Clinical Trial Staff

Clinical Research Coordinators

A Clinical Research Coordinator is responsible for conducting clinical trials using Good Clinical Practice (GCP). They are monitored by an Institutional Review Board (IRB ) and are under the supervision of the Principal Investigator (PI).

Built on the core values of dedication, integrity, resourcefulness, and professionalism, Centricity Research embraces a visionary, entrepreneurial spirit that compels our ambassadors to blaze new trails with proprietary systems and processes.

Our Credo:

Dedication: To our company, our patients, and our co-workers. We all strive for the same goal and we do what we need to do to achieve it, all while offering unending support to our coworkers and patients.

Integrity: Doing the right thing when no one is watching. All Centricity Research employees have strong moral principles.

Resourcefulness: Centricity Employees have versatile skill sets. By doing what we are good at, as individuals and as a team, we are able to find clever ways to overcome boundaries and obstacles.

Professionalism: Every Centricity Research employee is held to the highest behavioral, ethical, and social standard. We achieve excellence by conducting our work with professional competence and expertise.

Chief Growth Officer

Dr. Samir Arora

Chief Growth Officer, Principal Investigator

Dr. Arora went to medical school in Manipal, India. He then did his residency at Hamot Medical Center in Erie PA. During his residency, he worked on multiple original research studies one of those on breastfeeding received national attention garnering interviews on major networks and newspapers. Since then, Dr. Arora has been involved in clinical research acting as principal investigator or sub-investigator on over 100 studies. He holds the prestigious CPI designation by the ACRP. He is the CEO of Aventiv Research and is actively involved in the running of the company.

Medical Director

Dr. Roy St. John

Internal Medicine, Medical Director, Principal Investigator

Roy St. John, M.D. attended medical school and completed his residency at the Ohio State University. Dr. St. John specializes and is board-certified in pulmonology and critical care medicine and has over 25 years of experience in the field. He was awarded the “Lifeline of Ohio Physician of the Year” in 2012 and has a rich background in clinical research. Dr. St. John resides in Dublin and treasures spending time with his wife, their 3 children, and their families. He is an avid runner and enjoys reading and playing golf.  He is also a huge Ohio State Buckeye fan.

Principal Investigators

Dr. Ann Ansel

Dermatology, Principal Investigator

Ann Zoretic Ansel, MD is a board-certified dermatologist who completed medical school and internship at The Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, OH. Dr. Ansel completed her dermatology residency at Wright State University in Dayton, OH.

She is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Ohio Dermatological Association. She especially enjoys general Dermatology and patient education.

Dr. Ryan Barson

Internal Medicine, Principal Investigator

Ryan Barson, MD is a general pediatrician in Westerville, Ohio. He attended medical school at The Ohio State University and completed his residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Currently, Dr. Barson works at Mid-Ohio Pediatrics and Adolescents, but his desire to offer patients treatment options that will preserve or improve their overall health and wellness, led to his employment at Centricity Research. Dr. Barson resides in Columbus. In his spare time, he enjoys backpacking the country’s National Parks and spending time with his family.

Dr. Kenneth Boren

Internal Medicine, Principal Investigator

Dr. Boren is a native of Indiana who is educated at Arizona State University and Indiana University School of Medicine. He received his postgraduate education at Indiana University, becoming board-certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrine and Metabolism, and Nephrology. He served in the US Navy. After receiving his postgraduate education, he joined an existing practice in Mesa, Arizona. He developed a diabetic education program, a clinical research program, and a peritoneal dialysis program in Mesa. His partners developed an outpatient dialysis program that grew to 1800 patients in 1990 and merged with several other physician-owned dialysis centers to form the Renal care group (RCGI, NYSE) in 1996. IN 2003 he, with a group of his partners, developed Southwest Kidney Institute, which creates a group of dialysis centers merged with Davita. In 2012 Dr. Boren retired from active practice and attended the MBA program at W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, graduating in 2014. Since graduation, He had worked with several starts up in healthcare. He started working with a clinical research program in 1985 and has been actively involved with clinical research since he retired from active medical practice. Dr. Boren is married and has six children.  He serves on the board of several nonprofits in the Phoenix area.

