About Us - Sprout Health Solutions

Richard Simpson

BA, ACMA / Finance Director (Headline FD)

My expertise

I am an experienced Finance Director who has spent more than 30 years in senior financial positions and a specific interest in driving growth in small, owner-managed businesses.

My Experience

Since qualifying as an accountant in 1990, I have worked senior finance and general management positions in the UK, mainland Europe, North America and South East Asia. My sector experience includes pharmaceuticals, advertising and marketing, professional services, broadcasting, food and technology.

For the past twenty years I have worked with a portfolio of smaller, usually owner-managed businesses helping them to achieve medium-term growth plans and enable their organisations to adapt to changing external environments.

My guiding principles

I am passionate about providing owner-managers with the information and understanding they need to make their businesses succeed.

Anne Cho

Project Manager

My expertise

My background includes high-level administrative support and working with cross-functional teams in the healthcare and banking industries.

My experience

With nine years of executive administration and management support experience in the healthcare and banking industries, I am eager to bring my skills and passion to the Sprout team. I enjoy working in a collaborative environment where growth and exploration is actively encouraged.

I look forward to not only growing professionally, but also contributing to Sprout’s positive impact on patients’ lives.

My guiding principles

Strive to be helpful and resourceful in any situation. Be open-minded and stay hungry.

Beverly Romero

MA | Senior Principal

My expertise

I’m a qualitative researcher with expertise in patient–centered outcomes and a focus in pediatrics and rare disease.

My experience

With an expertise in qualitative methods, I have been working in the field of patient–centered outcomes in a consulting environment since 2010. During this time, I have had the opportunity to hone my skills in the development and validation of clinical outcome assessments (COAs) and consulting on the selection of COA endpoints for clinical trials. I have conducted hundreds of qualitative interviews with clinicians, caregivers, and patients of all ages.

My experience includes a wide variety of therapeutic areas, including gastroenterology, CNS disorders, rare genetic disorders, immunology, and dermatology. I am particularly passionate about research in the area of rare disease and pediatrics.

My prior work experience includes over 5 years in the communications field and 15+ years as a university–level writing instructor.

My guiding principles

Everyone has a valuable story to share with the world, and we can learn a lot from listening to one another’s stories. I’m passionate about capturing the stories of patients and caregivers and ensuring those voices are an integral part of the drug development process.

Justina Tol

BSc (Hons) | Project Manager

My expertise

My background includes maintaining strong relationships with clients, project management and coordination, financial tracking and reporting, and risk management.

My experience

My experience is in various industries and working environments where I aimed for clients’ maximum satisfaction, thereby strengthening customer loyalty. While always aiming to create value, I have experience in taking accountability for a portfolio of clients that need regular management to support operationally and strategically. I enjoy having the responsibility of the full-service overseeing while also initiating and driving improvements to strategies and tactical plans resulting in enhanced efficiency and quality.

My guiding principles

My focus is representing the stakeholders’ needs and goals to the various cross-functional teams to ensure quality service, resulting in client satisfaction and operational excellence, and encouraging new and repeat business opportunities.

Rachel Cotter

Office Manager

My expertise

I am an Office Manager with a background in Bookkeeping and ISO Management.

My experience

Over the last thirteen years I have worked within the Information Technology industry which has given me great technical knowledge paired with finance experience. I started out as an Office Assistant but having gained exposure quite quickly to all aspects of the business I decided to focus on getting a bookkeeping certification. That soon developed into an Accounts Assistant role and then swiftly onto Office Management. During that time, I played a key part in obtaining ISO accreditation for the company and maintaining the QMS, ISMS and Environmental system, alongside the day to day tasks of Office Management and Accounts function.

I am very much looking forward to furthering my career and knowledge with Sprout.

My guiding principles

I am passionate about finding better ways of working, utilising systems to their fullest and improving procedures for everyone; in the interest of saving time and cost. I get great satisfaction from helping others and being a supportive member of any team.

Kara Giannone

MPH | Scientist

My expertise

Scientist with research expertise in qualitative research methodology, patient-reported outcomes, and digital health interventions.

My experience

I graduated with my MPH in Behavioral Science and Health Education from Emory University in 2019. After my graduate degree I worked for an academic institution both as a qualitative researcher and as a project manager in the digital health space. I have experience in translating public health and medical interventions to a digital platform while ensuring usability standards are maintained and user experience is maximized to meet study aims.

