Leaders in innovation

Diana Aguirre, MD, is Senior Medical Director in oncology for Fortrea Clinical Development Services, based in France. Dr. Aguirre has more than 25 years of experience in both oncology clinical practice and drug development within mid and large size Pharma companies, focused on solid tumors and systemic treatments development, planning and implementation of global oncology studies from phase II to phase IV and strategic interactions with different key stakeholders in oncology clinical development. 

Dr. Aguirre earned her Medical degree from the University of Caldas in Colombia and completed her Medical oncology training at the national Cancer Institute in Colombia. She completed a Masters degree in pharmacogenomics and molecular biomarkers in oncology at Paris XI University. She joined our company in January 2014.

Maixing Ai, MD, is a Senior Medical Director, based in Princeton, NJ, U.S. Dr. Ai is a trained immunologist/rheumatologist with more than 22 years of clinical practice. He has extensive experience managing different immunologic/rheumatologic disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis. 

Dr. Ai has more than 16 years of pharmaceutical and CRO industrial experience. He has experience with many clinical trials on NSAIDs, DMARDs, small molecules and biologics in autoimmune diseases. He has also worked on cell and gene therapies in autoimmune disease and musculoskeletal disease, with hands-on experience in cell therapies for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. 

Since joining Fortrea (formerly Labcorp/Covance), Dr. Ai has worked with many biotech companies and global pharmaceutical companies. His experience also includes Phase II-IV protocol design in many indications. 

Dr. Ai earned his medical doctorate degree from University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He has authored/co-authored more than 60 papers/books in rheumatological topics.

Peter has more than 20 years advancing drug development in the pharmaceutical industry and been with Fortrea (formerly Labcorp and Covance) for nine years. Peter has designed the clinical plan for more than 25 MASH/MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease) trials ranging from Phase Ib through Phase III/IV. He also brings experience in rare liver diseases such as Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Peter maintains key relationships for Fortrea with liver industry experts and networks to facilitate the smooth transition of trials, spanning the design stage to the operational stage.

Victor Angélico, MD, is a Senior Medical Director for Fortrea, based in Paris, France. He provides clinical and medical expertise to project teams and other Fortrea departments to advance clients’ drug development programs. Dr. Angélico performs medical monitoring on assigned projects; reviews protocols, case report forms and other data and materials, and contributes to the scientific leadership of the Oncology area at Fortrea with a special focus in early phase clinical studies and hematological malignancies. 

Dr. Angélico is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Oncology with 16 years in the clinic and has significant medical and pharmaceutical expertise with 14 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Before his current position, he served as Senior Medical Officer for Chiltern, France and as Medical Director at IQVIA France. Dr. Angelico joined our company in January 2019.

Leone Atkinson, MD, PhD, is the Executive Medical Director of Fortrea’s Rare Diseases, Advanced Therapies and Pediatrics Team (RAPT). She has more than 22 years of industry experience across pharmaceutical, biotechnological and CRO environments with a primary focus on rare disease drug development in Phase I-IV studies across a variety of platforms, including small molecules, biologics, RNA therapies, and gene therapies. 

Dr. Atkinson has extensive protocol design and endpoint development expertise. Her interests include expanding the role of genetic counselors in clinical trials and improving partnerships with specialized site networks and patient advocacy groups. 

She was trained as a Neurologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City and earned her Doctorate in Medical Genetics.

Liliana Baila, MD, is Senior Medical Director for Fortrea, based in Brussels, Belgium. She serves as lead project physician on clients’ drug development projects. Dr. Baila provides medical/scientific support to project teams, performs medical and safety monitoring on assigned projects, and develops and reviews protocols, case report forms and other data and materials. Dr. Baila has more than 25 years of experience as a physician, research clinician and medical director. Before joining Fortrea, she served as Clinical Research Physician for the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in Brussels. Dr. Baila began her career as a physician training in neonatology and pediatrics at University Hospital in Romania. She joined our company in June 2020.

Moez Benali, MD, PhD, Senior Medical Director at Fortrea, also member of our global medical team, holds a medical degree and board certification in oncology supported by a PhD in molecular biology and anti-cancer drug development. He has over 22 years of overall working experience, 17 of which have been within the pharmaceutical industry (J&J, GSK, BMS, SOBI and Novartis Oncology) across Europe. As a well-rounded medical affairs and clinical development strategist, he has led activities across the life cycle drug development, and registered and launched 11 drugs at EMA, nine of them being the standard of care. 

Dr. Benali is a member of several cooperative groups such as ELN, EORTC and EBMT and head of Oncologues Sans Frontières. He joined our company in October 2022.