Dr. Kevin Donnelly

Dermatology, Principal Investigator

Dr. Kevin Donnelly is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in general, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. He earned his undergraduate degree, Magna Cum Laude, in chemical engineering from the University of Dayton and his Doctor of Medicine from The Ohio State University. He then went on to complete an internship in internal medicine at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati and his dermatology residency at Drexel University and The Ohio State University. Dr. Donnelly belongs to many professional organizations, including the American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, and Ohio Dermatological Association.

Dr. Sridhar Guduri

Internal Medicine, Principal Investigator

Dr. Sridhar Guduri has been with Centricity Research since 2007. He has since become the Principal Investigator at Dublin Clinical Research. Dr. Guduri has been in practice for more than eleven years and is board certified in Allergy /Immunology as well as Internal Medicine. He enjoys doing research because it allows him to be on the cutting edge of developing new medications and allows him to offer patients treatments that are not readily available. Dr. Guduri has a wife and two daughters. Apart from his private practice and research, he has a passion for education and volunteers as a math teacher for Kindergarten and 2nd graders.

Dr. Jess DeMaria

Dermatology, Principal Investigator

Dr. Jess DeMaria specializes in general dermatology and dermatologic surgery and was recently ranked as one of the top ten dermatologists in central Ohio. Dr. DeMaria earned his undergraduate degree, Summa Cum Laude, from The University of Toledo in 1981. In 1985, Dr. DeMaria earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University. He was initially Board Certified by the American Board of Dermatology in 1991 and continues to maintain his board certification. He is currently a principal partner at Central Ohio Skin and Cancer.

Dr. DeMaria is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and a member of the American Medical Association, the Ohio Dermatological Society, and The Thompson Society for Scholarship Endowment at The Ohio State University. He’s also a past officer of the Central Ohio Dermatological Society and served as a member of the Ohio Dermatologic Association Board of Trustees. An avid sports enthusiast, Dr. DeMaria is the dermatology consultant for The Ohio State University Athletic Department, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s state wrestling tournament.

Dr. Sarah Artman

Obstetrics and Gynecology, Principal Investigator

Dr. Artman is Board-Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and has provided specialized care for women of all ages in her private practice for more than 20 years. She has repeatedly been judged by her peers to be among the Best Doctors in America®, and has been recognized by Columbus Monthly Magazine.

Dr. Artman graduated from Cornell University and from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She performed a 4-year residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ohio State University Medical Center. During college, medical school, and residency, Dr. Artman participated in scientific research and as a resident she received several awards for research activities. She joined Centricity Research to use her clinical background and her understanding of research and statistical analysis to further advance scientific understanding of Women’s Health.

Dr. Mandeep M. Sahani

Internal Medicine, Principal Investigator

Dr. Sahani graduated alongside Dr. Arora from Kasturba Medical College in India. From there, he completed his fellowship at Loyola University.

He currently works in Mesa, Arizona as well as several other locations around the area. Specializing in Nephrology, Dr. Sahani is affiliated with multiple medical centers as well as spending time treating patients on local Indian Reservations.

He has one daughter with his wife, who is also a practicing physician.

Dr. Jennifer Nash

Dermatology, Principal Investigator

Dr. Jennifer Nash specializes in general, surgical and cosmetic dermatology. She obtained her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, graduating summa cum laude. She earned her medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, graduating magna cum laude. She completed her internship year at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio and her dermatology residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Nash has been a board-certified dermatologist since 2001.

