Senior Management
Rashmee Patil, MD
Hepatologist & Chief Executive Officer
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.
Madhavi Rudraraju, MD
Gastroenterologist, Hepatologist &
Chief Medical Officer
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.
Michelle Papka, Ph.D.
CNS Scientific Director
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.
Diana R. Kerwin, MD, CPI
CNS Medical Director
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, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Margaret Leal, MS, CCRC
Vice President of Clinical Research Operations and Site Development
Monica Garza, CCRC
Vice President of Compliance