AJ Messina

AJ Messina is a recognized leader in advancing Implementation Science within pharmaceutical research and development, ensuring that scientific innovations are successfully integrated into real-world health care systems. With over 15 years of experience in clinical research development, patient insights, and health outcomes assessment, he has been instrumental in bridging the gap between drug development and real-world adoption -- helping pharmaceutical companies anticipate and address barriers that impact treatment uptake and adherence.

As a strategic consultant to pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, AJ has been instrumental in embedding Implementation Science principles into clinical trial design, patient engagement strategies, and market decisions. His expertise has directly contributed to optimizing evidence generation, streamlining trial implementation, and ensuring regulatory and payer confidence in new therapies. He has introduced novel data collection methodologies, leveraging behavioral science, preference research, mixed-methods research, and real-world evidence strategies to improve study design and data validity. His work has also embraced technology-driven solutions to enhance clinical trial accessibility, reduce patient participation burden, and integrate digital health tools into evidence-generation frameworks.

At RTI Health Solutions, AJ continues to advance the integration of Implementation Science into pharmaceutical development, ensuring that innovative therapies not only achieve regulatory approval but also demonstrate long-term sustainability and real-world effectiveness. His therapeutic expertise spans oncology, hematology, immunology, rare disease, and cell therapy, where he has applied evidence-based frameworks to refine provider workflows and inform patient and provider decision-making.

Beyond his role at RTI-HS, AJ serves as an Adjunct Faculty Instructor at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, contributing to research on patient-reported outcomes and health-related quality of life in hematological malignancies. A strong proponent for the integrating Implementation Science into pharmaceutical and translational research, he is passionate about moving it from academic theory to a core component of pharmaceutical strategy --helping organizations not just generate evidence, but act on it.