Dr. Mazen Noureddin

Chief Science Officer
Co-Chairman of the Board

Mazen Noureddin, MD, MHSc, is a Professor of Medicine and an internationally recognized leader in Steatotic Liver Disease (SLD/MASLD) and cirrhosis. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Southern California (USC), followed by advanced hepatology training at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the NIDDK Liver Diseases Branch, where he also earned an NIH/Duke Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Research. He subsequently completed a gastroenterology fellowship at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) as a T32 NIH fellow. Dr. Noureddin later joined USC as Assistant Professor and was recruited to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 2015 as the founding Director of the Fatty Liver Program.

Dr. Noureddin is internationally recognized for his expertise in translational liver research, non-invasive diagnostics, biomarkers, and therapeutic development across the SLD spectrum. He has led or participated in more than 80 global clinical trials and has authored over 320 peer-reviewed publications in premier journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Nature Medicine, and Gastroenterology. He is also the founder of the Houston Research Institute; a state-of-the-art clinical research facility focused on advancing innovative diagnostics and breakthrough therapies in liver disease.

Andre DeLeon

Chief Financial Officer

Andre DeLeon is a certified public accountant with over 20 years of experience in public and private markets. After almost a decade at Ernst & Young (EY), with a principal focus on mergers and acquisitions, Andre went on to serve as Controller for the City of San Antonio, the country’s seventh largest city. He joins Pinnacle Clinical Research after eight years scaling a successful technology company, most recently as Chief Financial Officer, where he was responsible for all aspects of finance, accounting, legal, and human resources operations.

Andre was a student-athlete at St. Mary’s University before earning his graduate degree from the University of Virginia. In his spare time, you can find Andre in search of swells and snow with his 80-pound retriever, Atlas, always in tow.

Dr. Rashmee Patil

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Patil is a fellowship-trained Hepatologist, Principal Investigator on over 60 clinical trials in MASLD/MASH, and Founder of South Texas Research Institute (STRI), the premier private clinical research site network originating in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Beginning as one site and five employees in 2020, STRI grew to 2 locations and over 30 team members in

STRI partnered with Pinnacle Clinical Research in 2022, and Dr. Patil served as CEO of the combined entity from 2022-2024. During this time, Pinnacle grew from 5 to 13 wholly owned sites and expanded its geographic reach through M&A in New Jersey and Nevada – this expansion came with significant organic revenue growth under her leadership. In late 2024, Dr. Patil stepped into the role of Chief Medical Officer and is leading the organization’s physician/investigator teams through the next phase of growth and transformation. Pinnacle Clinical Research is the leading clinical research network in the field of Hepatology in the US and was founded by Dr. Stephen Harrison in 2016.

Eli Alford

Chief Operating Officer

Eli Alford is Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Pinnacle Clinical Research. Eli served 26 years as a combat arms leader and in research and analysis roles in the U.S. Army, retiring as a colonel. His second professional chapter has been in management consulting on federal contracts and operational leadership roles in the clinical research industry, starting with INC Research (now Syneos Health). Prior to Pinnacle, Eli served for eight years as a COO, first with Schulman Associates IRB (now Advarra) and then with Elligo Health Research, a clinical research site network integrated with healthcare. His qualifications include Six Sigma Blackbelt and Certified IRB Professional. He received a BA from the Virginia Military Institute, MS from the University of Southern California, and was a National Security Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Dr. Winston Dunn, MD, FAASLD

Winston Dunn, MD, FAASLD is a transplant hepatologist and clinical investigator with over 15 years of experience in the management of advanced liver disease. He is currently the Principal Investigator and Director of Liver Research at Pinnacle Clinical Research in San Antonio. Dr. Dunn completed his transplant hepatology training at the Mayo Clinic and has held academic appointments up to Professor Emeritus at the University of Kansas Medical Center. His clinical expertise includes cirrhosis, portal hypertension, MASLD/MASH, and alcohol-associated liver disease. He has led numerous multicenter Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials evaluating novel therapies for liver disease, including agents targeting fibrosis and metabolic dysfunction. Dr. Dunn collaborates with community physicians to provide consultation on complex liver cases and offers access to clinical trials for patients who may benefit from emerging therapies.

Dr. Dimple Desai

Dimple Patel Desai, MD, MPH, FAAFP, DABOM, is a dual board-certified physician in Family Medicine and Obesity Medicine, currently serving as Principal Investigator and South Texas Medical Director at the South Texas Research Institute. She leads a diverse portfolio of clinical trials focused on metabolic diseases, liver disorders, and central nervous system (CNS) conditions, with particular emphasis on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and Alzheimer’s disease in underserved Hispanic populations in the Rio Grande Valley.

Dr. Desai received her medical degree and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where she served as Chief Resident. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has completed additional certifications in Primary Care Psychiatry, Global Health, and Behavioral Health Integration.

Dr. Michelle Papka

Dr. Michelle Papka is a respected thought leader in AD who has over 35 years experience as a researcher and clinician specializing in the field of aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. In addition to practicing as a neuropsychologist and psychotherapist, Dr. Papka has served as the Principal Investigator on over 70 clinical research studies of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive impairment, most of which have been industry sponsored clinical trials. Dr. Papka is an active public speaker, author, invited editor, grant reviewer, and nationally syndicated columnist. She serves as an advisor and consultant to multiple pharmaceutical companies, scientific organizations, start-ups, and advocacy groups. She is the founder of the annual New Jersey Statewide Memory Screening event that occurs in November in honor of Alzheimer’s Awareness month.

Dr. Diana Kerwin

Dr. Kerwin is the Founder and President of Kerwin Medical Center, a practice that focuses on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and other related dementia diseases. Dr. Kerwin has more than twenty (20) years experience in Alzheimer’s and dementia research. Dr. Kerwin is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, and licensed in Texas, California, and Wisconsin.

Prior to forming her memory care practice in Dallas, she was Assistant Professor of Medicine-Geriatrics at Northwestern University in Chicago, and a faculty member of the world-recognized Northwestern University Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center (CNADC).

Dr. Thomas Weiss

Dr. Weiss is Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine. He has served as medical director of numerous hospital specialty units. In addition to his private practice of psychiatry, Dr. Weiss served as Principal Investigator and Sub-investigator on numerous research studies evaluating new drugs for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, depression, anxiety and other diseases. Dr. Weiss participates in a variety of community outreach programs for Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. Dr. Weiss earned his B.S. degree from the United States Air Force Academy, his M.S. from Purdue University, his M.D. from UTHSCSA. He completed fellowship training at Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital.