Leaders in innovation

Dr. Anna-Karina (Karina) Putineanu, MD, is a Senior Medical Director for Infectious Diseases and Critical Care and is based in Brussels, Belgium. Dr. Putineanu has more than 27 years of experience as an MD, with senior and extensive global pharmaceutical experience, in the medical, clinical, development and leadership fields. Her experience includes medical and operational leadership of multiple Phase I to IV clinical research programs in a multitude of indications, including pediatric, complex, and rare diseases as well as the development of both therapeutic (drugs and biologics) and vaccine products. Her therapeutic areas of interest and expertise include infectious diseases, immune-inflammation, vaccines, respiratory, non-malignant hematology and rare diseases. 

Dr. Putineanu has a strong record of team leadership at the global level, having built and led teams in Europe, U.S. and Asia. Besides the industry/CRO expertise, Dr. Putineanu collaborates with the European Commission in the evaluation of healthcare/medical projects. 

Dr. Putineanu earned her medical degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine & Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. Dr. Putineanu joined our company in 2017.

Suning Qian, MD, has eight years of pharmaceutical experience in oncology area and has built strong relationships with external research groups and Key Opinion Leaders. She has medical monitoring experience in all phases of oncology trials, focused on planning and execution of oncology clinical development projects. Dr. Qian earned her medical degree from Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University, and completed her internal medicine residency and fellowship training at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. She joined our company in July 2021.

Publications

• Equitable inclusion of diverse populations in oncology clinical trials: deterrents and drivers

Gong Qing, MD, is Associate Medical Director for Fortrea Clinical Development Services, based in Shanghai, China. She has over 16 years of academia and clinical practice experience and more than 4 years of early and late clinical development research experience covering oncology and other therapeutic area. Her industry experience includes global trials in solid tumors, including breast cancer, NSCLC, pancreatic cancer etc., for products including biologics, targeted therapy and chemotherapy. Dr. Gong served as Associate Chief Physician before joining in industry and held medical responsibility in Pharma since 2018. She joined our company in March 2020.

María García Requesens, MD, is a Medical Director at Fortrea based in Madrid, Spain. Dr. García has 5 years of experience in oncology clinical drug development clinical trials in pharma and CROs. She focuses on medical support of global oncology clinical trials for solid tumors. Dr. García earned her medical degree from Universidad Europea in Madrid. She also holds a Nursing Degree and is very patient-oriented, believing in the power of cross-functional communication. She joined Fortrea (formerly Labcorp) in January 2020.

Tanya has over 28 years of experience with Fortrea (formerly Labcorp, Covance and Chiltern), including monitoring, global project management, delivery director oversight and strategic planning and growth. Her clinical research experience includes a broad range of therapeutic experience with over 18 years in ophthalmology. Tanya’s ocular experience covers front and back of the eye indications, inherited retinal and ocular rare diseases across phase I-IV and medical device studies as well as ocular cell and gene therapies.

Her extensive delivery background, coupled with her ocular experience supports both internal and external stakeholders in the strategic development of a reduced burden approach, as well as an efficient and successfully executed ocular trial.

Tanya is passionate about ensuring the priorities of a clinical trial are 1) to reduce the burden across all stakeholders 2) a realistic, common-sense approach and 3) at the end of the day, we all do what we do for the patients.

Tanya is based in the US.

Dana Romano, MD, is a Senior Medical Director at Fortrea. In this position, she has the responsibility of leading the medical team working on global respiratory Phase I, II, III and IV studies, ensuring the Execution of the projects and direct communication with sponsors, including Medical Monitoring to support to Clinical Operations and Pharmacovigilance and ensure the development of compelling medical strategies and integrated solutions to meet sponsors’ needs. 

Dana started her pharmaceutical career as a Principal Investigator conducting Phase IV studies at her GP practice and Phase I and II studies at Richmond Pharmacology (Croydon University Hospital, UK), before moving to the Clinical Research Physician and Medical Monitor roles at Wyeth and Pfizer UK. 

Dana is board-certified in Family Medicine and has strong medical expertise gained through 11 years of clinical practice experience in Romania and the UK. She worked as a GP for 7 years at her own practice and with the largest private service providers. Dana has more than 21 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and CRO industry and managed successfully Phase I-IV clinical trials in biopharmaceutics, from the early protocol development through to medical oversight of enrolled adults, adolescents and children.

