MD CLINICAL - Key Persons
Brandi Lang has practiced law for businesses in health care, corporate governance/transactions, M&A, high finance, real estate, and employment law in a career spanning two decades. Previously the Chief Legal Officer of Meridian Clinical Research, Brandi's long-standing health care experience helps her plan for and manage the legal, risk management, and compliance needs of the multi-state organization.
Before entering the clinical research industry, Brandi represented clients nationwide in private practice on behalf of her firm's nationally-reputed health care section. She has served in house as an officer and managing counsel for Fidelity National Title Group (a part of Fidelity National Financial, a Fortune 500 company), and in other private practice capacities.
Brandi believes in community involvement on many levels, and has served on charitable boards, volunteered for altruistic entities and causes, coached youth sports teams, taught continuing legal education courses for attorneys and legal professionals, and written scholarly articles on points of law for health care industry publications. Brandi earned her bachelor of business administration in finance with a minor in accounting from Texas Christian University. She graduated with her JD from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Lang is licensed to practice law in Texas (2003) and Florida (2006), and is registered as in-house counsel in the state of Nebraska.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Charles H. Eger, MD is a board-certified internist who recently retired from practicing medicine for over 35 years to conduct clinical research with Velocity. Joining the team in September 2022, Dr. Eger already has broad expertise in conducting clinical trials, studying vaccines for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combinations, as well as novel treatments for Hypertension and other cardiovascular therapeutic areas. Outside of clinical research, Dr. Eger serves on a volunteer board for Christian Villages Communities, a retirement community in Cincinnati.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Charles Thompson, MD attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residency at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He continued his Pulmonary Medicine Fellowship in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Thompson is certified with a Medical License in South Carolina and certification in Pulmonary Disease. He has worked as a physician for Carolina Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine Consultants and currently works as a physician at Upstate Lung and Critical Care Specialists. Dr. Thompson applies his extensive knowledge to Pulmonary and Internal Medicine studies at Velocity Clinical Research, primarily at our Anderson research facility.
Christopher Devine, MD, FACS is a board certified Ophthamologist who specializes in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery. Dr. Devine graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University. He spent his residency at the University of Tennessee. A few of the conditions Dr. Devine treats include Floaters/Flashes, Macular Degeneration, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Macular Hole, Macular Pucker, Retinal Tear, and Diabetes.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President, Europe
Dominic joined Velocity Clinical Research in mid-2021 as Executive VP and General Manager for Velocity's European division. He is Velocity's first employee outside of the U.S. The mission (if he chooses to accept it), to build an organization of owned sites in Europe from the ground up, was just enough incentive to attract him out of early retirement. Prior to joining Velocity, Dom spent nearly 30 years in the pharma industry. His tenure was split equally between top-tier pharmaceutical companies and global CROs, and included a stint at Synexus as the International Director of Operations. Most recently, Dom served as Senior VP for Global Site Solutions and Early Phase Clinical Units at Parexel (formerly PAREXEL).
Dominic has been site-facing for his entire career. He has been both a CRA and project manager, and was responsible for building long-term strategic relationships with sites during his tenures at IQVIA and Parexel. Dom has a deep understanding of the needs of pharma and CROs when collaborating with clinical trial sites, and he also understands and appreciates the challenges of managing a high-volume, high-quality clinical site. Dom has a high degree of empathy for the pain points at sites, and, most importantly, a desire to make their experience as pain-free as possible.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
- Velocity Clinical Research As a Principal Investigator
Douglas K. Logan, MD, is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician with over 40 years of medical experience. He earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine and completed his residency at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, OH.
Dr. Logan dedicated 32 years to primary care before transitioning to clinical research, where he spent eight years as a Principal Investigator at a Phase 1 Clinical Pharmacology Unit. His research focused on early drug development for metabolic diseases like dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes.
