Keeping Clinical Trials Going in Ukraine with Anna Titkova

In this episode of The Human Protocol, Theodora Savlovschi-Wicks is joined by Anna Titkova MD, PhD, MBA, Country Head Ukraine and Director of International Operations at Pratia. Anna shares how building Ukraine’s first dedicated clinical research unit in March 2020 became the beginning of a much larger story about leadership, responsibility, and continuity through crisis. This is a powerful conversation about clinical research in Ukraine, patient access during conflict, and what it takes to keep trials moving when safety, stability, and certainty can no longer be assumed. We also explore the human side of trial continuity, from local decision-making and team resilience to the real people behind every protocol, data point, and patient ID. Key takeaways: 🔸 Why Anna built a clinical research business in Ukraine during the first weeks of COVID🔸 What happened to patients, sites, and trial teams in the first days of the war🔸 Why Ukraine should not be written off as a clinical research location🔸 How sponsors, CROs, and neighbouring countries supported patient continuity🔸 What extreme circumstances taught Anna about leadership, empathy, and adaptability Host:Theodora Savlovschi-WicksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theoswicks/ Guest:Anna Titkova MD, PhD, MBALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-titkova-clinical-operations-medical-affairs/Key chapters:00:00 Introduction to Anna Titkova04:36 Building Clinical Research in Crisis07:42 Navigating War, Resilience, and Responsibility10:46 The Impact of War on Clinical Trials13:32 Why Ukraine Still Matters in Clinical Research16:40 Lessons from the International Clinical Research Community19:40 Leadership, Empathy, and Purpose Under Pressure25:33 The Future of Pratia Ukraine The Human Protocol is a podcast from Vivexa, exploring clinical conversations at the intersection of people and trials. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on the people shaping clinical research.