We focus on a simple problem.
Strong evidence still fails to change decisions.
We make evidence travel—from insight to trusted action.
Mission
A world where evidence earns trust in the context it’s used.
Vision
What we stand for
These commitments draw on 25 years of work in pharmaceutical evidence generation, regulatory science, and benefit–risk assessment—and on research in implementation science, validity theory, and behavioral economics that informs everything PEL builds.
Warranted trust over persuasion
We help evidence earn belief, not manufacture it.
Evidence that works outside of the lab.
Context beats abstraction
Clarity is a safety feature
If stakeholders can’t understand it, they can’t act on it safely.
Who benefits and who doesn’t is always a relevant question.
Equity in real-world use
Traceability by default
Every output should have a visible lineage.
Build things that ship
Practical artifacts that get used, not filed.
Founder
Steve Watt, MD, MPhil, MRCP
Founder & Principal, People’s Evidence Lab
Steve spent 25+ years in pharmaceutical evidence generation and regulatory science at Pfizer, most recently as Head of Patient Centered Research and Partnerships within the Medical Evidence Generation group. His work spanned benefit–risk assessment, patient preference research, real-world evidence, and patient-centered drug development.
He founded People's Evidence Lab to address a problem he saw repeatedly from the inside: rigorous evidence that never reached the people who needed to act on it. PEL is building the methodology to close that gap — across healthcare, education, and AI governance.
Current work spans K–12 AI assessment research, empathy measurement in large language models, and an invited co-presentation at a major Medical Affairs conference in 2026. He also co-chairs an innovation track at Harvard’s Division of Clinical Informatics, focusing on helping digital health entrepreneurs make their evidence land with the stakeholders who matter.
How we collaborate
We define artifacts and decisions up front. We’re careful with confidentiality and sensitive materials. We aim for reusable learning without exposing client specifics. We can work under NDA when appropriate.
Interested in collaborating?
We partner with researchers, academic institutions, and mission-driven organizations on pilot studies, evidence methodology, and trust-transfer challenges. If you’re exploring a research collaboration, speaking opportunity, or grant-funded project, we’d welcome a conversation.