About ClinicalMatchMate

Clinical research, written for everyone who might need it.

Browse recruiting trials in plain language. See what's out there, without the jargon, before you decide anything.

Mission

Who we are

What we're building, and who it's for.

Read our full mission statement

Mission

Make complex clinical research and advanced care opportunities understandable and actionable for every patient—especially at the moment they need guidance most.

Vision

Close the gap between diagnosis and opportunity: clear, personalized guidance from fragmented trial data so more patients see paths forward.

Our story

ClinicalMatchMate started from a frustrating reality: potentially meaningful clinical research opportunities exist, but the people who need them most often never truly see them. Patients and families are left to navigate a maze of trial databases, technical language, eligibility criteria, and disconnected systems at exactly the moment when life already feels uncertain and overwhelming.

We built ClinicalMatchMate to make that experience more human. Instead of expecting people to decode dense research listings on their own, we turn public trial data into plain-language guidance that is easier to understand, easier to search, and easier to act on. The goal is to help patients, families, and clinicians move from confusion toward clearer next steps.

Under the hood, we read eligibility criteria, organize fragmented trial information, and surface concise summaries, risk and benefit context, and location-aware options. But the bigger mission is not just better search. It is giving more people a fairer chance to discover paths they may not have known were available.

Over time, we hope ClinicalMatchMate becomes part of a better access layer for clinical research: one that is more accurate, more understandable, and more open to the patients current systems too often miss. We believe that when the right information reaches the right person in a form they can actually use, research becomes not just something happening in the background, but something that can genuinely help people move forward.

Principles

What we stand for

How we build and operate, for patients and partners.

Patient-first

We design for the person looking for options, not the system. Plain language, clear next steps, and respect for their pace.

Story

Our story

ClinicalMatchMate started from a frustrating reality: potentially meaningful clinical research opportunities exist, but the people who need them most often never truly see them. Patients and families are left to navigate a maze of trial databases, technical language, eligibility criteria, and disconnected systems at exactly the moment when life already feels uncertain and overwhelming.

We built ClinicalMatchMate to make that experience more human. Instead of expecting people to decode dense research listings on their own, we turn public trial data into plain-language guidance that is easier to understand, easier to search, and easier to act on. The goal is to help patients, families, and clinicians move from confusion toward clearer next steps.

Under the hood, we read eligibility criteria, organize fragmented trial information, and surface concise summaries, risk and benefit context, and location-aware options. But the bigger mission is not just better search. It is giving more people a fairer chance to discover paths they may not have known were available.

Over time, we hope ClinicalMatchMate becomes part of a better access layer for clinical research: one that is more accurate, more understandable, and more open to the patients current systems too often miss. We believe that when the right information reaches the right person in a form they can actually use, research becomes not just something happening in the background, but something that can genuinely help people move forward.

How it works

How it works

Four short steps between a first visit and a conversation with a study team.

Step 1

Tell us about you

A few guided questions

Condition, recent care, what you're open to, and any deal-breakers. Skip anything you're not sure about.

Step 2

We look for fits

Matches with reasoning

We compare your answers to recruiting trials and return a short list with the specific criteria that match.

Step 3

Read in plain language

No jargon, consistent sections

Each trial summary covers what's being tested, who it's for, and what joining looks like — in readable English.

Step 4

Take the next step

Prepared for the call

Save trials, compare options, and bring a short list of questions to your clinician or the study team.

Team

Our leadership

Built by people who have sat in clinician workflow and seen where access falls apart — which is why we build tools that fit real situations instead of demo scripts.

James brings a combination of clinical training, health-system experience, and business. His background in emergency departments, transfer centers, and hospital operations gives him firsthand insight into systemic inefficiencies that ClinicalMatchMate is designed to address. He has experience building and deploying AI-enabled web applications, including the current ClinicalMatchMate MVP.

FocusBuilding the MVP at clinicalmatchmate.com — with plans to expand the clinician dashboard and guided intake.

Illustrative photo: hands performing clinical care
Stock photo: product team meeting
Stock photo: people collaborating at a table
Stock photo: clinician in a hospital setting
James Mbualungu

Founder · MD/MBA candidate (UVA SOM & Darden)

Faculty & strategy advisors

External · UVA Darden

Clinician & researcher advisors

Clinical validation · cardiology and related fields

Product & engineering

MVP delivery · clinician dashboard and guided intake

Trust

Trust and safety

How we handle your data, and how we talk about clinical information.

Privacy policy
  • Privacy

    We collect only what we need to match you with trials, and we don't sell your information. We aren't a HIPAA-covered entity; our privacy policy spells that out in plain language.

  • Clinical information

    We surface trial information to support informed decisions. We don't provide medical advice, diagnose, or guarantee outcomes — always talk options through with your care team.

  • Data practices

    We're transparent about what we store and how it's used. We don't store protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA today.

  • Human responsibility

    Tools should support, not replace, human judgment. Clinicians and patients stay in control; we help with clear, transparent information.

Our product approach is shaped by input from clinicians and research coordinators. We do not claim endorsements or partnerships we haven't earned.

Advisory

Advisory support

Guidance from clinicians, researchers, and faculty helps us refine the product and prepare for responsible institutional partnerships.

Advisory

Our advisory network strengthens our ability to develop a responsible data strategy and build tools that fit how clinicians and patients actually work.

Advisory input

Next step

Ready to look?

Answer a few questions and see trials that might fit — no commitment, no pressure.