Lightship Appoints Dr. Lindsay Van Pelt as Chief Medical Advisor
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC — February 24, 2026 — Lightship Inc., the modern clinical trial site organization committed to making research possible for all, today announced the appointment of Lindsay Van Pelt, MD, as its new Chief Medical Advisor. Dr. Van Pelt, an experienced principal investigator (PI) and emergency medicine physician, will provide clinical leadership at Lightship to support safe, audit-ready trial delivery across flexible visit settings.
“Great trials run on great clinical judgment,” said David MacMurchy, CEO of Lightship. “Dr. Van Pelt brings deep frontline experience to strengthen how we assess protocol feasibility and operational fit, support our sponsors and investigators, and keep participant safety at the center as we scale.”
Dr. Van Pelt has supported Phase 1–3 research and a range of study designs across her career, including dermatology and device trials, as well as neurology programs delivered through out-of-clinic visit models. Currently licensed in 16 states, she brings practical experience in multi-state medical oversight and escalation pathways, helping ensure participant safety and feasibility decisions stay grounded in how care is actually delivered.
“What drew me to Lightship is the combination of clinical rigor and a true focus on participants,” said Dr. Van Pelt. “The team is building a model that supports strong investigator oversight while giving people more practical ways to take part in research. I’m excited to help sponsors and sites deliver studies that are both high-quality and workable in the real world.”
What this means for Sponsors
With Dr. Van Pelt as Chief Medical Advisor, sponsors gain a senior clinical leader who helps clarify governance and supports consistent trial delivery across Lightship’s visit options, including in clinic, at home, and through virtual visits when appropriate. She will also serve as a sponsor-facing clinical resource, joining discussions and providing written responses to study-specific questions as programs move from feasibility to execution.
Dr. Van Pelt’s appointment follows recent investments in operational infrastructure, including a new headquarters and the acquisition of community-based care clinical operations company Veda Trials.
To learn more about Lightship’s site network and flexible trial delivery model, including how to partner, visit https://lightship.com.
About Lightship Inc.
Lightship Inc. is a modern clinical trial site organization committed to making research participation possible for all. We collaborate with biopharma and CROs to design and conduct studies that expand access and choice while accelerating new therapies. Through in-clinic, at-home, and mobile research unit visits, we support individuals from first contact to completion and deliver shorter timelines, stronger participant retention, greater diversity, and consistent quality and safety. At Lightship, we redefine what it means to be a clinical trial site. For more information, visit https://lightship.com.
Media Contact for Lightship:
Brittany Kearns
Crossroads B2B Marketing on behalf of Lightship
571-271-7211