The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) is a patient-centric, non-profit organization dedicated to speeding the delivery of innovative therapies to those living with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by reducing the time and cost of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) clinical trials.
What We Do
436 Years–That is how much clinical trial experience we bring to the table.
GAP, collectively, has expertise in nearly every area of neurology including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, mental health, Down Syndrome, TBI and stroke. Finding treatments and cures for neurodegenerative diseases requires multi-layered, diverse backgrounds of clinical research, and we believe we have assembled the best team to contribute to the field
GAP works with international organizations that share our goals for clinical trial innovation. GAP regularly engages with global partners to coordinate efforts, share information and maintain open dialogue with initiatives under development around the world.
Lammert serves as Chief Commercial Officer for GAP, bringing more than twenty years of commercial leadership experience supporting top-tier organizations. Early in his career, he worked as an infectious disease bioscientist with AstraZeneca at its UK headquarters. Having made the move away from the laboratory, Lammert led his first sales team at Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, a Nasdaq-listed pharmacogenomics contract research organization. He has also served in leadership positions at ICON, Cogstate and IXICO. Lammert is base in Connecticut.
Paula is a Manager, DIversity and Community Outreach for GAP, part of the team of Commuity Connectors. Prior to working at GAP, she worked at a nonprofit organization which leads the homeless response system for the Central Florida area. In her role, she oversaw office & HR operations and worked on optimizing the system to equitably provide resources regardless of an individual’s age, race, gender, sexual orientation or ability. Paula has also lived in Jamaica and worked in the government and business sectors, where she focused on creating opportunities for economic stabilty . Paula is based in Florida.
Diane is a Project Manager at GAP, predominantly supporting our work in GAP-enabled trials for the GAP Participant Services (GPS) team and collaborating with the business development team in the creation of budgets and proposals. She has a 20+ year career in fundraising and non-profit management and is most proud of the planned giving and endowment building program she created in the Kansas City Jewish community which included: consulting, training, donor relations, marketing, and project planning with 16 organizations, resulting in a pipeline of an estimated $50 million in future estate gifts. Diane graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Diane is based in Missouri.
Senior Manager, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Laurel joins GAP with extensive knowledge and experience in Rater Training and Central Monitoring services in Phase I-IV clinical trials. She has been responsible for coordination, planning and execution of global, multicenter study cognitive assessment training programs. She has overseen the operation and successful delivery of new and complex services in accordance with protocols. Laurel has significant experience in research development, project management, vendor management, data collection and analysis. She received an M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Texas A&M University after she received a B.A. in Psychology from Central Washington University.
Dawn is the Associate Director, Clinical Trial Services for GAP. She has over 20 years of research experience, working at several R1 research institutions across the United States. She has served as a research coordinator, leading efforts of single projects, coordinated project activities across multiple sites, and served in research leadership roles. Dawn led the Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders and Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Research Programs at GAP-Net Site Barrow Neurological Institute before joining GAP. She has overseen investigator initiated, grant funded, and industry sponsored trials from study conception to closeout. She has a BA in Psychology from the University of Arizona and will graduate with her MSW from Arizona State University in August ’23. Dawn is based in Washington.
Doug has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and CRO industry, leading clinical operations, site management, and project management teams with proven success in leading proactive global innovative projects, driving change management, process improvement, program budgets and leveraging client relationships. He has played a pivotal role as the lead for GAP’s blood and digital biomarker study (Bio-Hermes 001), recruitment initiatives, optimizing clinical trials, budget implementation, and has co-authored and published abstracts including at AAIC and CTAD. Doug earned his BS, Public Health-Health Administration from Indiana University.
Emmanuel leads the day-to-day activities of data management for GAP-sponsored studies, including Bio-Hermes-001 and Apheleia. He works closely with partners to facilitate data transfers and the setting up of the Bio-Hermes workbench on ADDI’s online database. He also coordinates with our technology vendors to determine the most effective and efficient technologies to implement for each unique clinical study. Prior to GAP, Emmanuel gained years of experience in Data Analysis, Geospatial Analysis, and Clinical Data Management at Columbia University and CDC Foundation, giving him a unique perspective on the clinical data management processes. He holds a degree in General Science, an MBA, and is currently pursuing a Post Graduate Program in Data Science and Data Management Systems at the University of Texas at Austin.
