Zen Healthcare Asia
Zen Healthcare is a division of Zen Research, based in Yangon, serving Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. We specialize in comprehensive qualitative and quantitative healthcare research methodologies and consulting services across these regions.
Healthcare is an important division for us, comprising a dedicated team composed entirely of researchers with medical backgrounds, as well as its own branding and website. Our Managing Director, Richard Clarke, has 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical and healthcare research across EU and Asian markets in a broad range of therapy areas. We currently run healthcare research projects for global clients across Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.
Through leveraging our expertise, we aim to identify opportunities and attract investment to address healthcare gaps in the region. Despite advancements in the availability of medical resources over the past decade, there are still areas lacking access to essential medicines and facilities. We strive to enhance accessibility through the delivery of high-quality data and insightful analysis to both local and international clients.
Healthcare Services
The qualitative and quantitative methodologies we offer include:
Qualitative Research
- Focus Groups with HCPs and patients
- In-depth interviews
- Focus Groups with HCPs, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, regulatory stakeholders (online and F2F)
- Focus groups with patients
- Face-to-face in-depth interviews with HCPs and patients
- Tele-depth interviews with HCPs and patients
- Online in-depth interviews with HCPs and patients (via Zoom)
Quantitative Research
- Face-to-face CAPI interviews and surveys
- Online surveys
- Telephone surveys
- Doctor Panels
Our Healthcare Experience
Zen Healthcare has research experience with physicians, nurses, KOLs, payers, and patients. Over the years, we’ve built a considerable network of healthcare professionals throughout each of the three markets, and we are continually expanding and enhancing our networks.
Example healthcare projects include:
- Medical therapy area landscape studies
- Medicine market entry studies
- Awareness, Trial, and Usage (ATU) research
- Tracking, adoption, and penetration studies
- Patient journey studies
- Medical Device and Imaging Research
- Detail follow-ups (DFUs)
- Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE) evaluation
Our Clients
Our clients are local and international, and include many global brands…
Healthcare Research Expansion
In addition to the full suite of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies we’ve been delivering for the past ten years, we are expanding our offering to include the following:
- Doctor panels – The largest and most comprehensive healthcare professional panels in Myanmar
- Medical facility database – Will include hospitals, clinics, medical centres, and pharmacies
- Medicine database – Covering all available medicine in Myanmar (branded and generic)
- Brand tracking – Tracking new entrants into Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia
- Medical device and imagery database – A repository of all medical devices available in Myanmar
- Sales force effectiveness services – Helping promotional activities and sales teams have a broader reach
Meet The Team At Zen Healthcare
Our multilingual team is passionate and highly professional, and we all share the same values and a common goal. Together, we give our clients our all, providing them with the absolute best customer service, data, and insights.
Richard Clarke
Managing Director
Richard Clarke is the Founder and Managing Director of Zen Healthcare. A certified BHBIA healthcare researcher from the UK, Richard is a career healthcare researcher who has spent much of the past 25 years in the Asia Pacific region. Richard began his journey in the UK where he worked for Ashfield In2Focus as a research Manager serving clients such as GSK, Boehringer, Abbvie, BMS, Roche and Pfizer. He later worked on the oncology portfolio team at Astra Zeneca in London before moving to Ipsos Healthcare initially in London and later Malaysia where he managed the syndicated oncology therapy monitor for APAC and headed up the global healthcare analytics team.
Richard has led and delivered a broad range of landscape studies, market-entry, tracking, adoption and penetration studies, DFUs, and ATU research. Richard has also managed a broad range of projects In the social research sector in areas such as migration, human trafficking, forced labour, rural development, as well as various healthcare studies for clients including the World Bank, Rapid Asia, LIFT, USAID and UN agencies, including the ILO and IOM, amongst many others.
Richard has a passion for building and mentoring teams in and across different cultures while continuously searching for new, innovative, and local solutions to today’s research challenges.
David Twinberrow
Market Consultant
David Twinberrow stands as a distinguished senior healthcare market consultant with a global footprint, adept in business development and leadership across Europe and Asia, renowned for steering client-facing teams. David is a trailblazer in profit and loss management, adeptly cultivating information enterprises and data products across diverse regions. A visionary adept at harnessing both primary and secondary (RWE) information, crafting and promoting offerings, and delivering consultative counsel and services.
Currently, as the Group Managing Director at Genactis for over two years, he orchestrates strategic excellence. His illustrious journey commenced at IMS Health, where he flourished for 16 years, followed by a dynamic role as Head of Syndicated Research APAC & MENA at Ipsos for more than four years. He further enriched his acumen as Client Relationship Director at GfK for a year and then as Head of Pharma at Future Thinking France.
