.

Endpoint selection, inclusion-exclusion criteria, and enrollment assumptions have long been shaped by what a sponsor's internal team has seen before—a bounded view that leaves real risk invisible until a trial is already running. Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing that calculus, and for clinical operations professionals still weighing when and how to engage with these tools, the window for waiting is closing.

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Where AI Leads in Trial Design—and Where Humans Still Need To
In this video interview, Claire Riches, VP of clinical solutions at Citeline, makes the case for AI as a sophisticated strategic advisor in trial design while arguing that humans must remain in the lead—especially when factors the model can't fully account for are at stake.