Our Team

Anand Patel, M.D., is a board-certified anesthesiologist with a subspecialty certification in pain medicine. Dr. Patel graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine and completed his residency/fellowship at New York Presbyterian-Cornell. He subsequently worked as an interventional pain physician at the Center for Pain Medicine in Orlando, FL for 10 years. Dr. Patel joined Conquest Research in 2018 and has served as both PI and Sub-I on more than 80 clinical trials in various therapeutic areas including orthopedics, pain management, migraines, vaccines, rheumatologic disorders, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Malisa Agard, MD is a board-certified Internal Medicine Physician with more than 10 years of clinical experience.  Dr. Agard completed her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Microbiology at the University of Central Florida, then went on to graduate from St. George’s University School of Medicine. She completed her training at Orlando Health and practiced as a primary care physician for many years prior to transitioning to clinical research in 2018. Dr. Agard has extensive experience in general medicine, pain/inflammation, NASH, Gastroparesis, and Neurodegenerative Disease with a special interest in Alzheimer’s Disease.  She has been PI or Sub-Investigator on more than 50 studies in these therapeutic areas. Dr. Agard is dedicated to providing quality care and being part of the team that transforms the landscape of medicine.

Rekha Gandhi, M.D., is a board-certified neurologist with additional fellowship training in epilepsy disorders. Dr. Gandhi most recently worked as a neurologist with Advent Health and as a Principal Investigator with Meridien Research. Prior to this, she was the Outpatient Director for an outpatient epilepsy monitoring unit at St. Vincent Medical Group. In late 2019, she started her own private practice, Neurovations, which focuses on comprehensive care for patients across a wide spectrum of neurologic disorders. Dr. Gandhi joined Conquest Research in 2019 and has served as both PI and Sub-Investigator on multiple clinical trials in various therapeutic indications including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Migraine, Seizure Disorder, Sleep Disorder, ADHD, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Diabetes, and NASH.

If you are a patient and are seeking neurological evaluation outside of clinical trials, please visit www.neurovationsclinic.com.

Heidi Abreu Pacheco, MD is an accomplished board-certified Internal Medicine Physician specializing in Obesity Medicine. She graduated with honors from Pedro Henriquez Urena University School of Medicine in the Dominican Republic. She completed her Internal Medicine Residency in New York at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, affiliated with Weill-Cornell Medical School. Dr. Abreu has over 15 years of experience as a primary care physician, working for Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande, OR, and for Legacy Health in Keizer, OR. She also practiced Obesity Medicine at a private practice, Oregon Weight and Wellness in Salem, OR. Her areas of expertise include obesity, prediabetes/diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, MASH and many other metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. In 2023, she moved to Orlando, Florida, to join Conquest Research and has transitioned full time to clinical research. She has been a Sub-investigator on over 30 studies in these therapeutic areas. Dr. Abreu is bilingual, a native Spanish speaker and is passionate about increasing access to clinical trials as part of the industry-wide DEI initiative.

Jorge Fernandez-Silva, M.D. has been in practice for nearly 10 years, and is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology with subspecialty certification in pain medicine. Dr. Fernandez-Silva was born and raised in Miami, Fla., and attended Florida International University. Upon graduation, he moved to Chicago where he studied at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.  Dr. Fernandez-Silva spent time in private practice, serving the South Florida area, and is fluent in English and Spanish. His areas of expertise include all forms of pain care clinical trials.

Natalie A. Day, APRN., is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with more than 7 years of clinical experience. She attended undergraduate school and obtained her nursing degree at the National University in Puerto Rico in 2015 and proceeded with a post-baccalaureate in Oncology in 2017. Natalie then completed her graduate program as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2021. She is diversely experienced with a comprehensive clinical background in Oncology, Rheumatology, and Neurology. Prior to becoming an APRN, Natalie functioned as a hybrid RN / CRC for over 5 years and completed Phase I – IV clinical trials in numerous therapeutic areas. She is committed to increasing the quality of patient care through clinical research.

