Precision for Medicine, a global leader in biomarker-driven clinical research and development based in Bethesda, Maryland, has announced that Chris Clendening has joined the company as General Manager, Labs Translational Sciences. Reporting to President Sofia Baig, Clendening will oversee Precision’s global specialty labs business, including worldwide operational delivery, growth strategy, and the integration of AI-driven approaches to accelerate biomarker research.
About Chris Clendening
Clendening joins Precision for Medicine at a moment when biomarker-driven research and AI are reshaping how laboratories operate, and his mandate reflects that shift: he’ll lead global operational delivery for Precision’s specialty labs while driving new, more integrated scientific solutions for clients around the world. President Sofia Baig framed the hire as a signal of the company’s momentum, noting that Precision was built to serve innovators challenging the status quo and that Clendening is a proven strategic leader in a field being transformed by AI-enabled drug development and expanding use of biomarkers, having spent his career rethinking laboratory operations to improve speed, efficiency, and clinical outcomes.
Clendening built that reputation over more than two decades in laboratory operations and clinical trial support. He most recently served as SVP, Product Management & Biotechnology Operations at Clario. Before that, he spent 15 years in progressively senior roles at PPD, including SVP of PPD Laboratories’ Global Central Labs, Executive Director of Global Project Management, and Executive Director of Global Operations, where he was the primary architect behind the development of an industry-leading central laboratory platform. Across those roles, he directed global investigator services, sample management and bio-repository operations, and supply chain management, while also leading IT development of new approaches to data integration and site interaction. His work in that space earned him the Center Watch Award for Innovation.
Earlier in his career, Clendening worked as a formulation technician at UMD, researching and developing novel drug delivery formulations, and he is named on several patents related to transmucosal and transdermal drug delivery devices. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from Muskingum University.
Announcing the move, Clendening pointed to Precision’s culture and the pace of change in the industry as key draws: “I am deeply inspired by Precision’s open, collaborative culture and the leadership team’s clear commitment to continued growth. Our industry is evolving rapidly, and the potential of AI to bend the time-cost curve in the lab and in clinical trials is immense. I’ve found legacy organizations often face structural difficulties pivoting away from traditional operating models. At Precision, we have the flexibility to move quickly and build smarter, more efficient solutions.” Clendening resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife and five children, and has credited his disciplined, execution-focused leadership style to his upbringing on a family dairy farm.
About Precision for Medicine
Precision for Medicine is the first biomarker-driven clinical research and development services organization supporting life sciences companies in the use of biomarkers essential to targeting patient treatments more precisely and effectively. The company applies a transformational approach to clinical research that integrates trial design and execution with deep scientific knowledge, laboratory expertise, and advanced data intelligence, driving faster clinical development and approval. Precision for Medicine is part of Precision Medicine Group, with more than 3,500 people across over 50 locations globally spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