As a qualitative researcher I have experience working on projects in various areas including urology, oncology, immunology, psychiatry, hematology, gastroenterology, health policy and management, epidemiology, and health promotion.

My guiding principles

I believe that any health-based organization or company that is aiming to positively impact quality of life needs to allow space for the patient voice. I am passionate about facilitating that exchange through qualitative research.

Yuzana Khine Zaw

PhD, Public Health | Scientist

My expertise

I’m a medical anthropologist with qualitative research experience in clinical studies.

My experience

I have seven years of experience in academia, conducting qualitative social science research on antimicrobial resistance in Southeast Asia. I completed a PhD in Public Health and Policy at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where I focused on exploring the social and political contexts of antimicrobial resistance and care in Myanmar through an ethnographic study.

Prior to this, I completed a master’s in International Health and Tropical Medicine at the University of Oxford where I examined the social role of diagnostic biomarker testing in antibiotic prescription. I also studied pre-medicine during my bachelor’s and spent four years doing lab-based research at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. There, I completed an undergraduate honors thesis on chemoprevention mechanisms. I am therefore, well-versed in health and medicine, across different disease and therapeutic areas including febrile illness, cancer, diabetes, malaria, and HIV.

My guiding principles

Real-world solutions should be holistic and go beyond the technical. To achieve this, I believe in the importance of listening to and incorporating everyone’s voices, particularly those whose lives we are most impacting – the patients.

Anna de la Motte

MSEd | Scientist

My expertise

I’m a qualitative scientist with research and consulting expertise in patient-centered outcomes and qualitative research methods.

My experience

I have over five years’ experience in health outcomes research, four of which were in a pediatric setting. I completed my MSEd degree at the University of Pennsylvania where I focused on the role of health in education. My master’s thesis examined the effect of a free play intervention on feelings of social connectivity and academic performance.

For the last five years, I’ve worked on the development of novel pediatric patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures and modification of existing measures for specific pediatric clinical populations. Most recently, I worked in the patient-centered research division of a large CRO, providing project management, research, and consulting services to multiple international pharmaceutical companies. I have experience conducting qualitative research with both pediatric and adult populations and have experience across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, nephrology, gastroenterology, and sleep medicine.

My guiding principles

My passion as a COA researcher is working creatively to ensure that the voices and priorities of different patient populations are central in clinical decision-making and the development of new treatments.

Emily Whyte

BSc | Project Manager

My expertise

I am a junior project manager providing support to senior project managers and specializing in pharma and wellness projects, behavior change initiatives and patient support programs.

My experience

I have worked in marketing and project management in a variety of roles including as a British Army Officer. With my immunology background, I have a deeper understanding of the relevancy of the project work we do at Sprout, and my army experience means I have the ability to work under pressure to meet important deadlines and budgets.

My guiding principles

I am excited to play a role in delivering evidence-based programs which provide practical and effective solutions for patients and healthcare teams, ultimately improving the quality of healthcare given and received.

Anna Werchowiecki

BCom | Senior Project Manager

My expertise

I specialize in setting up and delivering pharma-led projects, behavior change initiatives and patient support programs.

My experience

I’ve worked in account management, project management and resource management. With over five years’ experience in the pharma industry, I’ve collaborated with many of the top pharmaceutical companies on a variety of projects. These range from multi-channel international patient support programs to discrete local projects to disease awareness initiatives.

My guiding principles

Always be prepared – as well as on time and to budget!

Chloe Patel

PhD | Senior Scientist

My expertise

I have recently completed my PhD at the University of Warwick that has assessed the role of maternal weight, experience and cognition, and media on the role of food-related parenting practices. Prior to undertaking a PhD, I worked for a global CRO on various patient centered outcomes projects.

My experience

I have over 10 years’ experience in health research. I have worked in academic and commercial settings with healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers.

My guiding principles

I am passionate about the impact that research has on the lives of patients, families, and wider healthcare setting; and I value turning research findings into meaningful actions.

Laura Meade

PhD, CPsychol | Lead Scientist

My expertise

My PhD in health psychology had a focus on public health, and I’m also a certified health and wellness coach. I now specialize in improving patient adherence to treatment recommendations, including adherence to non-pharmacological treatments.

