🎙️ Episode 2: Trained Talent and Power of Community

A conversation with Patrick Ryan

Some people walk into a room and immediately energize it.

Some people can take a complex vision, and quietly build a global movement around it.

And some people can do both

— not because it’s their gift,

but because it’s what the mission requires.

That’s what struck me about Patrick Ryan.

He’s the Vice President of Observational Health Data Analytics at Janssen Research and Development, a professor at Columbia University, and a leading force behind OHDSI — the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics initiative.

OHDSI is a global, open-science community that connects researchers, institutions and countries to accelerate real-world evidence generation.And Patrick has become its most recognisable face.

But here’s the surprising part:

That wasn’t the plan.

🌱 From intrinsic science to intentional leadership

Patrick shares how his original drive was always scientific.

What excited him was the potential of data

— to generate insight, to solve problems,

to improve patient outcomes through robust, real-world evidence.

He didn’t see himself as “the connector” or “the communicator”.

In fact, public speaking used to make him anxious.

But he saw a gap.

A role no one else was stepping into.

And he realised that if this ambitious, collaborative, global mission was going to succeed

—someone had to lead the people, not just the science.

So he trained himself.

He studied.

He practiced.

He stretched himself into something that felt uncomfortable

— not because he enjoyed it,

but because it mattered.

🌍 What leadership can look like

Today, Patrick is known worldwide not just as a scientist,

but as a community builder.

Someone who empowers others to lead,

who creates space for collaboration,

and who keeps the bigger vision alive

— even when the work is messy, slow, or complex.

What I learned in this conversation was something I’ll carry with me for a long time:

Not all impact starts from talent.

Sometimes it starts with clarity.

With courage.

With the willingness to grow into the role that’s needed

— even when it doesn’t come naturally.

This episode is about leadership ,

about cultivating excellence,

and about what becomes possible when we’re led by purpose

— not just by comfort or skill.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify: [Insert link]🌐

Learn more about OHDSI: https://www.ohdsi.org📇

Connect with Patrick Ryan: [LinkedIn]

If the episode resonated with you,

I’d love for you to share it,

follow the podcast,

or reach out to me via liesbetmpeeters.be.

Because the world doesn’t need more noise.

It needs more people who are willing to care — and to act from the inside out.

Thanks for being here.

– Liesbet