His credentials are underscored by an MBA from the University of Hertfordshire in 2000, marked by distinction and crowned with the University Prize for Academic Excellence. With an unwavering commitment to the realm of non-communicable disease research, his resolute leadership and dynamic career trajectory cast him as a luminary in the healthcare domain.
Dean Edwards
Managing Director
Dean Edwards, an accomplished leader in healthcare market research, heads Oliver Henry Consulting Ltd, a distinguished boutique consultancy in Hong Kong. With over 30 years of experience, Dean excels in qualitative and quantitative healthcare market research across the Asia Pacific.
Dean’s journey includes heading IMS market research for 6 years and establishing Zuellig’s Healthcare Consulting group. He also led Isis Research and AMI Healthcare across the region, displaying expertise in sales, market research, and marketing at MSD and Janssen-Cilag.
Dean’s career is marked by transformative projects reshaping Asia Pacific’s market dynamics. His visionary leadership yielded insights driving business decisions and profitable growth in prescription medicine, biologics, OTC drugs, health supplements, and medical devices. From market entry strategies to sales optimization, his contributions are vast.
A luminary in healthcare market research, Dean actively shapes the industry, presenting thought leadership at regional events and serving as Chairman of the Market Research Society of Hong Kong. Holding a BSc (Hons) in Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Loughborough University, Dean’s unwavering dedication and expertise position him as a leader in non-communicable disease exploration
He has published 2 papers while working for UNICEF in Yangon as a Medical Officer, both relating to Public Health. He also worked on cross sectional surveys and longitudinal studies on two Public Health Projects funded by UNICEF in Yangon. The first was a Health Impact Study on Dry Zone Tube Well Water Supply project (HIS) and the second was a Socio-Economic Study on Latrine Facilities and Water Supply Project (SES).
Dr. Ye Kyaw Aung
Medical Consultant
Dr. Ye Kyaw Aung is one of Zen Healthcare’s medical consultants, working closely with our team to advise and guide us on conditions, therapy areas and patient treatment pathways.
Dr. Ye Kyaw Aung has been practicing as an Assistant Clinical Professor and Attending Physician in Emergency Medicine Department and Pediatric Emergency Service at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, in New Jersey for over four years. He has been working as a specialist pediatric consultant for over 20 years.
He has published 2 papers while working for UNICEF in Yangon as a Medical Officer, both relating to Public Health. He also worked on cross sectional surveys and longitudinal studies on two Public Health Projects funded by UNICEF in Yangon. The first was a Health Impact Study on Dry Zone Tube Well Water Supply project (HIS) and the second was a Socio-Economic Study on Latrine Facilities and Water Supply Project (SES).
Dr Ye Kyaw has decided to work with Zen Healthcare to help raise healthcare standards and living conditions while supporting the social wellbeing of Burmese people.
Dr. May Hmu Htin
Research Manager
Dr May graduated from the University of Medicine in Yangon and began her medical journey with Abbott EPD Myanmar as a Medical Product Specialist. She handled cardiology, ortho and neuro-related products while she learned about the pharmaceutical industry, marketing and brand management.
She then changed to a more clinical pathway and moved to Grand Hantha International Hospital where she worked as Medical Officer at OPD for 3 years. She gained strong experience in assisting Endocrinologists, General physicians, and Surgeons and she gained first-hand experience on the most common diseases in Myanmar including Hypertension, Diabetes and Thyroid disorders.
During her time at Grand Hantha International Hospital, Dr May was also assigned as the Designated Medical Officer for MMPGA (Myanmar Multispecialty Physicians Global Alliance) for one year.
In 2022, Dr May made the move to the healthcare research field and joined Zen Healthcare where she currently works as a Research Manager in the healthcare team in Yangon managing healthcare studies across Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Dr. Zaw Maw Aung
Research Executive
Dr Zaw graduated from the University of Medicine Yangon joined Grand Hantha International Hospital as a medical officer in the Out-Patient Department. During his tenure he was instrumental in the development and implementation of new clinical care and treatment protocols in addition to managing and treating patients as required. There was a significant increase in Covid 19 patients while he worked there and he conducted triage screening for Covid 19 for several months.
Dr Zaw then worked as volunteer at the Muslim Free Hospital where he performed clinical evaluation and treatment of patients in the Out-Patient Department setting. He also assisted in many minor and major operations and surgeries.
His first experience in research involved travelling to Mogok City in Mandalay division 2016 to conduct research on Disaster Management during his undergraduate years. He also worked as a team leader for community training and field trip observation at Hlegu township relating to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever. He conducted surveys regarding the knowledge of local people about Dengue and provided health education as required. As a team leader, he organised and re-evaluated the data collected and prepared the outputs for presentation. Dr Zaw joined the Zen Healthcare team in early 2022 as a Research Executive where he has worked on healthcare studies spanning Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
I have great trust in Zen Research