Manager, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Diana, born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, has a research background in Alzheimer’s disease as well as Autism Genetics. Her research career started in 2008 working as the Hispanic Project Coordinator for the Autism Genetics study at the Miller School of Medicine University of Miami. Prior to joining GAP, she worked as a clinical research coordinator and clinical rater for a clinical research organization in South Florida. Diana serves on GAP’s Participant Service (GPS) team as a liaison, who support GAP-Net sites to meet their screening and randomization goals through various strategies including community outreach, physician and community partnerships, and advertising. Liaisons share best practices in GAP-enabled trials and help sites address obstacles as they operationalize studies. She serves sites in Texas as well as the southern California area. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Barry University in Miami, FL.
Yadira worked as a research assistant at Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment Center in Florida for almost 8 years prior to joining GAP. She worked closely with all site staff and coordinators to ensure protocol requirements were met. She is experienced in patient recruitment through memory screen process, and screening process for patient enrollment into clinical trials, with a full understanding of the flow of requirements for each study visit and testing per sponsor guidelines. Yadira is currently the administrative assistant for several of GAP’s senior team members, is in charge of budgetary and sponsorship reviews, and is on the GAP-Net Site Optimization Conference team.
Jason has over twenty years of corporate leadership experience across research and development, project management, client services, business development, manufacturing, and strategic initiatives. He has led business development for key accounts at YourEncore and had global responsibilities for project management at Covance Central Laboratories. Jason also worked at Eli Lilly and Company for thirteen years within Project Management, Product Research and Development (PR&D), and manufacturing where he deployed Critical Chain Project Management methodologies, changing the tools, processes, and behaviors of thousands of employees. Jason earned his BS, Chemical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Senior Manager, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Nikki began her career in research at a private, multi-specialty research center. Focusing on neurology, internal medicine, and dermatology trials, she began working with marketing and clinical teams to enhance recruitment efforts including advertising and promoting Alzheimer’s and dementia clinical research studies in various media platforms, outreach event planning and execution, patient recruitment with targeted eligibility criteria, and working with sponsors/CROs and advertising vendors. She also has experience with website content design, patient-facing materials including newsletters, and budget management for clinical trials. Nikki serves on GAP’s Participant Service (GPS) team as a liaison, who support GAP-Net sites to meet their screening and randomization goals through various strategies including community outreach, physician and community partnerships, and advertising. Liaisons share best practices in GAP-enabled trials and help sites address obstacles as they operationalize studies. She serves sites along the east coast. She is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) and has also received a certificate in Clinical Research Quality Management (CRQM).
Sarai has over 6 years of experience in Marketing, she has previously worked at The Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico Wild and Brewers Crew Magazine. She works on GAP’s marketing team as the Digital Marketing Manager and develops creative materials for GAP initiatives as well as managing social media accounts. Sarai received a B.S. in Graphic Design and Visual Communications from the Catholic University of Ecuador and achieved her Graduate Degree in Digital Marketing from the European Business School.
Bryanna joins GAP to assist the Project Manager and Business Development team in executing budgets, proposals, and contracts for current and future projects with greater efficiency and success. She comes from a background as a clinical research coordinator (CRC) in Alzheimer’s research as well as Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she coordinated various research projects, assisted in creating and developing study documents, forms, protocols, budgets, and other recruitment related materials. Bryanna has thorough knowledge of ICH GCP Guidelines, FDA Regulations, HIPAA, IRB requirements and submissions, EDC Systems, and other regulatory processes. She attended Bethune Cookman University where she received a Master of Public Health Degree with a Concentration in Health Equity, as well as a B.S. in Business Administration.