My experience

I’ve worked with patients in a variety of contexts. As a coach, I support patients on a one-to-one basis to implement behavior changes recommended by HCPs. I’ve worked in primary care, as well as in the academic, clinical and commercial worlds. I’ve developed community health initiatives to enhance understanding of how emotions impact health behavior, and the personal, social and environmental impacts on patient adherence. Using psychological theory and techniques, I developed and delivered interventions for patients with long-term conditions, with a focus on enhancing exercise adherence in patients with chronic pain.

My guiding principles

I’m passionate about translating research into practice. I enjoy working with both patients and healthcare providers to explore the best ways to support patients adhere to treatment recommendations.

Christina Jackson

PhD, CPsychol | Partner

My expertise

I’m a behavioral psychologist specializing in improving adherence to medication for long-term conditions, and changing healthcare professional (HCP) behavior to improve services.

My experience

I’ve been working in the adherence field for more than a decade. I completed my PhD in adherence interventions at UCL and then worked for a behavior change agency before setting up Sprout with Lina in 2017. I focus on global and local initiatives to support people with long-term conditions with adherence and other self-management issues, and on projects focused on changing HCP behavior to improve services. I’ve worked for nine of the top 15 pharmaceutical companies, on more than 20 patient support programs.

My guiding principles

I love translating the latest findings from academic research into workable, real-world solutions that can help people with long-term conditions and their healthcare team. I’m particularly interested in digital approaches to behavior change and maintaining participant engagement through a program journey.

Alicia Hughes

PhD, CPsychol | Senior Scientist

My expertise

I am a Health Psychologist with expertise in symptom experience and adjustment to long-term conditions. I have a special focus on supporting patients with persistent physical symptoms, specifically fatigue.

My experience

I have over 10 years’ experience in health research and development of patient behaviour change initiatives. I have worked in academia and industry, with health-care professionals and directly with patients. I completed my PhD at King’s College London assessing psychological correlates of fatigue and have continued to build on this work exploring fatigue in a range of patient populations. The evidence-based models arising from my research have informed the development of novel and targeted interventions to help people manage fatigue and its impact on patient’s quality of life.

My guiding principles

I am passionate about the role of psychology in improving patients’ health-related quality of life.

Lina Eliasson

PhD, CPsychol | Partner

My expertise

I specialize in understanding, measuring and improving treatment adherence and other behaviors that impact health. I also have experience in identification and validation of clinical outcomes assessments (COAs) and in patient preference studies.

My experience

My background spans both academic research and the commercial world. Following completion of my PhD on adherence to oral oncology drugs from UCL School of Pharmacy, I worked as a post-doc researcher at Imperial College London. I then joined a behavior change agency, where I oversaw the development, implementation and evaluation of patient and caregiver support programs delivered by multi-disciplinary healthcare teams, which I trained and supervised. Before founding Sprout with Dr Christina Jackson in 2017, I led the European COA team for one of the world’s largest clinical research organisations.

Throughout my career, I’ve collaborated with numerous leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies globally across a wide range of disease categories.

My guiding principles

I value transparency in processes and communication, and having the freedom to recommend the best possible strategies for my clients.

Vanessa Cooper

PhD, CPsychol | Principal

My expertise

I am a psychologist who specializes in understanding patients’ perceptions and experiences of illness, treatment and healthcare services, and developing interventions to address unmet need.

My experience

I have over 20 years’ experience working as a health psychology researcher in universities, the NHS and behavior change agencies. After completing my PhD on adherence to antiretroviral therapy for HIV, I was a senior researcher at UCL School of Pharmacy as part of a multidisciplinary team developing and evaluating theory-based interventions to enhance adherence by addressing perceptual and practical barriers to treatment.

I then worked at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust where I designed and managed a program of research to develop HIV services to better meet the needs of an ageing population. Since 2015 I’ve worked as a consultant behavioral scientist, conducting primary and secondary research to understand people’s perceptions and experiences of illness, treatment and healthcare services and developing and evaluating healthcare interventions and patient support programs. I’ve worked across a wide range of disease areas and multimorbidity.

My guiding principles

I am passionate about co-creation – working with stakeholders including patients, patient organizations, healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical industry – to inspire and develop innovative support programs and services that meet the needs and preferences of end-users.

Sarah Clifford

PhD, MSc | Partner

My expertise

I’m a health psychologist with research and consulting expertise in patient-centered outcomes and treatment adherence.

