Maris Veldre earned BSC and PT degrees from the Medical Academy of Latvia and later studied for an international MPH at University of Kuopio, Finland. He has over 23 years of experience in the industry, both at CRO and Pharma companies holding regional and global positions in clinical operations and strategic sourcing. For the past 6 years, Maris managed clinical operations at Dokumeds, a mid-sized European CRO acquired by Rho in December 2022, including expansion into new geographic regions both within and outside Europe, thus significantly increasing capabilities and the company’s strategic footprint. Currently, Maris is responsible for oversight of Rho ex-US clinical operations, operating in over 30 countries.

Why Clinical Research?

“During my postgraduate studies in Public Health part of my research was on changes in anti-hypertensive therapy over the 25-year timeframe. It surprised me on how much the treatment approach had changed over a relatively short period of time, thus triggering my interest in the drug development process behind these changes. Later, when deciding on career change from epidemiology to drug development, it was an easy decision to become a CRA for a global CRO. After starting with clinical research, I never looked back for the past 23 years. Even though clinical research has become much more complex and is more and more technology driven, people make the real difference and lead complex projects to success. I am proud to be part of the drug development process, and passionate in helping patients get access to modern therapies faster.”

This is what drives Maris:

“Coming from a doctor’s family, from early childhood on I was exposed to practical medicine where quick and precise decisions are often critical to save the life of a patient. Similarly, in the clinical research industry, a quick decision may have a direct impact on the availability of new medicines to patients. There is no perfect clinical trial and there are no two clinical trials alike. Being able to take decisions and influence decisions in assisting our clients’ navigation around the diverse challenges in their drug development programs is the part I enjoy the most.”