Maria Ignacia Berraondo, MD, is Senior Medical Director of oncology for Fortrea, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dr. Berraondo has 10 years of experience in oncology clinical drug development, providing clinical and medical expertise to project teams and other Fortrea departments to advance clients’ drug development programs and contributing to the planning and execution of the scientific strategic leadership of the Oncology therapeutic area. 

Dr. Berraondo earned her medical degree from Universidad del Salvador, Argentina and is a board certified hematologist. She completed her Hematologic residency at Hospital Teodoro Alvarez, Buenos Aires Argentina and Sociedad Argentina de Hematologia. She joined our company in July 2020.

Carmen Besliu, MD, is Senior Medical Director in Bucharest, Romania. She serves as global lead project physician on clients’ drug development projects and provides medical/scientific expertise to project teams. Dr. Besliu reviews medical data and other materials, is responsible for medical and safety monitoring, and provides training in disease states and protocol-specific requirements to advance knowledge of good clinical practices across the company. She has more than 25 years of experience as a physician, research clinician, medical affairs head, and medical director. Before joining Fortrea, she was Oncology Medical Affairs Head for Novartis Pharma Services in Bucharest. She also has held medical affairs and clinical research positions with Baxter Healthcare, Sandoz, Roche, and AstraZeneca. Carmen joined our company in February 2021.

Olga Bodriagova, MD, PhD, is a Medical Director in Oncology for Fortrea Clinical Development Services, based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Dr. Bodriagova has more than 20 years of experience in oncology clinical drug development as an Investigator, CRA and Medical Monitor in all phases of clinical development projects from early phase to post approval in different therapeutic areas, mainly oncology and women’s health. Dr. Bodriagova is serving as global lead project physician, providing medical and safety monitoring on assigned projects. 

Dr. Bodriagova earned her medical degree from the Kyiv Medical Institute in Ukraine and completed OB/GYN residency at the Kyiv City Hospital #2. Dr. Bodriagova received an oncogynecology certification from the Kyiv Institute of Postgraduate and defended her PhD thesis in the field of endocrine gynecology. She joined our company in 2014.

Sarah Bolger-Ford is Senior Director within the Ophthalmology section of the Strategic Delivery and Growth group at Fortrea, based in the UK. She has a PhD in Physiology from King’s College London (UK) and has more than 25 years in the industry, from trainee CRA, through project management to her present position, and joined our company in November 2006. 

She works with the pre-award team to provide client’s with tailored proposals, supports study teams in strategic delivery of awarded work and contributes to the growth of the ophthalmology portfolio. 

Sarah is passionate about being part of the development of sight preserving and sight restoring solutions for patients.

Patrícia Andrade Brandalise, MD, is a boarded clinical oncologist in Brazil since 2005. Dr. Brandalise earned her MD and MsC degrees at Campinas State University (UNICAMP), Brazil, and received her oncology qualifications in the Campinas Institute of Oncology. She is an active member of the Brazilian Society of Oncology. 

Dr. Brandalise has more than 18 years of experience in clinical oncology with clinical, investigational and administrative responsibilities and 15 years serving in pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Fortrea, Patrícia worked for Janssen and Abbvie as Medical Director for Latin America in the Hematology and Oncology Business Unit. She also served as Oncology Medical Leader for Roche Brazil implementing several compassionate use programs in Latin America, preparing and delivering launches for new molecules/indications. She also has been designing and implementing Phase I-II-III-IV trials in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, México, Peru, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Korea and Australia, many as lead physician.

Marlene Brown is the Director, Operational Strategy of Fortrea’s Rare Diseases, Advanced Therapies and Pediatrics Team (RAPT) and Co-Chair of Cell, Gene and Advanced Therapies Tiger Team. She has more than 30 years in pharmaceutical drug development spanning large pharma, emerging biotechs and CROs. 

Within the Project Management realm, Marlene has more than 20 years of supporting end-to-end drug development, clinical, regulatory solutions with Phase I–IV clinical and regulatory expertise across multiple therapeutic areas as well as working as a product development team leader. Before she joined Fortrea, Marlene held various roles at Merck, including basic research, QA, regulatory, product-level project management. She has worked in basic research at Sandoz, BOC Group and W. Alton Joes Cell Science Center.

Andrea Buschiazzo, MD, MBA, is a Senior Medical Director at Fortrea, a Board-Certified Rheumatologist and a Clinical Pharmacologist (University of Buenos Ares). At Fortrea, she offers therapeutic area expertise in inflammation and autoimmune diseases as well as global clinical development. 