Josette Arismendi, APRN., is a seasoned nurse with over 13 years of invaluable clinical experience. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida, where she honed her foundational skills and knowledge in nursing. Building upon this strong foundation, she pursued advanced education at the University of South Florida where she completed her graduate program as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2019. Her clinical background includes neurology, women’s services, and critical care. With her wealth of experience, unwavering dedication, and diverse interests, Josette is a vital asset to our clinical research practice, embodying the values of excellence, compassion, and continuous learning.

Mark founded Conquest Research and manages all clinical and operational aspects of the business as well as future growth strategy. He has over 10 years of experience in the pre-clinical and clinical research industry. Before starting Conquest Research, Mark held numerous roles in research administration at the University of Florida, Cancer and Genetics Research Complex. He also served as a Clinical Research Coordinator at BioClinica Research, Department of Neurology.

Daniel is responsible for the strategic financial management of the organization. He has over 15 years of experience in public accounting and corporate finance, including 8 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Daniel earned both a bachelor's and master’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Florida and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. Daniel is focused on leveraging his knowledge and experience to support the organization’s growth initiatives.

Chloe is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and finances of the business. She has over 10 years of clinical research experience in numerous departments including budget and contracts, study start-up, patient recruitment, marketing, and general clinical operations. Chloe earned her undergraduate degree in Healthcare Administration from Florida Atlantic University and a master’s degree in Research Administration from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining Conquest Research, Chloe served as Corporate Director of Business Operations at Meridien Research.

Anthony currently manages all clinical operations and oversees all departments at the Winter Park location. He has demonstrated success in developing key research personnel, creating and implementing research processes, and enforcing high standards related to safety of subjects and quality of data. He brings over 10 years of various research experience to the team. Before joining Conquest Research in 2018, Anthony held roles as a Regulatory Specialist, Research Manager, and Recruitment and Marketing Manager at Bioclinica Research

Gibson manages all digital and traditional marketing efforts for the business including advertising, analytics, and website development. His role focuses on identifying and recruiting patient populations through omni-channel marketing campaigns. With 9 years of marketing experience and 4 years specializing in clinical research recruitment, he has managed over 100 marketing campaigns for clinical trials. Prior to Conquest Research, he managed clinical research digital marketing campaigns for multiple different sites across the US.

Nicole is responsible for marketing and community outreach efforts, with a focus on education and raising awareness regarding available clinical research opportunities. Nicole has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry holding various roles in operations, marketing, business development and account management. During this time, she has overseen operations to support imaging initiatives for more than 200 active clinical trials within multiple states. Prior to joining Conquest, Nicole served as Senior Director of Operations and Business Development for RAYUS Radiology (formerly Center for Diagnostic Imaging). Nicole is passionate about increasing access and diversity in clinical trials with a special focus on underprivileged & underrepresented populations in the Central Florida region.

As the Human Resources Manager, Colleen supports the implementation of the company’s human resources strategy. With 8 years of combined experience in education and human resources, she brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the team. Colleen holds a Bachelor’s degree from Framingham State University and a Master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Her passion lies in enhancing HR practices, supporting professional development, and cultivating a positive work environment.

Sandy acts as Team Lead for the General Medicine & Pain Department. Her role involves direct management of CRC operations and development, interdepartmental communications, and overseeing the study start-up process for her division. Sandy has 9 years of experience as a Clinical Research Coordinator and earned her CCRC certification from the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) in 2019. Sandy has worked on 60+ Phase I – IV clinical trials across myriad indications. Prior to joining Conquest Research in 2020, Sandy served as a CRC for Compass Research (later acquired by Bioclinica Research).

Fabi is the Team Lead for the Neurology Department, overseeing the clinic's daily operations and responsible for managing the CRCs and psychometric raters. Fabi has extensive clinical research experience in neurology and gynecology trials and has worked on over 40 + Phase I – IV trials. Fabi is committed to advancing patient care through rigorous research protocols and a collaborative approach to clinical trials.

Kendra is the Lead Clinical Research Coordinator at our Lake Nona embedded location. She oversees the daily clinical operations and is responsible for direct management of the CRCs and associated department team members. Kendra has extensive preclinical and clinical research experience in a diverse array of Phase I-IV clinical trials, spanning general medicine, pain management, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Emily is the Lead Clinical Research Coordinator at our Orlando Neurosurgery embedded location, where she is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day clinical operations. Prior to joining Conquest Research in 2020, Emily completed her master’s degree in Medical Physiology at Case Western Reserve University. Emily has worked on 55+ Phase I – IV clinical trials across multiple therapeutic indications, primarily focusing on chronic pain.