Associate Director, Diversity and Community Outreach
Mia has been working in healthcare since 2005, focusing on Alzheimer’s disease and elder adults for the last 14 years. She has led initiatives for diversity and inclusion based-programs, specifically working to build partnerships with faith-based organizations, anchored in African American and Black communities, to support families affected by dementia. Mia is a member of GAP’s Inclusive Research Infinitive (IRI) team, where Managers of Diversity and Community Outreach (Community Connectors) help to improve representation in clinical trials by providing support to GAP-Net sites throughout the US. This support includes and is not limited to recruitment strategy, AD awareness and education, community engagement, community mapping initiatives and building relationships with community partners that serve in underrepresented communities. She received a B.S. in Healthcare Administration from Albany State University and a M.A. in Health Promotion from the University of Alabama.
Jennifer De Jesus serves as a Community Connector for the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, where she works to bridge the gap between Alzheimer’s research and the diverse communities it aims to serve. With a background in health care and a passion for social justice, Jennifer brings a unique blend of empathy, cultural competence, and strategic thinking to her role.
As a Community Connector, Jennifer focuses on building trust and fostering relationships with underrepresented populations, including Black and Hispanic communities. She collaborates with research sites, community organizations, and key influencers to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, dispel misconceptions about clinical trials, and empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health.Jennifer’s work is driven by a deep belief in the power of inclusive research to improve health outcomes for all. She is committed to ensuring that the voices and experiences of diverse communities are represented in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
Adriana Delgado is a Manager, Diversity and Community Outreach for GAP, part of the team of Community Connectors. Before joining the team at Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation®, she worked with the Office of Refugee and Resettlement to support the efforts of connecting children with family. She has extensive work with families in underserved communities and has worked in non-for-profit organizations supporting vulnerable individuals by connecting them to resources. Adriana has also led a Healthy for Life program sponsored by the American Heart Association where she worked with adults in underserved communities to promote a healthier lifestyle. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Social Work form Northeastern Illinois University and is currently working on obtaining her Master in Trauma Informed Leadership at Dominican University in Illinois. Adriana resides in Illinois.
As a public health professional with almost ten years of experience, Mikhaela joins the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation as a Community Connector. She has worked in a variety of disciplines, ranging from qualitative research in cancer epidemiology to community-based engagement and support. She is committed to addressing health disparities and inequities and empowering communities in meaningful ways, and has conducted work aimed at providing equitable and sustainable education and assistance for underserved and underrepresented groups in emergency response settings, the infectious disease field, and the prostate cancer space, among other areas. Mikhaela holds a B.S. in Public Health and a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Florida, and is currently completing her Master’s in Public Health at the George Washington University. She is based in Florida.
Taylor is responsible for managing study-specific GAP marketing initiatives such as coordinating with our GAP-Net research sites, internal and external partners, research opportunities that further the GAP mission, as well as GAP’s participant outreach programs: The Citizen Scientist Awards Program and the Acti-v8 Your Brain (A8YB) Brain Health Initiative. She has previously worked at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Chicago office where she assisted in planning fundraising events, curating sponsorships, and raising awareness in the Chicago Land area. Taylor is a graduate from Illinois State University, earning a B.S. in Public Relations with a minor in Psychology.
John is the President of the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP) and is a serial healthcare entrepreneur. He held his first CEO position at the age of thirty and has held leadership positions in numerous emerging growth companies in the healthcare industry. John is a co-founder of several Alzheimer’s-related groups including UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and the Alzheimer’s Action PAC, the first political action committee focused on a specific disease. John is an outspoken leader in the neurodegenerative space and is currently focusing on expanding GAP’s reach through diverse partnerships to reach the populations most likely to develop Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease . He is a graduate of Marquette University and the Cornell Law School.