Kamal Saini, MD, executive medical director at Fortrea Inc., is a board-certified medical oncologist based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, where he also practices part-time at the Addenbrooke’s (Cambridge University) Hospital. He contributes to the scientific strategic leadership of the oncology therapeutic area at Fortrea and provides clinical and medical expertise to project teams and other Fortrea departments on clients’ drug development projects. He liaises with key opinion leaders and academic cooperative groups with regard to the design, setup, and execution of cancer trials, especially in the breast cancer subdomain. He manages a team of high-performing medical monitors who are a part of the European oncology team. He leads the Precision Medicine and Emerging Therapies Leadership Center at Fortrea, and is also our global Scientific Publications Lead (Oncology). He brings more than 15 years of experience in clinical research and development to Fortrea. He is the author or co-author of several peer-reviewed journal articles. He joined our company in 2015.

Publications

• The Evolving Landscape in Multiple Myeloma: From Risk Stratification to T Cell-Directed Advanced Therapies
• Unraveling the link between cholesterol and immune system in cancer: From biological mechanistic insights to clinical evidence. A narrative review
• CAMBRIA-1 & CAMBRIA-2 phase III trials: camizestrant versus standard endocrine therapy in ER+/HER2– early breast cancer
• Bladder Cancer, Loss of Y Chromosome, and New Opportunities for Immunotherapy
• The Convergence of Radiology and Genomics: Advancing Breast Cancer Diagnosis with Radiogenomics

Irina Savina, MD, PhD, is a Medical Director for Fortrea Medical Services, based in Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation. Dr. Savina has more than 13 years of experience in oncology clinical drug development from medium-sized to large-size CROs, focused on medical support of global oncology clinical development projects for solid tumors. 

Dr. Savina earned her medical degree from Medical University of Saint-Petersburg and Philosophy Degree from Oncology Institute in Saint-Petersburg. Dr. Savina has an experience as Lower Gastrointestinal Surgeon and Medical Oncologist. She joined our company in 2019.

Verena brings more than 25 years of clinical research experience, with 17 years in global project management across Phase I to Phase IV. She has more than 16 years of experience at Fortrea and offers extensive operational background in respiratory indications, including sinusitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis and pneumonia. 

In her previous role as Director of Project Management, Verena provided oversight for several international studies in Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). She currently provides functional support from a strategic perspective to our teams.

Dr. Cheerag Shirodaria is the Vice President and Cardiovascular/Metabolic Therapeutic Area Head at Fortrea. He has over 25 years of clinical experience as an interventional and clinical cardiologist and remains on the Faculty at Oxford University Hospitals. He is an expert in cardiac imaging, having completed his doctoral thesis at the University of Oxford on the role of cardiovascular MRI in the evaluation of vascular function. He is also co-director of the coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) service in Oxford. He is also co-founder and Chief Development Officer of Caristo Diagnostics, an AI image analysis company that has developed proprietary AI image analysis technology that quantifies cardiometabolic risk associated with coronary inflammation plaque and adipose tissue characteristics. He has supported multiple companies through regulatory interactions, protocol development and Scientific Advisory Board interactions. 

Dr. Shirodaria received his medical degree from St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College in London, his medical doctorate from the University of Oxford and his MBA from London Business School.

Hannah has more than 12 years industry experience focused on healthcare communications, patient insights and input, recruitment and retention solutions and patient support programs. Her experience spans Phase I-III global trials across range of therapeutic areas including neurodegenerative conditions with specific experience in Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathy and pain. 

She is driven by a strategic mindset to identify and understand the experiences, challenges and needs of patients and their families and build targeted data-driven recruitment strategies that enable truly patient-centric studies.

David (Dave) Simpson serves as Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Fortrea’s. Clinical Pharmacology Services (CPS). CPS oversees Phase I clinical trials which involves the study of investigational drugs in healthy volunteers. In his role, Dave provides executive leadership to the CPS organization including Project Management, Phase 1 Monitoring Services and Business Operations, as well as Early Clinical Biometrics (ECB) and was instrumental in the success of Fortrea’s recent investment in state-of-the-art facilities in Leeds.

Dave provides consistent strategic leadership to Fortrea with a demonstrable track record for driving growth and competitiveness in global operations across Europe and North America with significant expertise in developing high performance teams across organizational boundaries. Within his role, Dave works to maintain enterprise wide compliance of national and local legislation. Additionally, he is responsible for cultivating ideal workplace practices and routines among CPS to streamline workflow, facilitating an environment that supports innovation and improvement.

Dave is a Certified Management Accountant (CIMA) and has master’s degree in strategic business management from The Manchester Metropolitan University. Dave is a lifelong resident of Leeds, UK and an avid supporter of Leeds United FC. He has been with Fortrea and its previous incarnations for over 35 years.

Fortrea is a leading global contract research organization (CRO) with more than 30 years’ experience helping biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostics companies advance healthcare innovation that accelerates life-changing therapies to patients.

Norberto Soto, MD, is Senior Medical Director for Infectious Diseases and Critical Care and is based in Philadelphia, USA. Norberto has more than 25 years of clinical research experience with academia, biopharma and CROs, focused on planning and execution of infectious disease, inflammation and general medicine clinical development from first in human to product registration. He has held regional and global positions of increasing responsibility in fields of infectious diseases, rheumatology, respiratory, gastroenterology, cardiovascular, hematology and urology. 