Laura serves as the Recruitment Manager and Recruitment Lead of the General Medicine & Pain Department.  She is responsible for monitoring recruitment activities across Conquests’ diverse therapeutic areas and developing strategies to optimize recruitment efforts. She serves as a liaison between recruitment departments, CRCs, and Investigators. Prior to joining Conquest Research in 2021, Laura spent 7 years in the healthcare industry, previously working in both hospital and private practice settings.

Daniela is the Recruitment Lead for embedded sites in Lake Nona, Dr. Phillips, and Orlando. She manages the recruitment process and works on strategies to improve patient relations. Daniela helped develop a bilingual outreach program to better connect with diverse patient groups, building stronger communication and trust. With a Bachelor's degree in Clinical Psychology and over two years of experience in client success management, plus three years in patient engagement at Conquest Research, Daniela is dedicated to making the recruitment process smooth and compassionate.

Elizabeth acts as Recruitment Team Lead for the Neurology Department. Her role involves direct management and development of the neurology-focused recruitment specialists. Before joining the clinical research industry, Elizabeth managed a number of BodylogicMD clinics across the United States where she spent time recruiting patients for bio-identical hormone therapy. Elizabeth joined Conquest Research in 2020 with seven years of clinical trial experience and 15 years of patient recruitment experience. Immediately prior to this, she served as a Patient Recruitment Specialist at Compass Research (later acquired by BioClinica Research).

Mel acts as the Study Start Up Manager, coordinating and overseeing all activities related to preparing a clinical trial for launch, ensuring sites are ready, regulatory requirements are met, and the trial starts efficiently and on time. Mel has 10+ years of experience as a Clinical Research Coordinator and earned her CCRP certification from the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) in 2019.  Mel has worked on 100+ Phase I – IV clinical trials across multiple therapeutic indications. Prior to joining Conquest Research in 2019, Mel served as a Pediatric Neuro-Oncology CRC for Orlando Health and a Neurology CRC at Compass Research (later acquired by Bioclinica Research).

Shana Ingram serves as Lead Psychometric Rater for the Neurology Department. Shana completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of South Carolina Aiken, then went on to graduate from Western Carolina University with a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology. She has nearly 10 years of experience conducting neuropsychological assessments with children and families as well as older adults. She joined Conquest Research in 2022 and has worked on 30+ Phase I – III clinical trials across multiple therapeutic indications.

Brianne is the Regulatory Manager with over 10 years of experience in Regulatory & Compliance within the clinical research industry. She is responsible for the training and development of regulatory team members, hosting audits, submitting and maintaining regulatory documents, disseminating all regulatory communications, ensuring regulatory compliance across the site and facilitating proper research credentialing of all research staff and vendors. Brianne has worked on over 100 phase I – IV protocols across multiple therapeutic indications.

Lindsey Rencoukos is the Laboratory Manager and is responsible for the overall management and coordination of laboratory activities. She provides daily guidance, support, and training to ensure high-quality work and adherence to protocols and safety standards. Lindsey has 10+ years of healthcare experience and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in biomedical sciences. Prior to joining Conquest in 2023, Lindsey served as a key asset at Central Florida Clinical Services where she adeptly wore multiple hats as a skilled phlebotomist and an accomplished Area Manager.

Rowena acts as Lead EDC Specialist for both the General Medicine & Pain and Neurology Departments. Her role involves direct management and development of the EDC team. She is responsible for overseeing collaborations between EDC Specialists, Clinical Research Coordinators, Investigators, and the Quality Assurance and Control team to ensure accurate data entry per protocol, while also serving as a point of contact for CRAs. Rowena has 9 years of experience in clinical research, working in numerous departments including Regulatory, Source Document Creation, Patient Recruitment, and Data management. Rowena has worked on 150+ Phase I-IV clinical trials across various therapeutic indications.