Who We Are

CISCRP’s staff is dedicated to providing education and information about clinical research. We work to raise awareness, enhance experiences, and strengthen communication and relationships among participants, research professionals, and the public.

CISCRP Board of Directors

Ken Getz,

Founder and Board Chair

Ken Getz is the director of sponsored research programs and an associate professor at the Center for the Study of Drug Development, Tufts University School of Medicine where he studies R&D management and operating models, investigative site, outsourcing, and study volunteer trends and policies. Ken is also the founder and owner of CenterWatch. A well-known speaker at conferences, symposia, universities and corporations, Ken has published more than 200 articles and chapters in peer-review journals, books, and in the trade press. He is the author of two nationally recognized books for patients and their advocates titled, Informed Consent: A Guide to the Risks and Benefits of Volunteering for Clinical Trials and The Gift of Participation, and the recipient of several awards for innovation and scholarship. Ken has held a number of board appointments in the private and public sectors, including serving on the Institute of Medicine’s Clinical Research Roundtable, the DIA Foundation, the Consortium to Examine Clinical Research Ethics, and the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative.

Julie Smith-Bartoloni,

MIBA

Julie Smith-Bartoloni is the Senior Director of Donor Relations at the Boston Foundation where she oversees stewardship and cultivation of new and existing donors and manages engagement activities. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the Associate Director of Leadership Gifts and Director of the Parent Program at Brandeis University. Julie holds a BA in European Cultural Studies from Brandeis University and a Master of International Business Administration from the European School of Economics.

Jorge G. Guerra,

MD

Dr. Jorge G. Guerra is a graduate of the School of Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) Lima, Peru. He trained in Internal Medicine and in Medical Statistics & Epidemiology. Following a position as an Associate Professor of Medicine and Attending Physician at UPCH University Hospital, he joined Merck & Co., Inc (Merck, Sharp & Dohme) in 1984 first as a Medical Director and eventually as the vice president of Clinical Research Operations – Global Trial Management. In 2008 Dr.Guerra joined BIogen Idec as Senior VP, Global Clinical Development Operations. He retired from Biogen Idec in 2013 and now serves as a consultant.

Leadership Team

Zachary Hallinan,

Director of Patient Communication and Engagement Programs

Zachary Hallinan is CISCRP’s Director of Patient Communication and Engagement Programs. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he collaborated there and at the Georgia Institute of Technology on drug-discovery and natural products research, designed internationally-implemented science curricula, and coordinated development activities at three US-based non-profit science and education organizations prior to joining CISCRP. He has been recognized for his work and scholarship by both the American Chemical Society and the National Science Foundation.

Jill McNair,

Director of Education, Outreach and Community Support

Jill McNair is responsible for the planning, creation and execution of all CISCRP education and outreach programs; development & fundraising; marketing & public relations; and business development. Before joining the CISCRP team Jill spent 10 years at DIA where she managed a team dedicated to the development of educational meetings and webinars. In addition, she has experience developing and implementing continuing medical education programs for physicians. Jill is currently pursuing her graduate work through Temple University’s Executive MBA program. She resides in Bucks County PA with her husband and three children.

Annick Anderson,

Associate Director, Research Services

Annick Anderson manages the design, implementation, analysis and reporting of a variety of CISCRP research studies.  She has more than 15 years of experience conducting primary and secondary research studies in the healthcare, life sciences and consumer goods industries. Prior to CISCRP, she worked at Colgate-Palmolive as a research manager.  She holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Management at Boston University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Bryant University.

Angelina Natale,

Director of Finance and Accounting

Angelina Natale has been with the CISCRP team since 2007 and provides accounting and business management support. Prior to joining CISCRP, she was CFO for a large construction company. Angelina graduated from Northeastern University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in finance and international business.

Ellyn Getz,

Senior Manager, Development, Fundraising and Events

Ellyn is CISCRP’s Senior Manager of Development, Fundraising, and Events. Prior to joining CISCRP, Ellyn worked at College of the Atlantic as a Conference and Events Coordinator and at Brandeis University where she worked in alumni relations coordinating reunion events. Ellyn holds a BA in Business Administration and Theatre, summa cum laude, from Brandeis University.

Laurin Mancour,

Account Executive

Laurin Mancour, CCRA®, CCRP is an Account Representative for CISCRP’s Trial Results Program and Project Manager for AWARE for ALL educational programs. She brings a diverse background in pharmaceutical and medical device R&D and is an active volunteer in the professional development community including serving on leadership and board member roles in the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP). Laurin was the inaugural recipient of ACRP’s Advancing Awareness in Clinical Research award in 2011.

Jennifer Clemens,

Project Manager

As someone who brings more than 15 years of professional editing and writing experience in the pharmaceutical industry, I am thrilled to have joined CISCRP as a project manager for CISCRP’s Clinical Trial Results Program. My previous employers include Pfizer (formerly Wyeth), where I was the lead editor for one of their GI drugs; an online medical publisher, where I managed a team of writers; and two medical communications agencies. Professionally, I bring a passion for teamwork and bringing together everyone’s varied skillsets. I love seeing the end result of a project that we can all be proud of. Personally, I believe my empathy for patients and interest in advancing medical knowledge goes hand-in-hand with what we can help achieve together at CISCRP.

