A single study changed the trajectory of Teresa DeHaemer’s career, but not in the way she might have expected. She was working in clinical psychology when she accepted a role supporting a depression study that had caught her interest. What began as curiosity quickly became something more, leading her into clinical research, where she has now spent more than two decades.

“I originally wanted to help people,” DeHaemer says. “I still do, just in a different way.”

That first study examined how well primary care physicians were identifying depression in their patients. The answer was sobering. Many cases were being missed. The experience reinforced the importance of careful observation and research that improves how conditions are recognized and treated.

Over the following years, DeHaemer worked directly with patients as a clinical research coordinator and site manager. That early work shaped the perspective she carries with her today.

“The patient wants more than anything to feel heard and to not be treated as a number.”

In the research clinics where she worked, patients were treated with time and attention. Teams prepared thoroughly and worked to minimize discomfort wherever possible.

“You want to make the experience as easy as you can. If someone had a difficult blood draw or needed extra care, we were prepared for that.”

Some moments have stayed with her. During hepatitis C trials, she watched patients begin to clear the virus after just weeks of treatment.

“I got to watch those lab results come in and show no virus after being on a drug for just a few weeks,” she recalls. “We were not expecting that kind of result so quickly.”

For patients who had lived with serious illness, the impact was immediate and profound.

As her career progressed, life circumstances led her in a new direction. When her youngest of three children was two-years-old, DeHaemer returned to work full time as a single parent. She reconnected with a former principal investigator, Dr. Michael Epstein, who invited her to help expand his clinical research and consulting businesses.

The role introduced her to the business side of clinical research. While she remained connected to the clinic, her focus shifted to business development, partnerships, and operations.

Over time, she worked closely with pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations, gaining a deeper understanding of the demands placed on clinical teams.

“These people are probably among the most tasked humans on the face of the planet,” she says.

Clinical trial teams must coordinate global studies, manage regulatory requirements, and oversee complex operations simultaneously.

That understanding shaped her approach.

“A lot of my work has been about finding ways to make their jobs easier.”

Today, DeHaemer serves as Senior Director of Business Strategy at Thalocan Research Innovations.

Thalocan focuses on improving how patient outcomes are captured and evaluated in dermatology trials. Tools such as lesion area mapping allow physicians to document disease progression with greater precision.

“It’s almost like switching into high definition,” she says. “You are not just getting a number. You’re getting a clear picture of what is happening with the patient from visit to visit.”

For sponsors and clinical teams, this level of detail can provide earlier insight into how a study is progressing. And in the end, there is a chronicle of each patient’s clinical trial journey.

“It’s a little like peeking in the oven while the cake is still baking.”

DeHaemer was drawn to Thalocan after reconnecting with co-founder Eric Zudak at an industry conference. As he demonstrated the technology, she immediately recognized its potential.

“It was really exciting! I was blown away.”

Since joining the company, she has seen strong engagement from across the industry, including several of the largest pharmaceutical companies.

“When we get the right people in the room and really talk through what we do, there is a lot of interest,” she says.

Outside of work, DeHaemer enjoys time with her family and the outdoors, often walking or hiking with her three rescue dogs.

“They somehow fall into three size categories,” she laughs. “There is a big one, a medium one, and a small one.”

That time provides balance, but the mindset she developed earlier in life as a single parent continues to shape how she works.

“It kind of re-engineered my brain. There was no room for any excuses. You just learn to figure things out and get done what needs to get done.”

At the center of it all remains the same focus that first drew her into the field.

Helping people.

Others on the Thalocan Team

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