DHR RESEARCH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Contract Manager
Angela Maria Varela-Espinosa is native of Colombia, she holds a JD degree from The University of San Buenaventura obtained in April 28, 2001. In addition, she holds a master's in Healthcare Administration from the Universidad del Valle, Colombia earned on April 17, 2020. Mrs. Varela has more than twenty years of experience as an attorney focusing in the Healthcare System. Her main hobbies include outdoors activities and traveling with family and friends; mindfulness practices and reading personal growth books. She loves watching sport like soccer and basketball and activities with multicultural exchange.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Institutional Review Board Chair
Diana Pena-Perez born and raised in Mission, Texas.Taught by my parents at an early age that integrity, education and hard work were the keys to the future. Honors graduate University of Texas Austin, College of Pharmacy and have been a registered Pharmacist since the age of 22. Fluent in English and Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Advanced Practice Nurse at the DHR Health Institute for Research
Dr. Adrienne Casciato serves as an advanced practice nurse at the DHR Health Institute for Research and Development. Dr. Casciato earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas- Pan American (now The University of Texas- Rio Grande Valley). She also earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi. Before joining our team, Dr. Casciato gained integral experience in med/surg, family practice, and urgent care and in the emergency room. In her free time, Dr. Casciato enjoys crafting and she is able to communicate with patients in English and Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Lead Clinical Research Coordinator
Dr. Guillermo Duran Jr., MD, is an accomplished medical professional dedicated to clinical research and patient care. With expertise in conducting phase II-III studies in Hepatology, focusing on NASH Fibrosis and Cirrhosis, he excels in trial management and ensuring compliance. Dr. Duran's strong background in medical research methodology enables him to contribute to study protocol strategy execution and effective data management. Known for his exceptional interpersonal skills and leadership experience, he establishes productive collaborations and drives successful clinical trial operations. Committed to continuous learning and improving healthcare outcomes, Dr. Duran is passionate about advancing medical knowledge and delivering patient-centric care.
Job Titles:
- Scientific Director
- Clinical Research Fellow
Monica is clinical research fellow and spearheads the DHR Health Institute for Research and Development Biobank initiatives. Monica is a Rio Grande Valley native and obtained her Bachelors of Science from University of Texas Pan-American and her MD from the Universidad Valle de Bravo.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Coordinator for DHR Health
Dr. Ozuna currently serves as the Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator for DHR Health. He also serves as the Assistant Dean for the University of Houston College of Pharmacy-RGV program and Clinical Assistant Professor within the department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Associate
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Lead Clinical Research Coordinator
Edgar has worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator and Clinical Research Associate since 2016. His responsibility on clinical trials has always been to keep the quality standard at the highest. He has participated in audits and inspections carried out by regulatory agencies such as the FDA (United States), COFEPRIS (Mexico) and ANVISA (Brazil). His expertise includes medical device clinical trials, oncology trials, bioequivalence and bioavailability studies. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and spending time with his family.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Registration Representative
Graduated from Weslaco High School class of 2000 Extensive back ground in training, customer service and information technology. With 5 years at CompUSA and 8 years with Interactive Corp (Ticketmaster) and 5 years at CompUSA along with 11 years in pharmacy with Doctors Hospital At Renaissance.
Greg Pequeño serves as a Trauma Data Analyst at the DHR Health Institute
for Research and Development. He holds a Master of Science degree in
Business Analytics from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Greg has
Job Titles:
- Executive Administrative Assistant
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Coordinator
John Rodriguez received his Medical Doctor degree from the University of Monterrey in 1983. In addition to post-graduate clinical trials, John has been involved various medical specialties performing industry sponsored Phase 1 - 4 clinical trials since 1989. At present, John continues to be involved in clinical research since joining DHR Health Institute of Research and Development in October 2014.
Job Titles:
- Institutional Review Board Community Member
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Research, DHR Health
Dr. Lisa R. Trevino, PhD., received her doctorate in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Her subsequent scientific training and career was conducted at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Trevino's research focus has been the genetics and genomics of both adult and pediatric malignancies. Dr. Trevino joined DHR Health in 2014 and serves as the Vice President for the DHR Health Institute for Research and Development.
Liz Elias Calles Cabanillas serves as the DHR Health Institute for Research and Development IRB Coordinator. She has a Bachelor in Nutrition and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health with a concentration in Healthcare Management and a minor in Epidemiology.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Institutional Review Board Scientific Member
Job Titles:
- Institutional Review Board Scientific Member
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Clinical Research Coordinator for the Biobank Initiative at the DHR Health Institute for Research
Odalys Salinas currently serves as a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Biobank Initiative at the DHR Health Institute for Research and Development. She received her bachelor degree in Earth Sciences from Trinity University and participated as a Murchison Research Scholarship Fellow in environmental health during her undergraduate studies. She aims to pursue a Master of Public Health in Environmental Health. Odalys previously served as a medical assistant and surgical coordinator in various specialties including Otolaryngology, Oncology and Orthopedic Surgery. On her spare time, she is an outdoor enthusiast and enjoys spending time with her loved ones and her pets.
Dr. Omar Cavazos, received his doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Texas at Austin. As a RGV native, he returned home to work for Doctor's Hospital at Renaissance as a clinical pharmacist for the Women's Hospital at Renaissance. In addition to his certification as Registered Pharmacist, Dr. Cavazos received his certification as a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist in 2013. Since 2009 Dr. Cavazos' primary focus consists of pharmacotherapy analysis and optimization for patients seen in the NICU, Women's Hospital, and Advanced Care Center Oncology. Since then Dr. Cavazos has been lead pharmacist in two clinical trials involving DHR's Level 1 NICU. Omegaven use in neonatal TPN for cholestatic liver disease and a Phase 2b Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of long acting RSV vaccination.
Job Titles:
- Institutional Review Board Vice - Chair
Job Titles:
- Institutional Review Board Scientific Member
Veronica Hernandez nationally certified pharmacy technician with 15 years of hospital experience. Detail-oriented and committed to quality, accuracy and efficiency. Dedicated to process improvements and high customer service standards.
Became part of the DHR family in 2008 and DHR Research team in 2014.I'm always willing to expand my education, skills, and knowledge for personal growth and to strengthen my job performance.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Research Coordinator
Victoria Mancillas currently serves as a Clinical Research Study Coordinator at the DHR Health Institute for Research and Development. Victoria received her Bachelors of Science in Biology with a minor in Sociology from Baylor University in 2018. She continued her education at the University of Texas at Dallas where she received a Certificate in Biomedical Sciences. She is currently a second year Masters of Public Health student at Texas A&M University focusing in Health Promotions and Community Health Sciences. She prides herself in serving her community and is excited to be a part of a team that aims to find new cures and develop innovative strategies to fight disease. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the gym and spending time with loved ones.