Senior Management

Dr. Rashmee Patil completed her undergraduate education at Yale University where she also competed on the Division 1 tennis team. She obtained her medical degree from Saint George’s University School of Medicine. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency at NYU and Hepatology and Liver Transplantation Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Patil has practiced medicine in diverse settings and has served as principal investigator for over 60 studies in the field of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. She currently serves as CEO of Pinnacle and founded South Texas Research Institute (“STRI”), a leading site management organization in NAFLD/NASH focused on serving a diverse patient population in the historically underserved Rio Grande Valley. Prior to founding STRI in 2020, she led the Hepatology Department at the DHR Liver & Transplant Institute in McAllen, TX.

In December 2022, STRI partnered with Pinnacle, expanding its network and geographic presence. In her spare time, Dr. Patil enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, mentoring, and seizing every opportunity she can for personal and professional growth.

Dr. Rudraraju is triple board-certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology with over 12 years of medical experience. She received her Doctor of Medicine from Andhra Medical College in 2001, did her internal medicine residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2006, followed by two fellowships in Transplant Hepatology at Mayo Clinic and Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

She was the recipient of the 2022 Summit Apex Award for overall excellence in research, has over 6 original publications in peer-reviewed journals, and 4 publications worldwide. Dr. Rudraraju comes with a superb background holding positions like Medical Director at Methodist Specialty and Transplant- Liver Failure Program, Medical Director for United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), and Chief of Transplant service line for the Medical Executive Committee.

She is an active member of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), American Gastroenterology Association (AGA), American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD), and European Association for the study of the Liver (EASL). Dr. Rudraraju has been with Pinnacle since 2020 and has formed a multitude of relationships with physicians and experts to raise awareness of liver disease and find a treatment for the patients that need it most. Dr. Rudraraju is an avid plant enthusiast and loves spending her free time cooking, gardening, and with family.

Dr. Michelle Papka is a respected thought leader in AD who has over 30 years combined experience as a researcher and clinician specializing in the field of aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. She has practiced as a neuropsychologist, psychotherapist, and researcher, and has served as a Principal Investigator on more than 35 recent clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive impairment. Dr. Papka has had numerous publications of her work and is an active public speaker, invited editor, grant reviewer, consultant, and committee member of multiple specialized organizations and publications in the field of aging and Alzheimer’s Disease.

About CRCNJ

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Springfield, New Jersey, CRCNJ is a leading Northeast-based CNS clinical research network with a focus on AD. CRCNJ operates one site in Springfield, New Jersey, and is currently opening its second site location in Ridgewood, New Jersey. CRCNJ’s reputation for top quality care is a core driver of patient referrals in the traditionally difficult-to-recruit CNS space.

Dr. Diana Kerwin is a leading Key Opinion Leader with over 20 years of experience in Alzheimer’s and cognitive research, who was previously in academia at the world-renowned Northwestern University Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center and is now an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, and is the principal investigator on phase I, II, and III clinical trials for the development of therapeutics in Alzheimer’s and related dementias such as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy(PSP), Lewy Body disease (LBD) and NIH-funded studies for the prevention of Alzheimer’s dementia.

About Kerwin Medical Center

Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Kerwin Medical Center is a leading clinical research network with an established reputation for superior enrollment and patient care for complex CNS studies with a focus on AD. KMC was founded in Dallas and is expanding to south Dallas with a site opening in Oak Cliff.

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.

Margaret (Maggie) Leal was born and raised in the beautiful state of Washington. She obtained her Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Chemistry from The University of Texas-Pan American in 2014. She later pursued and obtained her Master of Science with a concentration in Health Sciences in Health Care Administration from The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley in 2015. Maggie is also a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP). She showed proficiency in research design, ethics/safety, regulation, clinical trial operations, study and site management, and data management and informatics.

Maggie joins Pinnacle Clinical Research as Vice President of Clinical Research Operations with 10 years in the clinical research field. Her background comes from being a Research Assistant, Clinical Research Coordinator, and Director of Clinical Research Operations in the clinical research industry. She has executed protocols in different therapeutic areas and most recently in the field of Hepatology. She has worked directly with our CEO, Dr. Patil, since 2018 and helped obtain top-enrollment recognition for NASH research sites in both global and national research protocols.

Maggie brings enthusiasm and optimism to her workplace and enjoys going to concerts with her husband, going fishing with family, and teaching her son how to play sports.

Native to the Rio Grande Valley Monica Garza comes with 15 years of research experience. She obtained her Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Biology from the University of Texas-Pan American in 2007. Monica has worked compliance on multiple Phase I through Phase IV research trials in various therapeutic areas.

Her background includes being a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator at a private clinic with a focus on adult endocrinology research in Austin in 2009. Then in 2017, she moved to the greater Houston area to work in pediatric neurology clinic research at one of the largest children’s hospitals in the United States as a Project Manager. In 2021, she joined the quality department at a private research site focused on NASH and cirrhosis clinical research, where she became the Director of Compliance and Data Management in 2022. She is enthusiastic and honored to utilize her expertise in clinical research and patient care as Pinnacle’s Vice President of Compliance.

Monica is passionate to bring Pinnacle’s mission of innovative health care and education to her Texas community. She is a joy to the workplace and enjoys reading, traveling, and baking in her spare time.

Mon-Fri: 7:30AM-4:00pm

Senior Management

Rashmee Patil, MD

Madhavi Rudraraju, MD

Michelle Papka, Ph.D.

Diana R. Kerwin, MD, CPI

Andre DeLeon, CPA

Margaret Leal, MS, CCRC

Monica Garza, CCRC

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