Manager, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Sarah started her health care career by using her entrepreneurial spirit and created a class-based fitness facility in St. Augustine, Florida. She developed partnerships with corporations and worked closely with their health care reps to develop health and wellness programs for their employees. Sarah has also worked to create a successful Physician Outreach programs with Haven Hospice, as well as with Pophealth Care, where she built high-quality, high-value relationships between medical groups, hospitals and health systems in assigned areas to drive enrollment in all service areas. Sarah has successfully developed marketing campaigns for physicians and hospitals that assist with brand awareness and created education within the healthcare industry. She serves on GAP’s Participant Service (GPS) team as a liaison, who support GAP-Net sites to meet their screening and randomization goals through various strategies including community outreach, physician and community partnerships, and advertising. Liaisons share best practices in GAP-enabled trials and help sites address obstacles as they operationalize studies. She serves sites in Florida. She has 28 different certifications in Health and Wellness and has a Certificate of Business Management and Travel Domestic/International from the International Air Academy.
Justin has 10+ years’ industry experience where he had the opportunity to gain research experience in private, academic and hospital-based settings. He has worked in many modalities of research including Research Assistant, Clinical Research Coordinator, Regulatory Affairs Coordinator and as a Research Compliance Analyst for Banner Health in Arizona. He has done research in a variety of different fields including Cardiology, Neurology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Gastroenterology, Pulmonary, Immunology, and Endocrinology. His experiences range from clinical care and conduct, regulatory oversight, site operations, on-boarding and training, and site management. Justin has extensive experience providing quality services and effective communication to parties, including the internal team, participant, site, CRO, and Sponsor. He serves on GAP’s Inclusive Research Infinitive (IRI) team, where Managers of Diversity and Community Outreach (Community Connectors) help to improve representation in clinical trials by providing support to GAP-Net sites throughout the US. This support includes and is not limited to recruitment strategy, AD awareness and education, community engagement, community mapping initiatives and building relationships with community partners that serve in underrepresented communities.
Associate Director, Operations and Data Management
Jenn has over 10 years of experience in academic and clinical research environments, including serving as the Alzheimer’s Disease Program Manager at GAP-Net site Stanford University’s School of Medicine. There, she was responsible for supervising, training, mentoring, and maintaining oversight of their clinical research team. Jenn holds a dual Bachelors degree in Psychology and Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Brandy has nearly 20 years of strong experience in all phases of clinical research. She worked at Barrow Neurological Institute for several years where she managed study start-up, study protocols, IRB submissions, the conduct of research, training, audits, budgets, contracts, and more in neurological clinical trials. She also has experience in Cancer research at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Phase I clinical trials at a dedicated research site early in her career.. She has managerial experience including coaching, counseling, scheduling, process creation, and training. Brandy has also spent decades building relationships with physicians, study sponsors, Contract Research Organizations (CROs), and other research professionals.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration at Grand Canyon University.
Lynne has managed and oversaw over 450 clinical trials in her career, including over 125 trials relating to Alzheimer’s some of which she designed and managed from concept through phase III. She spent 23 years with IQVIA working exclusively in neurology and held positions such as Vice President and Global Head of Medical Strategy for Neurology. Her final role at IQVIA was to develop evidence-based strategies for the most efficient conduct of clinical trials for global clients. Additionally, Dr. Hughes co-chaired the G20/World Economic Forum Alzheimer’s Collaboration initiative and has worked with various research organizations including The Gates Foundation.
Manager, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Lucia’s background includes research in Alzheimer’s Disease with experience as a Clinical Research Coordinator and Psychometric Rater at a private, high enrolling research site in South Florida. She primarily worked on Phase II and Phase III Alzheimer’s clinical trials. Lucia serves on GAP’s Participant Service (GPS) team as a liaison, who support GAP-Net sites to meet their screening and randomization goals through various strategies including community outreach, physician and community partnerships, and advertising. Liaisons share best practices in GAP-enabled trials and help sites address obstacles as they operationalize studies, including project managing GAP’s mobile unit. She serves sites in central Florida and Georgia. Lucia holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Florida State University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Florida.
Associate Director, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Allison began her career in research in 2013 and has gained experience in commercial and hospital-based research settings. She has had the opportunity to work in all phases of pharmaceutical clinical research (Phase I through Phase IV, post market). Before joining the GAP team, Allison worked as a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator at the Mayo Clinic Arizona, with a significant portion of her portfolio focused on dementia studies. She has also held the positions of Clinical Research Representative at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and Clinical Conduct Specialist at Celerion – Phoenix. Allison has earned both her B.S. in Biology and Master degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University. She has been a member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) since 2015 and is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP).