Norberto has co-authored three book chapters, and author/co-authored more than 30 papers in infectious diseases. Norberto earned his medical degree from the Escuela Colombiana De Medicina, Bogota, Colombia and completed his Internal Medicine residence and Infectious Diseases fellowship at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to joining Fortrea, Norberto worked as Research Physician at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, and held various clinical development positions in pharma and biotech companies. He has been with Fortrea and the legacy companies since 2013.

Dr Marcus Stavchansky PharmD, Executive Director, Global Head Pharmacy Services. Dr Stavchansky is Executive Director and Global Head of Pharmacy Services at Fortrea, based in Dallas, Texas. With over 20 years of experience in pharmacy practice—primarily in research and development—he leads global pharmacy operations across Fortrea’s Clinical Research Units in North America and the UK. As member of the Clinical Pharmacology Services leadership team, he provides strategic and scientific guidance for Phase I/Ib clinical trials, applying his specialist knowledge to drug development, GMP pharmacy services, On-Site Manufacture (OSM) of investigational drug product to clinic dose administration, and the transition from pre-clinical to first-in-human trials. He has therapeutic experience in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, asthma, and more. A registered pharmacist in Texas, Marcus also serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Texas and Texas Tech University.

Darby Thomas, PhD, is the Scientific Director of Cell & Gene Therapies. She earned her PhD in Molecular Virology from Baylor College of Medicine, performed postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by 17 years in industry prior to joining Fortrea (formerly Labcorp) in 2021.

Dr. Thomas has broad experience in adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy with roles in CMC, discovery, translational development, and patient advocacy for several AAV-focused companies with an emphasis on rare neurological and metabolic diseases and ophthalmology. She also has translational experience developing plasmid-based gene therapies, lentiviruses, as well as gene-modified cell therapies for the treatment of rare skin disorders.

Dr. Thomas provides specialized scientific expertise providing leadership and guidance to integrated global teams, as well as internal and external consultation and training on cell and gene therapy programs.

Carrie Thompson is a Director in Strategic Delivery & Growth for Infectious Diseases and Critical Care and is based in Sheffield, UK. Carrie has over 18 years of clinical research experience, 14 of which with Fortrea. Her experience working in CROs and investigator-led settings, includes Phase I-III clinical trial execution, delivery and strategy. Carrie’s therapeutic experience spans multiple areas, including hematology, rare diseases and IBD. For the last six years, Carrie’s therapeutic focus has been infectious diseases, specializing in CHB with expertise in hybrid and platform study designs, overseeing operational delivery at a global level. 

Carrie earned her MSc degree in Clinical Research at the Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff, S. Wales and completed an executive MBA programme at York St John University, UK in 2022.Sonia is a certified Green Belt in Six Sigma and has been certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2003 and remains an active member of the Project Management Institute. She earned her master’s degree in operational management from the University of Washington. She joined our company in 2006.

Dr. Todorova is a board-certified neurologist with over 15 years of clinical and research experience in neurodegenerative disorders and demyelinating diseases. She obtained her PhD degree with a thesis on Quality of life in patients with Parkinson’s disease and was involved in academic and clinical research. Dr. Todorova worked as a Clinical Research Fellow at King's College Hospital, London and during this period she was involved in academic research focused on non-motor symptoms and continuous drug treatment in Parkinson's disease. She contributed to 14 publications in international medical journals, as well as 16 abstracts/ oral presentations in medical conferences.

She has been an Investigator in more than 20 clinical drug trials in Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Migraine.

Her pharmaceutical industry expertise is focused on the neurosciences across Phase I-IV of clinical development, mainly in Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple sclerosis.

Based in Brussels, Belgium.

Yulianna Tymovska, MD, PhD, is Senior Medical Director based in Brisbane, Australia. Dr. Tymovska has 20 years of clinical experience, specializing in Oncology (extensive clinical experience in breast, head and neck cancer, melanoma, and gynecology malignancies diagnostic and treatment, as well as research in mechanisms of tumors resistance to anti-cancer treatment and immune oncology). 

Dr. Tymovska has more than 15 years of clinical research experience as a clinical trial investigator and medical director (monitor) providing medical expert oversight and monitoring of clinical trials, contribution and scientific expertise to study design, and regulatory documents, work in cross functional team on all phases of the studies and trials including feasibility assessments, design process, education efforts, and management of medical information. 

Dr. Tymovska earned her medical degree and completed clinical oncology postgraduate training in Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine, and PhD training in Kavetsky IEPOR of NAS of Ukraine. She joined our company in Jan 2023.