”What we know matters, but who we are matters more.”
- Brene Brown
The Core Team
FOUNDER
Lacey Powers, MSJ
Lacey’s experience with clinical trials began nearly 25 years ago as a volunteer in several investigator-initiated studies. She later began working as a clinical research coordinator and site manager at the Dallas VA Medical Center, where she was actively involved in the conduct of clinical trials, from start up through close out, in gastroenterology and orthopedics. Lacey moved from site operations into project management for a privately owned organization that specialized in global patient recruitment and retention, supporting large global patient recruitment and retention campaigns, eventually progressing into a role that included project operations oversight and key business development responsibilities. In her most recent role as VP, Clinical Operations for Reata Pharmaceuticals, Lacey built a strong in-house team of 65+ employees and 20+ contractors who worked together for the successful delivery of global clinical programs across multiple compounds and various therapeutic areas. Lacey holds a Masters Degree in Jurisprudence (concentration: Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Law & Compliance) from Seton Hall Law School. In her spare time, Lacey enjoys coffee with friends and colleagues, reading, spending time with family, and being involved with church/community/volunteer activities.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Drs. Feldman, Pierce, Koutrouvelis, Mueller,
Cooke, and Finch
With board certifications in pulmonology, critical care, anesthesiology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and internal medicine, our team of investigators covers a wide range of therapeutic areas and indications. Protection of patient rights and safety is always at the forefront, and 13+ years of service as IRB chair helped solidify this priority for the investigative team. Our investigators are truly fun, kind, engaged, and they all bring a sincere interest in clinical trials, from study design to data analysis.
SITE DIRECTOR
Debi McCarty, RN
Debi has over 30 years of nursing experience, 14 of which have included work on clinical trials as a research coordinator and clinical research associate. Her greatest strengths are business operations, patient communication, teaching and training staff, and ensuring protocol compliance through meticulous attention to detail. Debi is responsible for the day to day operations of TopLine. In her spare time, you’ll find Debi working in her yard or spending time with her grandkids.
Davood Rezaei
Davood is a PharmD with a concentration in Clinical Research, serving most recently as the Clinical Research Pharmacist overseeing all investigational product for trials conducted at the VA North Texas Health Care System (Dallas). He has worked as a key study team member on hundreds of trials across numerous therapeutic areas, indications, and specialties, forging excellent relationships with the study teams, sponsor personnel, and CROs. At TopLine, Davood oversees all IP-related storage, accountability, documentation, dispensing and compliance.
PHARMACY DIRECTOR
Our Advisors
R. James White III, MD, PhD
Dr. White is a Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. He is the founding director of the PHA accredited Comprehensive Care Center for Pulmonary Hypertension at the URMC. Dr. White earned his MD and PhD while in an NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh under the mentorship of Dr. Ian Reynolds. He completed residency training in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Rochester. For many years he has been a principal investigator for Phase 2 and 3 programs and serves as member or chair of various trial steering committees and DSMBs. Dr. White provides medical and scientific advisory support to TopLine.
Keith W. Ward, PhD
Dr. Ward is a life sciences executive with over 25 years of experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. In addition to serving as a key scientific advisor to TopLine, Dr. Ward serves as founder and CEO of Kuria Therapeutics. Prior to this, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Reata Pharmaceuticals, where he led R&D, clinical operations, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, and project management for a portfolio of novel Nrf2 activators being developed for both topical and systemic administration. Before that, Dr. Ward developed ophthalmic pharmaceuticals and medical devices as Global Vice President of Pharmaceutical R&D for Bausch & Lomb. Dr. Ward has also held positions of increasing responsibility within GlaxoSmithKline and SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Ward holds a PhD in Toxicology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