Manager, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Stefanie joined GAP with over 20 years of clinical research experience in hospitals, private and academia settings. She has previously served as a lead medical science liaison at USC Keck School of Medicine at the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute, was a research assistant intern Touchpoints, was a research coordinator and rater at Jackson Memorial Hospital, and was a clinical research coordinator and psychometric clinician for Alzheimer’s disease at several research facilities. Stefanie serves on GAP’s Participant Service (GPS) team as a liaison, who support GAP-Net sites to meet their screening and randomization goals through various strategies including community outreach, physician and community partnerships, and advertising. Liaisons share best practices in GAP-enabled trials and help sites address obstacles as they operationalize studies. She serves sites in south Florida. Stefanie earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Development with Moderate Special Needs from Wheelock College and a Masters of Arts in Child Development from Tufts University.
Mickeal is an acting consultant, primarily for GAP’s Inclusive Research Initiative (IRI) team and other recruitment and strategic needs. She is knowledgeable about equitable research design and recruitment, especially as it relates to the inclusion of historically excluded racial and ethnic groups from clinical research. Her research background is focused on the neural mechanisms by which non-pharmaceutical interventions impact cognition in older adults, with a focus on nutrition. Mickeal has a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Biology from Louisiana State University Shreveport, an M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Indiana State University, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. She is currently receiving training as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in neuroimaging and the design and implementation of lifestyle interventions to support healthy brain aging.
Executive Administrative Assistant - Operations Team
Laura is an Administrative Assistant responsible for supporting the GAP Operations team. She has a variety of experience in administration and sales support, including time spent at the NCAA and Lincoln Financial Group, where she honed her communication, organization and administrative skills. Laura supports the Operations team with scheduling, communication and meeting planning. She holds a BS in Recreation from Penn State University.
Senior Manager, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Lori began her research career as a Research Assistant focusing on the prevention, identification, and treatment of substance abuse and addiction. More recently, Lori worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator at an Alzheimer’s research center in Florida where she managed a variety of complex research trials focused on the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. She serves on GAP’s Participant Service (GPS) team as a liaison, who support GAP-Net sites to meet their screening and randomization goals through various strategies including community outreach, physician and community partnerships, and advertising. Liaisons share best practices in GAP-enabled trials and help sites address obstacles as they operationalize studies. She serves sites in the eastern United States. Lori has a master’s degree in social work from Stony Brook University and an undergraduate degree in psychology from State University of New York at Oswego.
Suzanne is the senior executive assistant for support to GAP President and CEO, John Dwyer. As an experienced Senior Executive Assistant who has successfully supported C- Suite and Senior-level management over a 20-year plus career, she has developed the skills and acquired the knowledge to ensure the highest level of competence, time management, confidentiality, and effective operations. Suzanne’s family has been personally touched with Alzheimer’s disease and she is pleased to be taking part in an industry that prioritizes better healthcare and support for other families.
Tamiko has worked in the field of aging for over 15 years, including serving as a Mental Health Clinician and a Case Manager in a Psychiatric Pavilion for older adults. She supported a longitudinal Alzheimer’s disease study at the Indiana University School of Medicine where she engaged in community outreach efforts to support recruitment and retention. Tamiko is responsible for assisting and leading the development implementation and management of recruitment strategies for GAP-enabled clinical trials. She leads GAP’s Inclusive Research Initiative (IRI) team with our Community Connectors, working in tandem with our GPS liaisons, to reach traditionally underserved populations to educate and provide access to neurodegenerative research. Tamiko holds a B.S. in Psychology from Indiana University- Bloomington, a M.S. degree in Gerontology from the University of Indianapolis, a graduate certificate in Health Policy, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Prior to joining GAP full-time, Dan was the Founder of OneBounce Advisors, a financial, strategic, and operations consulting firm focused on start-up and high-growth companies in the United States and internationally. He has extensive operational and strategic experience including operating companies from conception through high growth to successful exits. He has a Big Four public accounting and consulting background and graduated from the University of Notre Dame.
