Telling Better Science: What MedComms Can Learn from Journalism

What if you could blend journalism techniques with Medical Communications to create more engaging scientific content? In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies is joined by Christan Thomas, a Director of Oncology Scientific Communications at Pfizer, to delve into her journey from journalism to pharmaceutical communications, how she applies journalistic storytelling techniques to data dissemination, and her innovative approach to creating scientific content in oncology.

With social media and digital platforms dominating the conversation, email marketing might seem like yesterday's news. However, for Medical Affairs professionals seeking to engage HCPs, email remains one of the most significant yet underutilized channels in their communication strategies. In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies is joined by Janna Crabb, Director of Digital Communications Strategy at MedComms Experts, to break down how pharma teams build effective, compliant, and engaging email strategies to reach without spamming or getting ignored.

The traditional approach to Medical Communications often follows a top-down model: strategy flows from leadership teams to Field Medical, with content created based on broad objectives rather than real-world feedback. However, this misses a crucial opportunity to tap into the wealth of knowledge gathered by Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) during their daily interactions with HCPs. In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies is joined by the Director of Global Scientific Communications for Immunology at Sanofi, Erin Reineke, to share the importance of making field medical insights the backbone of content creation.

When 80% of HCPs find pharma content irrelevant to their needs, we have a problem. Omnichannel strategy in Medical Affairs requires a fundamental shift from pushing content through multiple channels to delivering targeted, audience-centric scientific communications that solve real healthcare challenges. In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies is joined by the Omnichannel Lead of Global Scientific Communications Oncology at Pfizer, Nishal Patel, to unpack what omnichannel really means and how Medical Affairs can move beyond the buzzword to implement meaningful, measurable omnichannel strategies.

Creating valuable medical content is only half the battle. The real challenge? Making sure it actually reaches and impacts HCPs who need it most. In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies is joined by Janna Crabb, Director of Digital Communications Strategy at MedComms Experts, to explore how Medical Affairs teams can design and implement effective digital awareness campaigns that drive measurable HCP engagement and behavior change.

Scientific Communication Platforms (SCPs) are crucial yet often underutilized tools for achieving consistent, impactful Medical Communications. In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies is joined by Janet Davies, Global Medical Communications Lead for Neurology at UCB, to dive into the development and implementation of SCPs. Whether you're developing an SCP or looking to optimize an existing one, this conversation offers practical insights on aligning internal teams and creating impactful scientific narratives that resonate with healthcare professionals.

Medical Communications isn’t about clarity, it’s about impact. In the latest episode of Transforming Medical Communications, host Wesley Portegies sits down with Sabrina Guigan, Medical Communications expert, to explore how extended reality (XR) and multisensory engagement can turn traditional congress booths into high-impact educational experiences that stand out, deepen clinical understanding, and drive measurable outcomes.

In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies is joined by MedComms strategist, J.R. Meloro, to discuss why mastering smarter metrics is no longer optional for Medical Affairs leaders; it’s a necessity. Learn how to move beyond outdated metrics and implement smarter, more meaningful measurement strategies. Metrics should be your roadmap to better decisions, but only if you know how to use them effectively. The future of Medical Affairs depends on how well you track and act on data; those who don’t evolve will fall behind.

In this solo episode of Transforming Medical Communications, host Wesley Portegies draws from the 2025 State of MedComms survey to explore what pharma teams truly want from their agency partners. And the answer isn’t more slide decks. It’s strategy. Wesley breaks down the five capabilities that Medical Affairs leaders expect from modern agencies, ranging from scientific depth to digital fluency, and explains why empathy, insight, and operational awareness are just as important as technical skill. He also shares a practical example that reveals the difference between a transactional vendor and a true thought partner, and offers clear steps to activate more strategic collaboration.

MedComms is overdue for a reboot. Static PDFs. Oversized decks. Siloed teams. No feedback loops. These outdated practices are slowing teams down and wasting valuable resources. In this episode of Transforming Medical Communications, Wesley Portegies shares bold insights from the State of Medical Communications 2025 survey and breaks down three urgent trends that pharma leaders can’t afford to ignore. From dismantling silos to killing the static PDF once and for all, this episode offers a practical roadmap to modernize how Medical Affairs teams create, deliver, and measure content.