In 2021, Dr. Logan joined Velocity Clinical Research as a Principal Investigator. He also provides medical consultancy for The Affinity Center in Cincinnati, a group specializing in ADHD and related disorders' evaluation and treatment.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Dr. Christian Graf, MD is a board-certified Emergency Medicine Specialist in Charleston, SC with over 23 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Graf graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1999 and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center in 2002.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Frank Eder, MD is a lead physician for United Health Services who has been in practice for more than 20 years. Board certified in Family Medicine, Dr. Eder received his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY and completed a family medicine residency at United Health Services Hosptials in Johnson City, NY.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Dr. Gerald Cephas has lived many places both in the United States and abroad, but considers Virginia to be home. Dr. Cephas received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University in 1990, before completing medical school at the University of Virginia in 1994. He remained at UVA to complete his residency program in General Surgery in 2001. Dr. Cephas conducted laboratory research under a grant administered by the National Institutes of Health, which he continued until 2004, when he worked with a private medical group in Southern California. In 2008, Dr. Cephas began his career in clinical research, working as both a Study Coordinator and an Investigator. Dr. Cephas has conducted research in the areas of general medicine, psychiatry, and neuroscience; including trials in hypertension, diabetes, gout, major depression, postpartum depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, binge-eating disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, essential tremor disorder, tardive dyskinesia, and multiple sclerosis. When not working, Dr. Cephas enjoys music, traveling, and spending time with his family - including his two feline overlords Casper and Chaucer.
Job Titles:
- Medical Director
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Gregg Lucksinger, MD became interested in clinical research during a 1989 medical school rotation on the NIH schizophrenia research unit in Bethesda, Maryland. Ten years later, he co-founded a clinical research site next to his Family Medicine clinic, conducting high-volume Phase 2-3 clinical trials. Since then, Dr. Lucksinger has served as Principal Investigator on over 200 Phase 1-3 clinical trials in a variety of primary care indications in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He has a special interest in vaccine trials. Dr. Lucksinger joined the team at Velocity Clinical Research in 2020 and currently is the Medical Director of the Cedar Park, Texas location.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- CGMA
Velocity tapped Jamie to take the reins of financial operations in 2019 due to her deep experience in both finance and the research/clinical trials arena. After four years as an auditor at Deloitte and 10 years in finance at The Hamner Institute, Jamie moved into the clinical trials space as Chief Financial Officer at Clintrax Global and Director of Financial Planning at PRA Health Services. Jamie holds a MAC in Accounting and a BSBA in Business Administration, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In a fast-growing company, Jamie's challenge is doing more than keeping the books. "As a finance professional, it's not only making sure the numbers are accurate, but also making sure as a finance team we're providing decision makers with the information they need to make the best strategic decisions."
When Jamie is not crunching numbers she spends her time watching college sports with her family and going to the beach, activities shared by most card-carrying North Carolinians. However, since Jamie went to UNC and her husband graduated from N.C. State, game days can test the mettle of their marital civility - especially with their young son in the mix.
Jeff brings a broad range of clinical site experience to Velocity, having spent 8 years on the site services side of the business with Radiant Research and another 8 years as a consultant in the industry. Jeff holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Notre Dame and a BA in Finance from the University of Washington.
Although Jeff spends a lot of time crunching numbers and working with the clinics, he never loses focus on why we are here: our patients. "I love this business because I think the Medical Directors and staff at our sites make a positive impact on patient lives. I am proud to have a small role in the drug development process."
Jeff's personal time is spent with his wife, two active young boys and two yellow labs. Fatherhood has taught him that even though Gryffindor rules, Slytherin has its charms. He also now knows that "I hope you step on a Lego" is the cruelest of insults.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Jordan Whatley, MD specializes in dermatology and has been in private practice since 2011. Board certified in Dermatology, Dr. Whatley received his medical degree from Louisiana State University and achieved Junior AOA and pharmacology honors. He also completed an internal medicine internship at Earl K. Long Medical Center in Baton Rouge, LA and a dermatology residency at Louisiana State University, where he served as Chief Resident his final year. Dr. Whately currently serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor for the Louisiana State University Department of Dermatology, a Diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology, and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Julio Vijil, MD is a board-certified nephrologist with extensive experience conducting clinical research. After graduating with his medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Dr. Vijil received a Master's in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health. He has since worked in Nephrology, focusing on dialysis, holding current positions such as Vice Chief of Medicine at Memorial Regional Hospital, Assistant Medical Director, Peritoneal Dialysis at Hollywood Dialysis, and is even an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Florida International University, while serving as a Partner Nephrologist at South Florida Nephrology Consultants, P.L. and as a Principal Investigator with Velocity.