Inmaculada (Inma) is part of the GAP-Net EUR, our team that supports the implementation of our network into Europe. She has experience woring the EMEA region as well as other worldwide areas such as APAC and NA. Inma has a scientific background of over six years in academia and over five years of clinical research experience. She earned her PhD while conducting specialized oncology research, is a public speaker at scientific events and campaigns, medical liaison, and is a key member of several fundraising committees where she fosters collaborative efforts between internal and external partners, local businesses, charities, stakeholders, and donors. She has previously been a Clinical Trial Liaison, is a therapeutic expert for research sites, and a strategist for recruitment efforts including identifying potential recruitment barriers and challenges.
Manager, Recruitment and Clinical Trial Optimization
Maryanna has a background that includes research in Alzheimer’s disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and neuropsychological assessment across the lifespan. In her research career, Maryanna has served multiple roles within academia, private practice, and clinical research organizations including study coordinator, clinical rater, and clinical research team lead. She also assisted in postdoctoral research projects and is well-versed in neuropsychological assessments designed for memory screening and diagnostic purposes. She serves on GAP’s Participant Service (GPS) team as a liaison, who support GAP-Net sites to meet their screening and randomization goals through various strategies including community outreach, physician and community partnerships, and advertising. Liaisons share best practices in GAP-enabled trials and help sites address obstacles as they operationalize studies. Maryanna serves sites in Florida and Illinois. She holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the Roosevelt University in Chicago.
Richard worked at Eli Lilly and Company in several leadership positions including Vice President for Neuroscience Early Clinical Development and Leader of the Global Alzheimer’s Drug Development team. He spent 23 years with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine as a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Richard is the author or co-author of over 350 scientific papers, is a consultant to several academic institutions, is a member of the Board of Governors for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. He received a PhD in psychology from Stanford University and completed postdoctoral training in Pharmacology at the Stanford Medical School.
Amanda joined GAP as a Study Start-Up (SSU) Manager. She has over 10 years of research experience, with the last 6 of those years in clinical trials at Stanford University. While at Stanford, she worked as a coordinator on Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials and assisted participants through the protocol, was a certified rater, trained new staff members, submitted IRB submissions and modifications, and oversaw all start up activities. Her previous experience also includes analyzing data, coding in R and Matlab, and experience with both EEG and MRI modalities. Amanda completed her Master’s degree from San Francisco State University and her Bachelor’s from San Diego State University, both in psychology
Rona has over 30 years of experience in clinical diagnostics and clinical trials, specifically within project management, clinical trial execution, compliance, and training. Her experience spans the pharmaceutical, CRO, diagnostics, and boutique consulting industries. Rona is currently a senior project manager, supporting a key client with responsibilities across overall operations including clinical trial study start-up, site metrics, and other key initiatives. Rona is a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology (BSMT-ASCP).
Senior Director , Programs, Marketing and Communications
Julie is responsible for strategic oversight for all marketing & communications for GAP Innovations and GAP Foundation, as well as oversight and administration for GAP Foundation programs, including Acti-v8 Your Brain and the Citizen Scientist Award® programs. She previously worked for the Alzheimer’s Association, overseeing national programs including safety, online education, e-commerce and fulfillment and online social networking. She also served as primary liaison to the dementia care industry, managing engagement opportunities for more than 17 active national accounts. She has a B.A. degree in Communications & Journalism from Michigan State University and an M.A. in Political Science and Public Policy from University of Illinois-Chicago.
Manager, External Communications and Public Relations
Amanda is responsible for managing and promoting the overall GAP identity, brands, and mission through the creation and distribution of external communications. Amanda previously worked at Susan G. Komen and Fresenius Medical Care where she launched media strategies, overseeing story mining efforts for local and national media campaigns, and generating positive publicity for the organizations. Amanda is a graduate from Assumption University, earning a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Music.
