About Us - Sensorium Clinical Research

What is Sensorium?

The Biology

In biology, the sensorium is where all five senses come together to create one complete perception of the world. Your eyes see color, your ears hear sound, your fingers feel texture—but it's only when these senses combine that you truly understand what you're experiencing.

The Metaphor

Each clinical research site has its own local culture, shaped by the community it serves. One site may excel at building trust in a Hispanic neighborhood. Another may understand urban and rural perspectives. Together, they create complete understanding across real-world populations.

Like the five senses, each site provides a unique perspective. Together, they create insights that no single site could capture alone. That's better science.

The Sensorium Effect

Our blueprint for better science: sophisticated operational backbone while protecting the local culture of each site.

What Sites Get

Sites Keep: Their name, their culture, their staff, clinical decisions, their logo, and their soul.

Sites Get Centralized Functions:

Centralized business development and study acquisition
Finance, HR, payroll, and compliance support
Technology systems (CTMS, eReg, CRM)
Patient recruitment and marketing support
Regulatory operations and QA oversight

What Patients Get

Access to cutting-edge treatments
Local care from trusted community physicians who understand your culture
Dedicated local staff support throughout your journey
Contribution to medical breakthroughs
Personalized attention and monitoring

What Sponsors Get

Faster study startup through centralized operations
Superior enrollment driven by trusted local relationships
Consistent data quality from operational excellence
Diverse patient populations through deep community connections
Better retention rates from local culture and patient trust
Single point of contact for network

Mission & Vision

Our Mission

To prove that culture drives performance in clinical research. We unite independent sites into a network that provides operational strength while preserving what makes each site unique: their local relationships, their community identity, and their commitment to patients.

Our Vision

An industry where clinical trial sites can grow without sacrifice. Where the people who work in research come home fulfilled, not depleted. Where patients trust their local site because the culture that earned that trust remains intact.

Our Core Values

Caring & Happiness

We believe happy people create better outcomes. From our team members to patients to site partners, we prioritize wellbeing, fulfillment, and joy in everything we do.

Local Culture

We are an investigator-led network. Each site keeps its name, its relationships, and its local flavor. Clinical research is inherently local—we protect what makes each site special.

Community Trust

Trust is built in the neighborhood, not just the exam room. We show up for our communities through evidence-based engagement—before, during, and after clinical trials.

Clinical Excellence

We deliver rigorous science without sacrificing the human touch. Great culture and great science aren't opposites—they're partners in achieving better outcomes.

Leadership & Team

Led by industry veterans who believe culture is the foundation of every great company.

Matt Kiernan

Founder & CEO

Sensorium Clinical Research

Matt Kiernan is a life sciences entrepreneur who believes culture is the foundation of great companies. Over the past two decades, he has built and exited two successful organizations in the pharmaceutical industry—Pharmica Consulting and Intrinsic Clinical Systems—both acquired by ProPharma Group in 2021.

Matt's approach blends operational rigor with cultural intention. At Pharmica, he launched a company-wide program built around the philosophy "Work hard, have fun, be great," inspiring consultants, clients, and partners to uphold a standard of mutual respect and service. At Intrinsic, he applied that same mindset to technology, creating tools that helped clinical teams work smarter and stay connected.

Now, he's applying that same philosophy to transform clinical research—building a network where investigators, patients, sponsors, and staff all feel supported and valued.

Education & Credentials: MBA in Finance from Villanova University, dual undergraduate degrees in Business and Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, certifications in Project Management and Six Sigma Black Belt.

Backed by Healthcare Experts

Sensorium is supported by the Thurston Group, a healthcare-only investor with a decades-long track record of scaling healthcare services through partnership, not disruption.

Thurston has partnered with thousands of providers and opened or acquired 400+ locations across 12 healthcare platforms.

Meet the rest of our leadership team Learn About Our Origin Story

Resources & Insights

Featured Series: The 4-Phase Model of Industry Consolidation

This multi-part series examines how fragmented markets evolve into oligopolies and what operators must do to survive and thrive at each stage.

For Site Owners

Industry White Papers

Part 1: The Four Phases of Consolidation

An introduction to the repeatable, observable patterns driven by economics and buyer behavior that reshape industries over time.

Part 2: Lessons from the IRB and CRO Industries

Case studies on how CRO's and IRB's evolved into global oligopolies, and what these precedents mean for the future of sites.

Part 3: The State of Clinical Trial Site Consolidation

A data-driven look at where the site sector stands today and a projection of the 'Phase 3' acceleration ahead.

Part 4: The Independent Site at a Crossroads

An examination of the strategic options available to site owners, the risks of inaction, and the trade-offs of different paths forward.

For Patients

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions About Clinical Trials

Get answers to common questions about clinical trials, participation, safety, compensation, and your rights as a participant.

View All FAQs

Our Locations

A growing network of community-based research sites across the United States.

San Diego, CA

Apex Clinical Research

Hialeah, FL

Galiz Research

Deerfield Beach, FL

Quantum Clinical Research

We're Growing

We're actively expanding our network and seeking exceptional sites that share our commitment to culture, community, and clinical excellence.

Join Our Network

About Sensorium