Sub-Investigators

Grazia Cannon, MSN, CNP

Director of Business Integration, Family Medicine, Sub-Investigator

Grazia brings to Centricity over 10 years of nursing experience. After graduating from Mount Carmel College of Nursing with her BSN, Magna Cum Laude, she gained experience in both ICU and oncology nursing.  She then obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from Otterbein University. As an AANP board certified Family Nurse Practitioner, Grazia cared for patients in the outpatient setting before joining the Centricity team in 2016. As a Sub-Investigator, Grazia sees patients at our Columbus and Dublin locations, and brings a wealth of knowledge and support to all our offices. Outside of providing medical care to our patients, Grazia sits on the Leadership Team as the Director of Business Integration. Working side by side with our Chief Growth Officer, Dr. Arora, she helps to execute the business plan that was created with exponential growth as the goal.

Brittany Cleveland, DNP, FNP

Family Medicine, Sub-Investigator

Sandra Gaiser, DNP, FNP

Internal Medicine, Sub-Investigator

Sandra earned a BSN from Arizona State University and worked as an RN in oncology for several years, and later worked in an Emergency Department for 10 years. She was accepted into Grand Canyon University’s Master of Science in Nursing program, where she earned a degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. As an AANP board-certified nurse practitioner she specialized in Nephrology and Emergency Medicine. In 2017, she earned a Doctorate in Nursing, focusing her research study on “Improving Follow-up Care for Post Hospitalized Patients Diagnosed with Acute Kidney Injury”. Sandra continues her work in nephrology, and has also pursued her interest in research by joining the Centricity Research team, to help the advancement of medicine by studying effects of medical therapies, to improve patient care and outcomes. She is passionate about education, and as adjunct faculty at GCU, teaches advanced pathophysiology to graduate nursing students.

Sarah Wilcox, MSN, FNP

Family Medicine, Sub-Investigator

Sarah Wilcox comes to Centricity with over a decade of experience in the medical field.  While working as a patient support assistant at Riverside Methodist Hospital, Sarah graduated from Columbus State Community College and became a registered nurse.  As a certified Medical/Surgical registered nurse, she specialized in Neurology, working with patients with acute neurological issues.  In 2016 she was awarded Magnet’s “Nurse of the Year” for the Neurology/Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. Sarah furthered her education at Ohio University; earning first her bachelor’s degree in 2016, followed by a Master of Science in Nursing in 2020.  AANP board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner, Sarah served the community as a nurse practitioner in the urgent care setting prior to joining Centricity.  Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and five children.

Operations

Meg Rood

Senior Director of Operations

Meg was born and raised in Akron, OH and moved to Columbus to attend The Ohio State University. After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in Molecular Genetics and Anthropology, she joined Centricity Research. Meg currently serves as the Senior Director of Operations. In her role, she oversees the company’s sites in Ohio and Arizona as well as providing consulting & project management services to other clinical research groups across the country. Her duties include establishing and executing operational activities and strategic goals alongside the President, managing relationships with external partners, ensuring site compliance with industry laws and standards and managing Centricity’s quality assurance programs and Standard Operating Procedures.

Kristina Susi

Clinical Operations Manager

Kristina was born and raised in Dayton, OH and attended the University of Dayton where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with minors in English and Sociology.  She moved to Columbus after graduating from college where she began her clinical research career at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the Emergency Medicine department, as well as Centricity Research for approximately 4 years.  She also has 4 years of Phase 1 oncology research experience from Carolina BioOncology Institute in Huntersville, North Carolina, and The Ohio State University.  Kristina has more than 10 years in the clinical research field working in a wide variety of study phases and patient populations.  As the Clinical Operations Manager, she acts as a liaison with sponsors, collaborators, and regulatory agencies, as well as supervises the site managers.  She works closely with the Director of Clinical Operations and Consulting to monitor the day-to-day tasks across all sites at Centricity Research.

