Raleigh, N.C.-based INC Research, a global phase I to IV CRO, has announced the promotions of Bekki Brown to executive vice president, clinical development and general medicine, and Tom Zoda, Ph.D., to executive vice president, clinical development, central nervous system (CNS).

Brown and Zoda are responsible for providing executive leadership for two of the company’s therapeutic business units. The appointments reinforce INC's continued focus on providing customers with therapeutically specialized project teams to maximize efficiency and collaboration through proven expertise and strong business acumen. 

Michael Gibertini, Ph.D., the company's president of clinical development, said, “INC is focused on providing specialized teams and experts in particular disciplines that fully understand each therapy area and how to best address customers’ needs. By structuring teams in this way, we are able to deliver unique insights that provide a clear advantage in accelerating new therapies to market for the benefit of patients in need.”

Brown, who has been with INC since 2001, provides global leadership for the company’s General Medicine business unit, which specializes in conducting clinical trials in areas ranging from infectious disease, respiratory disease, immunology and inflammation, gastrointestinal diseases, urology and women’s health. Since joining the business unit in 2010, she has led operations and guided the group to its highest-ever level of performance. During her tenure at INC, she has made material contributions to the architecture of the company’s Trusted Process project management methodology. Brown began her career at INC  in project management, overseeing CNS studies, and has held other positions including leadership roles in operations management and global training.

Zoda, who has worked in the pharmaceutical and CRO industry for more than 20 years, has extensive experience designing, managing and overseeing clinical trials for the development of CNS therapeutics. He takes over the CNS unit from Gibertini, who now focuses on driving innovation and leveraging efficiencies across all of INC’s therapeutic business units for the benefit of customers. Since joining INC in 2009, Zoda has directed and overseen large multi-center global trials focused on psychiatric and neurological indications in areas such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, depression, anxiety, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. He has been instrumental in helping the company grow its CNS team to more than 900 professionals and in strengthening its position in the marketplace as an industry leader in CNS clinical trials.