Who Really Protects Patients in Clinical Trials? With Dr. Lara Shirikjian
February 25, 2026
In this episode of Power to the Patients, host Brandon Li sits down with Dr. Lara Shirikjian, Medical Director at CenExel, to explore why operational excellence, not just innovation, drives progress in psychiatric drug development. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in schizophrenia and CNS research, Dr. Shirikjian explains how protocol mastery, direct sponsor communication, and community trust are essential to running high-performing research sites and advancing meaningful psychiatric treatments.
In this episode of Power to the Patients, Brandon Li speaks with Dr. Lara Shirikjian, board-certified psychiatrist and Medical Director at CenExel, about what it truly takes to build effective, ethical, and scalable psychiatric research programs.
Drawing on over 20 years of clinical and research experience, Dr. Shirikjian shares how operational rigor, deep protocol understanding, consistent site execution, and proactive communication directly impacts study quality, placebo response, and patient retention. She explains why schizophrenia trials, in particular, demand thoughtful wraparound support, strong community provider relationships, and clear boundaries between therapeutic care and research participation.
The conversation also explores the often-overlooked operational realities sponsors face, from protocol complexity to CRO bottlenecks, and why direct PI-to-sponsor communication can dramatically accelerate problem-solving. Throughout the episode, Dr. Shirikjian emphasizes that while technology and innovation matter, human judgment, site culture, and ethical responsibility remain irreplaceable in psychiatric research.
What You'll Learn:
- Why operational consistency plays a critical role in minimizing placebo response in psychiatric trials
- How a protocol-first mindset reduces complexity and improves study execution
- Why direct communication between sponsors and principal investigators speeds up issue resolution
- How wraparound services improve retention in schizophrenia research without compromising study integrity
- The importance of planning for post-study patient restabilization before enrollment begins
- How research sites can build trust with community providers and unlock sustainable referral networks
- Why human judgment and site leadership remain essential despite advances in technology and AI
- What sponsors often underestimate about running high-quality psychiatry and CNS trials
About the Guest:
Dr. Lara Shirikjian is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with over two decades of clinical and research experience specializing in schizophrenia, postpartum depression, mood and anxiety disorders, trauma-related conditions, and women’s mental health. She currently serves as Medical Director and Principal Investigator at CenExel CNS / Collaborative Neuroscience Research, where she leads Phase I–IV clinical trials in partnership with global pharmaceutical sponsors.
Dr. Shirikjian has contributed to pivotal research on treatments such as zuranolone for postpartum depression and maintains an active private psychiatry practice. She also serves as Volunteer Clinical Faculty at Harbor UCLA Medical Center, mentoring psychiatry residents and supporting academic training.
Episode Resources:
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