Headlands Research Appoints Maria Nunez as Vice President of Patient Recruitment and Marketing

Experienced clinical research leader brings deep expertise in enrollment strategy, patient engagement, and multi-site execution

West Palm Beach, FL, April 14, 2026 - Headlands Research, a leading multinational network of clinical trial sites, today announced the appointment of Maria Nunez as Vice President of Patient Recruitment and Marketing. Maria brings nearly two decades of clinical research experience across site networks and CRO environments, with a focus on building high-performing teams and improving enrollment performance at complex, multi-site organizations.

"Maria brings a rare combination of operational depth, technical innovation, and genuine patient focus," said Kyle Burtnett, Chief Executive Officer of Headlands Research. "Her experience building recruitment and engagement strategies across complex organizations will be instrumental as we work to improve enrollment performance and deliver stronger outcomes for sponsors and participants."

In her role, Maria will lead patient recruitment and marketing across Headlands Research's global network of sites. She will focus on optimizing enrollment strategies, strengthening patient engagement, and implementing data-driven approaches that improve study predictability and execution.

"The work Headlands is doing to bring together a large, diverse network with real commitment to the participant experience is exactly where I want to focus my energy," said Maria. "There's a meaningful opportunity to connect more participants to research, and to do it in ways that are faster and more equitable. I'm excited to get to work."

Maria's background spans leadership roles at ProSciento, Cenexel CNS, Artemis Institute for Clinical Research, Scripps Green Hospital, and UC San Diego, with expertise in clinical operations, regulatory affairs, and patient recruitment and engagement. She is the inventor of a patented, AI-enabled patient access and feasibility platform designed to accelerate enrollment, reduce screen failures, and align site operations with real-world patient data, reflecting her commitment to integrating advanced analytics with practical recruitment strategy.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Maria served three tours, including a deployment during 9/11, and was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal with an Enlisted Surface Warfare designation. She is also a Licensed Vocational Nurse.

For more information about Headlands Research, visit headlandsresearch.com.

About Headlands Research

Headlands Research is a multinational integrated clinical trial site organization with a mission to improve lives by advancing innovative medical therapies. Its group of exceptional sites focuses on large-volume recruitment of diverse and specialty patient populations while delivering the highest quality data. Headlands Research's principal investigators are proven industry leaders in their fields with expertise in a wide variety of indications. Utilizing expert recruitment strategies and access to diverse patients through its site databases and physician partnerships, Headlands Research has successfully completed more than 5,000 clinical trials. Additional information about the company is available at https://www.headlandsresearch.com.