Our Team

We’re dedicated to advancing the field of medicine through clinical trials

Medical Staff

Anand Patel

ANAND PATEL, M.D., CPI

Chief Medical Officer, Certified Principal Investigator

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, M.D.

Principal Investigator

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.

Dr. Gandhi

REKHA GANDHI, M.D.

Principal Investigator

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.

NATALIE DAY, APRN.

Sub Investigator

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

JOSETTE ARISMENDI, APRN.

Sub Investigator

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.

Management & Clinical Staff

Mark Daley

MARK DALEY

Chief Executive Officer

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 STONER

Chief Financial Officer

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 Eckel

CHLOE ECKEL

Director of Operations

Chloe is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and finances of the business. She has over 7 years of clinical research experience in numerous departments including budget and contracts, study start-up, patient recruitment, marketing, and general clinical operations. In 2017, Chloe earned her master’s degree in Research Administration from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining Conquest Research, Chloe served as the Corporate Director of Business Operations at Meridien Research.

Anthony Piloneo

ANTHONY PILONEO

Site Director – Winter Park

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

Nicole Sanchez

Director of Physician Engagement & Site Development

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.

Brianne Logan

Brianne Logan

Lead Regulatory Specialist

Brianne is the Lead Regulatory Specialist 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.

Melissa O’Neill

Lead Clinical Research Coordinator – Neurology Department

Mel acts as Team Lead for the Neurology Department, overseeing the neurology clinic’s daily operations and providing direct management of CRC and Psychometric Rater responsibilities and development. 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).

Sandy Pate

Lead Clinical Research Coordinator – General Medicine & Pain Department

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).

Elizabeth-Schneider-Conquest-Research

Elizabeth Schneider

Lead Patient Recruitment Specialist – Neurology Department

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).

Laura Kelly

Lead Patient Recruitment Specialist – General Medicine & Pain Department

Laura acts as Recruitment Team Lead for the General Medicine & Pain Department. In addition to identifying qualified candidates for our clinical trials, Laura is responsible for overseeing and managing the general medicine and pain-focused recruitment specialists. She serves as a liaison between recruitment specialists, CRCs, and Investigators while also monitoring the performance of her team. Prior to joining Conquest Research in 2021, Laura spent 7 years in the healthcare industry, previously working in both hospital and private practice settings.

Our Partners

CLINICAL RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Conquest Research is partnering with physician practices throughout Central Florida to raise awareness and offer clinical research opportunities to those in need.

A mature medical doctor smiling as some of his colleagues stand in the background

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