Behtash Bahador,

Senior Project Manager

Behtash began his work at CISCRP as an intern and officially joined the staff after receiving his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in Communications from Bridgewater State University. Previously, Behtash worked as a Communications Fellow for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services of Massachusetts, and as an administrative assistant for a Massachusetts engineering firm.

Julia Farides-Mitchell,

Project Manager

A trained social researcher, Julia joined the CISCRP staff full time after working as an independent contractor.  As a Project Manager, she works toward synthesizing complicated data into digestible formats in the Communicating Trial Results program and assists CISCRP in producing primary research.  Julia holds a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of New Hampshire as well as a dual BA in Sociology and Psychology from the University of New England.  Prior to obtaining her Master’s degree, Julie worked as a Psychometrist for a private practice in Southern Maine.

Maya Wise,

Manager of Marketing and Communications

Maya brings her enthusiasm for patient education and empowerment to the CISCRP team as the Marketing and Communications Manager. Previously, Maya worked for Massachusetts General Hospital, supporting the Communications department by researching, writing, and managing photography for web and print publications. Maya graduated from Emerson College summa cum laude with a BS in Communication Studies and a focus in Health Communication.

Teesta Bose,

Assistant Project Manager
Teesta joined CISCRP as an intern and transitioned to full-time staff after receiving an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences from Boston University. She has worked on a variety of projects for almost every CISCRP program, but now focuses on the Communicating Trial Results program. Prior to joining CISCRP, Teesta interned with one of the largest companies providing HSAs, HRAs, FSAs, and retirement health benefit accounts in the United States.

Danielle Lavieri,

Assistant Marketing, Communications & Public Relations Coordinator

Danielle serves as the Assistant Marketing, Communications & Public Relations Coordinator at CISCRP, embracing her dual passions in health communication and patient empowerment. Danielle joined the CISCRP team in May 2015 after graduating magna cum laude from Emerson College with a B.S. in Journalism and Health Communication. Previously, Danielle interned for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, both in corporate communications and as an editorial associate in the Department of Medicine.

Cynthia Korisky,

Project Manager

Cynthia is a project manager working in the Communicating Trial Results Program at CISCRP. Before joining CISCRP, Cynthia was a Senior Production Editor for John Wiley and Sons managing peer-reviewed medical journals. She holds a BS in Graphic Communications from Carnegie Mellon University and a DC from Life University.

David Getz,

Finance and Operations Manager

David Getz joins CISCRP as the Finance and Operations Manager. A graduate of Brandeis University, David has worked as a finance intern at The Jackson Laboratory, and he has held a number of university mentorship positions as a student leader. David holds a BA in Economics and Mathematics, with a minor in Chemistry.

Susannah Buzard,

Special Programs Manager

Susannah brings over ten years of experience in education, advocacy, and editorial work as CISCRP’s Interim Community Support Coordinator. She studied Russian Literature and Psychology from Mount Holyoke College where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree and later acquired a post-baccalaureate degree in Creative Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Susannah’s Master’s Degree is in Counseling Psychology from Lesley University. Susannah’s two great loves are writing and psychology: she has always been driven by the need to help and advocate for people, and she loves working with words.

Interns

Colin Burnett

Tufts University

Bella Osmanov

UMASS Boston

CISCRP Board of Advisors

Jean Burns,

Patient Advocate

Jennifer Byrne,

President & Chief Executive Officer, PMG

Joan A. Chambers,

Chief Operating Officer, CenterWatch

Scott H. Connor,

Vice President, Marketing, Acurian, Inc

Hillary Dietz,

Head of Sponsor Solutions, Firecrest Clinical

Sarah Ebner,

MBA, MPH

President, Investigator Support Services, Inc.

Peter Fredette,

Associate Director, Integrated Site Services Alliance Manager, Oncology, Quintiles

Almenia Garvey,

Associate Director, Site Alliances, PAREXEL International

Courtney Gray Haupt,

Vice President, Healthcare, Edelman

Beth Harper,

President, Clinical Performance Partners, Inc.

Suzann Johnson,

Therapeutic Area Liaison: Cardiovascular & Metabolics, Janssen Research & Development, LLC

Barbara Kephart,

Global Enrollment Manager, Janssen Research & Development

James Kremidas,

Executive Director, Association of Clinical Research Professionals

Mark Lacy,

President & CEO, Benchmark Research

Robert Loll,

VP, Business Development, Praxis Communications LLC

Christine Pierre,

RN

President & CEO, Rx Trials, Inc.

Jeffrey W. Sherman,

MD, FACP

Chief Medical Officer, Horizon Pharma

Marc Sirockman,

Executive Vice President- General Manager, Artcraft Health

Darby Steadman,

Patient Advocate

Linda Strause,

Principal and Founder, Strategic Clinical Consultants