Dr. Buschiazzo is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and provides medical leadership on projects teams, medical/scientific consultation and therapeutic expertise globally. She oversees study specific medical/safety monitoring activities, ensuring compliance with ethical, legal and regulatory standards as well as Fortrea and Sponsor SOPs, representing the Medical Affairs department in business development activities. 

She started her pharmaceutical career with Merck Sharp & Dohme in Medical & Scientific Affairs and Clinical Development, working in multiple therapeutic areas as an Associate Director before moving to a regional clinical development leader role at Servier for LATAM. Later, she worked at Kendle (then INC) as a Global Project Director and was responsible for successful development programs leading to registration of several innovative products before becoming a Managing Director at ICON. 

Dr. Buschiazzo has 33 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and CRO industry and 34 years in clinical practice. She completed a fellowship in autoimmune diseases at the Clinic Hospital in Barcelona. She published many articles and posted abstracts at the main Rheumatology Congresses (ACR/EULAR/SAR). 

She has provided global medical monitoring services and therapeutic advisory in almost all autoimmune diseases including Systemic Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Gout, Psoriatic Arthritis, Spondyloarthritis, Paget’s disease, Sjögren’s Syndrome, Vasculitis, Juvenile Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia. She has experience as Global Project Director and Medical Monitor for 10 Lupus studies, including Lupus Nephritis (Phase II-III) and the trials running prior to the approval of belimumab as the first biologic for SLE.

Oxana Bzhadug, MD, PhD, is a Medical Monitor of Fortrea's global team, based in Moscow, Russia. Dr. Bzhadug has significant medical and pharmaceutical expertise with 14 years in the industry. Dr. Bzhadug received extensive scientific and clinical experience as a medical oncologist at Cancer Research Center (Moscow, Russia) for nine years. She has more than 23 years of experience in clinical trials, starting as sub-investigator in Phase I-III clinical trials and continuing in the industry supporting Phase I-IV trials within biotech (Amgen) and CRO. 

Dr. Bzhadug earned her Medical Degree in Moscow Medical and Dentist University and completed her Medical Oncology Fellowship in Cancer Research Center (Moscow). She has PhD degree in molecular biology of Breast Cancer. She joined our company in 2019.

Dr. Calabresi has more than 20 years of clinical experience and 16 years of industry experience with a strong track record of designing, (including adaptive design), conducting and reporting clinical studies in all phases of development in neuroscience. He has worked as a research physician and medical lead at CROs and major pharma companies across various neuroscience indications, including neuropathies, somatic- and chemotherapy-induced pain, Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, spinal cord injury, mitochondrial encephalopathy and others across Phases I-IV.

Luca Cantini, MD, PhD, is Medical Director at Fortrea, based in Leiden, the Netherlands. Dr. Cantini has 8 years of experience in oncology clinical drug development from academia to CROs, dealing with all aspects of early and late phase clinical trials. As a Medical Oncologist, he has been actively involved in translational research in Immuno-Oncology with a special focus on thoracic cancers. He earned his medical degree from the University of Pisa, Italy and completed his medical oncology fellowship training at the Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy. In 2020, he was awarded with the ESMO Translational Research Fellowship, to carry on a project titled “ENSURE study - dENdritic cell therapy combined with SURgEry in mesothelioma” at the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. During the Fellowship, he decided to pursue a PhD trajectory at the same Institution, which has been finalized in 2022. Besides the ESMO Fellowship, he has been awarded with the IASLC Early Career Education Award, the ESO Grant for participating to the “18th ESO/ESMO Masterclass in Clinical Oncology,” the ESMO Grant for participating to the “Translational Research Unit Visit,” the ESMO Travel Grant for participating to the “2022 European Lung Cancer Conference,” and the NRS Travel Grant. He has authored 53 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. He joined our company in December 2022.

Valery Chatikine, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist, board certified by University of Paris XI and Cancer Research Center of the Russian Academy Medical Science, with more than 10 years medical oncology clinical practice. He is experienced in oncology drug development Phase I-III studies for multiple solid tumors and selected hematologic malignancies with small, large molecules (Immuno-Oncology), ADCs, T cells and NK cells in solid tumors, glioblastoma and lymphoma with FDA and EMA relevant IND/NDAs/BLA submission and approval involvement. Dr. Chatikine is well published with more than 40 publications in peer-reviewed journals (Journal of Clinical Oncology, American Journal of Clinical Oncology, European Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Letters). He is an active member of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO). He joined our company in April 2022.