In this edition of our “Meet the Team” series, we’re excited to spotlight Sepehr Shojaei, VP, Solutions and Enterprise Partnerships. As one of Lightship’s earliest team members, Sepehr has helped shape how the company partners with pharma and CRO teams from the ground up. We talked to Sepehr about the experience that shapes his perspective on clinical research, the project he’s most proud of building, and how he spends his time off the clock in LA.
We’re so happy to speak with you, Sepehr! Tell us, how long have you been with Lightship? What brought you here?
I’ve been with Lightship for nearly seven years, since I joined in July 2019 as one of the first few employees. What brought me here was the chance to build something from the ground up: a company built around improving the clinical trial experience, with room to shape it from day one.
What does a typical day in your role look like?
Most of my day is spent working with our clients and partners on the pharma side to develop strategies and solutions that support their studies. The throughline is always the same: how do we run these trials in a way that’s more patient friendly and more convenient for the people taking part?
What excites you most about working in clinical research?
Two things. First, the work genuinely helps people. We’re supporting the development of new drugs and treatments that save lives. Second is something I learned earlier in my career. I spent years on the academic side at large institutions in Southern California, and I saw firsthand how much we ask of patients when every visit means coming into the clinic. That burden is real, and what excites me now is that we can take a lot of it off their shoulders and bring the trial closer to them.
How does your work contribute to Lightship’s mission of making research participation possible for all?
It comes back to access and convenience. When taking part in a study means showing up at a clinic over and over, a lot of people just can’t do it, and they get left out. My job is to design around that, whether through Mobile Research Units (MRUs), home visits, or hybrid models, so that participating is realistic for more people.
Can you share a moment or project at Lightship that made you feel particularly proud?
Developing our Mobile Research Unit (MRU) service line. MRUs let us bring the trial directly to communities instead of asking participants to travel to us. Building that out from an idea into a real, repeatable offering that supports our studies was a proud one for me.
How do you see Lightship transforming the clinical trial experience for participants?
By meeting people where they are. For a long time, taking part in a trial meant building your life around the research site, and that ruled a lot of people out. Lightship flips that by bringing the trial to the participant, whatever setting fits their lives best. The result is a process that fits into someone’s life instead of disrupting it, which opens the door to people who never had a realistic way to take part before.
What inspires you in your work?
The patients, honestly. Earlier in my career, I watched how much we ask of people just to take part in research, and how often the hardest-to-reach folks get left out entirely. Knowing my work can make it a little easier for someone to access a trial that might help them is what keeps me going.
What is your favorite part about working at Lightship?
The work itself. I get to partner with pharma and CRO teams to find solutions that support their studies, all with the goal of making participation easier for people to take part. Working through those problems with our partners and landing on something that genuinely lightens the load for trial participants is the part I enjoy most.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Being in LA means there’s always something going on, and I try to take advantage of it. I’m outdoors a lot, I do yoga, I’m always chasing down a good meal somewhere new, and I never turn down a chance to catch live music or a show.
Thank you, Sepehr, for sharing your story and the perspective you bring to every partnership you help build. From developing Lightship’s MRU program to keeping participants’ needs at the center of every solution, your work helps extend Lightship’s reach to the people who need it most. Stay tuned for our next “Meet the Team” feature!