Notables:

Philadelphia, Pa.-based imaging CRO ACR Image Metrix's chief scientific officer, Bruce Hillman, M.D. was named Outstanding Researcher of 2007 by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).Hillman is chair and principal investigator at the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) and is the former editor-in-chief of Investigative Radiology and Academic Radiology. He is also a member of the ACR Board of Chancellors and fellow at the American College of Radiology.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has chosen to name its School of Pharmacy  after PPD’s chief executive officer and founder, Fred Eshelman, who graduated from the school in 1972. After donating $10 million to the school in 2007, Eshelman decided to more than triple his gift to $33 million in 2008. The money, in part, will be used to fund a 70,000 square-foot genetics lab at the school’s medicine building.

Contract Research

Philadelphia, Pa.-based contract research organization Premier Research Group appointed Anthony Faragasso, M.D., as executive director and global head of medical management and safety. Faragasso joined Premier from pharmaceutical company Adolor, where he led its safety group. He also worked at Ortho Pharmaceuticals, MDS Pharma Services, Omnicare and Synergen.

King of Prussia, Pa.-based CRO MDS Pharma Services appointed two new medical directors to its late stage repository and metabolic disease project groups. MDS named Bernard Tisserand, M.D. as executive medical director for the company’s respiratory disorder treatment area.  Tisserand has been with MDS for 18 years and has managed numerous projects and clinical teams for studies in asthma, allergic rhinitis and other such diseases.  Johnny Salyer, M.D., was named executive medical director for the company’s metabolic disease programs. Salyer came to MDS after working for seven years as director of medical affairs for a central laboratory services company.

Dublin-based CRO ICON has brought in a new team of senior staff to bolster its pharmacokinetic - pharmcodynamics and modeling simulations business line. Leading the effort will be Roger Toothaker, global vice president of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Prior to ICON, Toothaker served as vice president of clinical development at Akros Pharma. He also held several senior roles at TAP Pharmaceuticals, Procter & Gamble, Parke-Davis and Pharmakon. Also on the team is Robert Bauer, who will help develop PK/PD models and techniques for ICON’s clients. Bauer was previously senior director of PK/PD and bioinformatics with XOMA, where he worked for 16 years. Ekaterina Gibiansky, Ph.D, has been appointed to the position of senior director for the group. Most recently, Gibiansky was the director of MedImmune’s PK/PD operation. Gibiansky also held senior scientific positions at MGI Pharma, GloboMax, Otsuka and Novartis. Finally, Nidal Al-Huniti, Ph.D, will serve as principal scientist to the unit, using his expertise in advanced modeling and simulation techniques.  He was formerly a senior associate for Pharsight.

Clinilabs , a drug development service provider based in New York, N.Y., appointed Lorraine Marchand to the position of chief operating officer. Formerly, Marchand was vice president of late stage development services for Covance. She also held the post of executive director of global clinical development for Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Chapel Hill, N.C.-based CRO Rho appointed two new members to its project management team, lead by Tara Gladwell. Kristen Snipes was named senior project manager. With more than 10 ten years experience in managing clinical studies, Snipes has expertise in oncology and cardiovascular treatment areas. Haifa Taylor was appointed as project manager. Taylor joined Rho after seven years leading projects as a clinical research associate. She has an extensive background in ophthalmology and endocrinology.

Technology

Omnicomm Systems , an eClinical company based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., hired Thomas Wells as vice president of technical operations. Prior to Omnicomm, Wells was director of research and development for Amgen’s informatics unit. Part of Wells’ work at Amgen dealt directly with electronic data capture (EDC) management. Before that, Wells worked for the CRO Integrium as director of information technology. In that role, Wells’ was responsible for the company’s clinical trials management and data management systems.

Be sure to send Clinical Trials Today your organization's latest personnel news!