Rafe Bari

Administrative Operations Manager

Rafe moved around within a few countries, including Pakistan, UAE, and Canada, before moving to the states. He attended The Ohio State University, where he received his degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. After graduating, he began his career in clinical research with Centricity Research. Rafe has held multiple positions during his time at Centricity and currently serves as the Administrative Operations Manager. As a part of his role, he oversees the long-term progression of Centricity’s Data Management, Regulatory, and Quality Assurance departments with his team. He manages vendor relationships and laboratory services to support the company’s growth overall. Outside of work, he enjoys spending quality time with his family, being out in nature, reading/learning, and keeping up with global economies and markets.

Finance

Jeff Bruner

Chief Financial Officer

Jeff has over 30 years of public and industry accounting experience. In addition to serving as the CFO for Centricity Research, Jeff leads the CFO Services practice line at Brixey & Meyer. Earlier in his career, he spent 7 years as Controller and CFO of two separate companies with additional tenures at various Fortune 500 companies. As CFO, Jeff leverages this vast experience to provide Centricity with a strategic financial partner where he provides financial analysis and recommendations that optimize value for the company. Jeff has extensive experience in several industries including manufacturing, healthcare, nonprofit, and B2B service companies. He holds a degree in finance from Purdue University and is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

Marketing

Rich Taylor

Chief Marketing Officer

Rich is a marketing & advertising executive with a passion for brand building. He is also co-author of “Authenticity: Building a Brand in an Insincere Age” (Praeger Press Jan 2020). Rich has over 30 years of experience working with leading brands and has held leadership roles at top agencies. Previously Rich served as CMO for one of the largest independent retail chains in Chicago and Northwest Indiana. He has also worked with a variety of healthcare companies including Advocate Health Care, Wyoming Medical Center, EON Clinics and more. Rich serves as a member of Centricity’s leadership team and is a graduate of Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising.

Human Resources

Erika Garber

Human Resources Manager

Erika was born and raised in northwest Iowa, and after a brief period in South Korea, she settled in Ohio where she has resided ever since.  She graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Journalism and obtained her PHR and SHRM-CP certifications in 2008 and 2015.  Erika joined Centricity in 2021 and brought with her over 16 years of experience in Human Resources, with 13 of those years in the healthcare and research areas.  She has a broad knowledge of all Human Resources functions and is passionate about formulating and implementing talent management strategies to satisfy business needs and build capabilities for the future. In her current role, Erika sits on the leadership team and embraces the opportunity to focus on combining our long-term vision with strategic planning and a hands-on approach.

In her free time, Erika enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling.

Business Development

Rachel Flora

Business Development Manager

Rachel Flora is our Business Development Lead and has been with Centricity Research for a total of 4 years. She has 5 years of experience in the clinical research field and has worked on the Site, CRO/Sponsor and Vendor side. She started at Centricity in the fall of 2014 as a Research Assistant, transitioned to a Study Coordinator, and then into the Executive Assistant role to Dr. Arora. In the winter of 2017 she moved to New Jersey with her fiancé to be closer his to family and also to explore a career with PRA Health Sciences and Bayer HealthCare as an In-House Clinical Research Associate. While that was fun while it lasted, both her and her fiancé missed Columbus and decided to move back in the Spring of 2018. With the experience she gained in New Jersey, a role in Business Development seemed like a great fit. Her duties include generating new business, contract negotiation, regulatory management (for the Dublin site) and site qualification visits.

Clinical Staff

Clinical Research Coordinators:

Our Clinical Research Coordinators are responsible for the organization, coordination, and overall integrity of the trials that we participate in. Their responsibilities include Obtaining participant informed consent, Scheduling tests and procedures, Collection of clinical research data, and Ensuring accuracy of documentation.

Clinical Research Assistants:

Our Clinical Research Assistants help our Coordinators with the activities of each study. Their duties may include, Blood Draws, ECG, Sample Processing, and Data Entry. All Research Assistants are IATA certified as well as GCP trained.

Recruitment Coordinators:

Our dedicated team of recruitment coordinators work hard at pre-screening and screening patients, making sure that they are the right fit for our enrolling studies.