MANAGEMENT TEAM
Chief Executive Officer
Richard Prince, Ph.D.
Dr. Prince is the Founder and CEO of Now Biopharma, LLC, a boutique Clinical CRO and Life Science consultancy that specializes in drug development, clinical research, regulatory affairs, scientific management, quality operations, and GxP regulatory compliance.
Dr. Prince possesses specialized expertise in Life Science Entrepreneurship, C-level Management, Corporate Strategy, Clinical Development, Scientific Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Operations, and Operations Facilitation.
He is the editor of five textbooks published by PDA/DHI Books including Biotechnology - From Idea to Market (anticipated release in late 2019). Dr. Prince is also Partner and President at Pollination Ventures Management LLC, a management company that evaluates and advises promising new life science startups on corporate structures and development.
Chief Medical Officer
W. Frank Peacock IV, MD, FACEP, FACC
Dr. Peacock is responsible for the medical supervision of all clinical trials performed on behalf of our clients. Based in Houston, Texas, Dr. Peacock is a Professor of Emergency Medicine, Associate Chair, and Research Director for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. Prior to joining Baylor, he had similar responsibilities during his 17-year tenure at The Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Peacock is a dominant and famous international researcher, having run >150 industry sponsored investigations and with nearly 600 peer reviewed research publications. Dr. Peacock is the two-time winner of the Research Paper of the Year Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians and is a recipient of the 2019 Ray Bahr Award from the American College of Cardiology. He founded Comprehensive Research Associates, LLC (the CRO predecessor to Now Biopharma), in 2008, as well as Emergencies in Medicine, LLC, which provides continuing medical education for emergency professionals.
Medical Director, Clinical Laboratories
Amy Saenger, Ph.D.
Dr. Saenger is responsible for supervising and advising on clinical laboratory protocols, including specimen collection, processing, assays, and biobanking. She is currently an Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Minnesota and Medical Director of the Clinical Laboratories, Director of Clinical Chemistry, Point-of-Care, and the Toxicology Laboratory at Hennepin County Medical Center based in Minneapolis, MN.
Prior to joining Hennepin County Medical Center, she was Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Director of the Cardiovascular Laboratory, Central Clinical Laboratory, and the Clinical Chemistry Fellowship Program Director at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Her laboratory has served as the central biochemistry laboratory for numerous large epidemiology research cohorts, clinical trials, studies, and analytical evaluations. In addition, the laboratory has reference lab capabilities for in-vitro diagnostic manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and commercial vendors.
Co-Director, Pharmacy Operations
Phillip Levy, MPH
Dr. Levy is responsible for the management of Investigational Product that is used in clinical trials. Based in Detroit, Dr. Levy is additionally a tenured Professor at Wayne State University, serves as Assistant Vice President for Translational Sciences and Clinical Research Innovation, and the Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He is a board-certified Emergency Physician and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the American Heart Association, and the American College of Cardiology (ACC).
Dr. Levy is an internationally renowned expert in cardiovascular disease research, having led more than 80 funded studies and clinical trials in this space at Wayne State over the past 15 years. He has been the Principal Investigator for cardiovascular disease related grant projects funded by multiple entities, including the Emergency Medicine Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the NIH/National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, and is currently a co-investigator on grants funded by AHRQ, PCORI and NHLBI. Dr. Levy has published nearly 200 manuscripts, authored 21 textbook chapters and has been an invited lecturer on cardiovascular disease related topics more than 200 times.
Co-Director, Pharmacy Operations
Brittany Stewart, RD, Pharm.D.
Brittany Stewart, RD, Pharm.D. is Co-Director, Pharmacy Operations of Now Biopharma, LLC, in which she is responsible for the management of Investigational Product that is used in clinical trials. Based in Detroit, Dr. Stewart is additionally a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Pharmacy Practice Department at Wayne State University, and a course coordinator for community pharmacy-related, didactic and experiential education courses in the Doctor of Pharmacy professional program.
She has a joint appointment as the Clinical Pharmacist at the Integrative Biosciences Center where she manages investigational drug services and provides patient care. Dr. Stewart’s clinical research focuses on pharmacist-led hypertension management through collaborative practice models, transitions of care, and increasing naloxone access and use in the community. Dr. Stewart is also a co-owner of Precision PharmX, LLP, also based in Detroit, which provides research and healthcare innovation through exceptional pharmacy services.
Director, Clinical Operations
Karina Soto-Ruiz, M.D.
Dr. Soto-Ruiz is responsible for managing clinical operations of all clinical research trials performed on behalf of our clients. Based in Houston, Texas, Dr. Soto brings more than 10 years of both healthcare and research experience (e.g., protocol design, patient recruitment, monitoring visits, data analysis, publication writing) across a variety of pathologies with a focus on emergency medicine.
Dr. Soto-Ruiz started doing research in the out-patient space before eventually moving to Texas Children's Hospital where she was Clinical Research Coordinator for 6 years. She has extensive experience running both industry and NIH funded studies and has worked with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Dr. Soto-Ruiz is also Director, Clinical Development at BrainCheck, a firm which provides cognitive health solutions to over 100 healthcare and athletic organizations around the country.