Job Titles:
- Chief People Officer
- Executive
Kimberly Ballard joined Velocity's executive team in 2021 as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Bringing more than 25 years of experience in organizational transformation, Kim has built comprehensive HR programs for domestic and international corporations spanning clinical diagnostics, medical device, pharmaceutical, biotech and consumer product industries.
Prior to joining Velocity, Kim was the SVP of Human Resources at DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC), where she overhauled operational programs and leadership development to foster a culture aligned to company values and goals. The organizational transformation supported rapid growth and led to the successful acquisition by Eurofins in 2020. Before her time at DDC, Kim spent nearly 10 years as VP of Human Resources with Accriva Diagnostics, which was acquired by Werfen in 2017, and where she led the successful integration of Accriva into Instrumentation Laboratory, a Werfen Company.
With a philosophy that a company's competitive advantage is its people, Kim believes that hands-on leadership has been an important part of her success. "Every company has its own unique set of challenges and opportunities" says Kim. "I believe that the role of Human Resources is to understand these dynamics and develop systems that bring out the best in our people."
Job Titles:
- Chief Strategic Delivery Officer
An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), Laura Falcone brings years of firsthand clinical experience to her executive role at Velocity. She has long helped establish excellence in patient-centric research conduct and remained heavily-involved in guiding day-to-day clinical operations, occasionally serving as sub-investigator for trials.
As the former President of Meridian Clinical Research, Laura directed operations at more than 30 sites across North America. In 2020, she oversaw Meridian's operations as the company more than doubled its clinical and operational staff companywide. To accommodate high-volume trials and spikes in COVID-19 vaccine trial interest, Laura directed the implementation of a traveling oversight team, increased staffing, seven-day-a-week clinic hours, and other strategic projects to scale operations.
In 2012, Laura was named Study Nurse of the Year at the PharmaTimes U.S. Clinical Researcher of the Year competition. Before joining Meridian, Laura was a nurse at the Methodist Health System. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and biology from the University of Virginia; a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Creighton University; a Master of Science in adult acute care and a Post-Master's Certificate in family practice nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Nick Campbell - Chief Commercial Officer
Nick Campbell has more than two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has worked across the globe. Based in North Carolina since 2013, with prior experience across Europe, Asia, and North America, Nick leads Velocity's commercial efforts, using his extensive background in clinical research to drive business development and sales growth across Velocity sites.
Nick's expertise across all phases of clinical development, along with his skills honed at industry leaders Covance and IQVIA, equipped him for his role in overseeing the rapid growth of Velocity's commercial initiatives. As Chief Commercial Officer, Nick provides leadership and guidance to ensure Velocity clients receive the best possible service and alignment with the company's growing specialty capabilities.
Placing a high value on human interaction and teamwork as keys to achieving success, he works closely with his team, seamlessly blending expertise and mentorship. As a seasoned industry professional, Nick's business acumen and exceptional leadership skills will help elevate Velocity to new heights.
A Rugby player in his younger days, Nick now enjoys spending the early hours of each day lifting heavy things; whether stones, barbells, sandbags, or even construction vehicle tires, you'll find him puffing and panting wondering why everything feels heavier today than it used to…
Nick joined the Velocity leadership team in 2023 with over two decades in a broad range of clinical development and business operations roles at global CROs. As COO, Nick leads operational excellence throughout Velocity's project management, patient recruitment, and site operations, seeking to make clinical trials accessible to diverse groups worldwide. He believes that, "Velocity is uniquely positioned to address the recurring shortfall in clinical trial enrollment. Velocity's global scale, integrated technologies, and highly skilled employees find innovative means to recruit and retain diverse clinical trial patients."
Prior to joining Velocity, Nick served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Neuroscience at Syneos Health, where he spearheaded global operations and strategy for clinical trial execution, and also served on the corporate council for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He has previously led project management, study startup, vendor management, proposals, and marketing functions in life sciences companies, overseen numerous systems and technology implementations, and guided multiple post-merger integrations. Nick was a long-serving co-chair and member of the executive steering group for the PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year competition and he is co-author on the book "Rare Disease Drug Development: Clinical, Scientific, Patient, and Caregiver Perspectives", published in 2021.