My experience

I have over 20 years’ experience in health research, including over 10 years of consulting with the life sciences industry. For my PhD, I designed and conducted treatment adherence-related studies at the London/UCL School of Pharmacy – my research helped inform the foundation of the New Medicines Service, a community pharmacy-delivered service in England to support patients with their prescribed medication.

For the last 10 years, I’ve worked in clinical research organizations (CROs) in the US, providing research, consulting and strategy to a wide range of national and international pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Most recently I was the US West Coast Divisional Principal for a large CRO, leading a multi-disciplinary patient-centered outcomes team. I have experience across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including gastroenterology, respiratory health, rheumatology and immunology.

My guiding principles

I’m driven by a desire to have a meaningful impact on the lives of people with long-term conditions.

Emma Lyon Carroll

BSc | Head of Operations

My expertise

I’m a senior project manager specializing in pharma, wellness, patient support and behavior change projects.

My experience

My background over the last nine years has been client service, account management and project management in medical communications, healthcare advertising and most recently patient behavior change and adherence support programs. I’ve worked on large and small, global and local projects for many of the top pharmaceutical companies in areas including cardiovascular, gastroenterology, dermatology, oncology and rare disease. I enjoy planning, organizing and bringing together a wide range of stakeholders to deliver evidence-based programs that provide valued support to patients.

My guiding principles

I am passionate about supporting patient populations whilst providing exceptional client service, delivering projects on time and budget.

Roxana Bahar

PhD, Sociology | Lead Scientist

My expertise

I’m a medical sociologist with research and consulting expertise in patient-centered outcomes, shared decision-making and qualitative research methods.

My experience

I have over 15 years’ experience in health research, including 8 years consulting within the life sciences industry. For my PhD, I designed and implemented a multi-phase, qualitative research study to understand racial/ethnic disparities in Caesarean section rates, and to evaluate shared decision-making practices between clinicians and patients. This study involved multiple rounds of in-depth interviews with a diverse group of patients and clinicians, along with over 300 hours of participant observation on the labor and delivery floor of a major US hospital, where I observed how clinical decisions are made in real time.

For the last 8 years, I’ve worked in clinical research organizations (CROs) in the US, providing research, consulting and strategy to a wide range of national and international pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Most recently I was a patient-reported outcomes researcher at a large CRO, where I managed several multi-site research studies with the goal of evaluating, adapting or developing patient-centered clinical outcome measures for FDA approval. I have experience across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including gastroenterology, oncology, nephrology and immunology, as well as experience conducting research with adult, adolescent and pediatric patients and their caregivers.

My guiding principles

I am passionate about improving patients’ quality of life and health outcomes by bringing their voices, preferences and experiences to the forefront of healthcare research and decision making.

Who We Are

We are academics with commercial savvy. Innovative problem-solvers driven by curiosity and compassion. Strategic communicators. Skilled project managers.

We go beyond the page to ensure clients receive comprehensive patient insights and compelling action plans, and execute programmes with excellence.

We publish in peer-review journals, present original research at industry and scientific conferences. We speak with FDA and EMA – and anticipate what regulators expect to see.

Most importantly, we are champions of the patient perspective.

Our Amazing Team

PhD, Sociology | Lead Scientist

BSc | Head of Operations

Project Manager

PhD | Partner

PhD, CPsychol | Principal

Office Manager

PhD, CPsychol | Partner

MPH | Scientist

PhD, CPsychol | Senior Scientist

PhD, CPsychol | Partner

PhD, CPsychol | Lead Scientist

MSEd | Scientist

PhD | Senior Scientist

MA | Senior Principal

BA, ACMA / Finance Director (Headline FD)

BSc (Hons) | Project Manager

BCom | Senior Project Manager

The Sprout Story

Women-founded/owned

What’s Behind the Name?

Sprout Behaviour Change founded in U.K.

Sprout U.S. office established

Launch of Sprout’s COA division

Digital Therapeutics (DTx) launched, including Software as Medical Device (SaMD) capabilities

Company rebranded as Sprout Health Solutions

Our Strategic Partners

What are your current challenges?

Richard Simpson

My expertise

My Experience

My guiding principles

Anne Cho

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Beverly Romero

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Justina Tol

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Rachel Cotter

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Kara Giannone

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Yuzana Khine Zaw

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Anna de la Motte

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Emily Whyte

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Anna Werchowiecki

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Chloe Patel

My expertise

My experience

My guiding principles

Laura Meade

My expertise

My experience