Outside of work, you'll likely find Nick… outside. Be it blasting along a flowy mountain bike trail, paddling across a warm Carolina lake, hiking through the Blue Ridge mountains, or taking on some new DIY construction project around the house, he is always on the move. Nick will break from his outdoor adventures to join his wife and four kids at the arena to root on the hometown Carolina Hurricanes.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- President
- Velocity Clinical Research As President and CEO
Paul joined Velocity Clinical Research as President and CEO in 2018 after 26 years of "perfect symmetry" in the site business - he ran sites for 13 years and spent another 13 years managing them on the Sponsor/CRO side. He has served as Corporate VP, Global Site Solutions at Parexel; VP, Global Site Management at IQVIA; and was a Founder and Managing Director of Synexus.
Paul joined Velocity to address one of the fundamental industry challenges. "Patient recruitment is still the biggest problem in clinical trials," he says. "I want Velocity to set a new industry standard for delivering high-quality study data as quickly and efficiently as possible."
Paul holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of London. He has served on the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) Board of Trustees since 2017 and chaired the committee in 2020.
Although Paul has traveled the world in his various roles, the UK native now resides in the US. When he's not poring over budgets and feasibility data, you can find Paul exploring the culinary offerings in his adopted home (Durham, NC) and checking flight times to various Caribbean and Central American beaches. He misses Wales rugby but has warmed up to American football. Paul is hoping his propensity for getting stopped for speeding has not followed him to America. Update: It has. In the words of Jeff Jensen, and otherwise intrepid member of the Velocity management team, "I don't even feel safe riding in the same Uber with him."
Raghu joined the Velocity team in 2022, bringing 28 years of experience. Over the last 15 years Raghu has led large teams in developing tech platforms to improve patient care and engagement. Prior to joining Velocity, Raghu founded Trier Health, a tech development company that pioneered a site centric decentralized trial platform. Raghu has also served in technology leadership positions for Parexel and GE Healthcare.
Raghu has studied across the world. He received his Bachelor's in Computer Science Engineering from the National Institute of Technology in Rourkela, India. Raghu then attended the University of Wisconsin, where he received his Master's in Information Systems. Finally, Raghu continued his education on a third continent, receiving an MBA from Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom.
When Raghu is not developing groundbreaking technology to improve clinical trials, he can be found watching sports or a movie. Raghu is also an avid runner. His goal is to run about 1,000 miles every year!
Stephanie Anderson is responsible for the delivery of Velocity's key strategic initiatives, ensuring all departments are working together efficiently and smoothly. She also manages all internal and external communications.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator
- Practices at
Steven Rapp, MD is a board-certified internist with an additional certification in cardiovascular disease. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires, Dr. Rapp began practicing in Argentina before moving to Florida to work in Cardiology. In addition to his extensive experience in conducting clinical research as an investigator, Dr. Rapp has been practicing medicine for over four decades.
Yean Alfonso, BS, CCRC joined Velocity in 2010 as a data entry operator, then moved to the position of recruiter and administrator. Yean's dedication and contributions to site operations have made his tenure as Site Director for Velocity Hallandale Beach a success. He is excellent at maintaining long-lasting professional relationships with returning patients and vendors by always providing focused customer service and support. Yean's background as an Industrial Engineer gives him a unique perspective on operational challenges. He is fluent in both Spanish and English and uses this skill to engage prospective and participating volunteers. He provides an open-door policy for everyone; employees are encouraged to stop by whenever they feel the need to meet and ask questions, discuss suggestions, and address problems or concerns at any time. He recognizes all team members for a job well done and acknowledges that without our great staff and volunteers we would not have achieved the great success of our site. On his days off, Yean loves to play video games and lounge around his house. Unfortunately, his wife disagrees with how he spends his leisure time and forces him to go shopping instead. Through all the obstacles that will come ahead he will remain focused and maintain a comfortable work environment that will be efficient and reliable.