Jill has nearly 20 years of experiencing in the brain-related research field, serving multiple roles within academia and the VA healthcare system including project manager, regulatory coordinator, clinical rater, and team director. She has extensive experience in community-based programs, clinical trial recruitment initiatives, protocol implementation, and working with internal and external industry partners. Jill also has experience in mobile research units (MRU) and oversees the operations of GAP’s first MRU, THOR. She manages the GAP Participant Services (GPS) program and the growing team of liaisons, who work hands-on with GAP-Net site to engage and recruit volunteers for neurodegenerative clinical trials. Jill has a Master’s degree in Gerontology from the University of South Florida. Jill has been a member of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) since 2012 and is a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) and Certified Project Manager (ACRP-PM). She has presented research posters, particularly on MRUs, at several international conferences.
Katy currently serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Operations. Katy’s enthusiasm and willingness to dive in has enabled her to be successful across a number of GAP programs including establishing and growing the Parkinson’s disease site network and services, the rater training qualification program, and Bio-Hermes (GAP’s inaugural biomarker trial). She has expertise in several key areas of clinical research including site operations, recruitment, marketing, community outreach, and psychometric ratings. She has presented on research topics globally, consulted with sponsors on protocol development, and has contributed to several abstracts published for AAIC, CTAD, and AD/PD. Katy holds a master’s degree and license in mental health counseling.
Amy is an Administrative Assistant responsible for supporting the Florida and East coast GPS team. She has over 10 years of experience in executive administration with the mental health divisions of multiple health insurance companies, including Florida Blue and Blue KC. She supports GAP-Net sites with the planning and execution of community outreach events and identification of marketing opportunities to promote clinical trials. She also supports the GPS team with administrative tasks related to visit scheduling, submission of visit reports to sponsors, and organization of GAP’s clinical trial management systems. Prior to transitioning to administrative work, Amy worked in marketing and sales in multiple trades nationally. Amy holds a BA from Bennington College, in Vermont.
Janay is a Manager, DIversity and Community Outreach for GAP, part of the team of Commuity Connectors. Janay came to GAP with over a decade of experience in nonprofits that focus on older adults and seniors, having worked at AARP (the American Association of Retired Persons) as a Project Manager for the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion where her work intersected legislative advocacy, business operations, communication, strategy, and community outreach. She was a supervisor at the Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE), where she developed and implemented innovative processes to integrate and strengthen LCE’s community presence and outreach strategies. Janay holds a Bachelors of Social Work from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, as well both a Master of Social Work and a Master of Public Administration from Florida State Univeristy. Janay is based in Maryland.
Jennifer has been part of the GAP team since 2018. She serves on GAP’s Participant Service (GPS) team as a liaison, who support GAP-Net sites to meet their screening and randomization goals through various strategies including community outreach, physician and community partnerships, and advertising. Liaisons share best practices in GAP-enabled trials and help sites address obstacles as they operationalize studies. Jen serves sites in Central and Midwestern regions of the United States. Recently, she is part of the team leading the expansion into Europe for GAP-Net EUR. She has been a member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) since 2019 and is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP). She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas in Austin and her Master of Arts from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.
Leigh has extensive research experience in private, academic and hospital-based settings and has done research in a variety of different therapeutic areas including mental health, HIV/AIDS, developmental disabilities and Alzheimer’s disease. She has a breadth of experience in clinical trial implementation from the research site’s perspective, including trial start-up and execution, recruitment initiatives, process effectiveness and ICH, FDA, and HIPAA compliance. Currently, she oversees the GAP Participant Services (GPS) program, Inclusive Research Initiative (IRI), and other strategic programs specific to clinical trial services. She serves on the Advisory Committee of the Clinical Trials Recruitment Lab (CTRL) with Gates Ventures, USC Shaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute. Additionally, Leigh serves on the Board of Directors for the Black Health Care Coalition, a non-profit organization working to eliminate health disparities through advocacy, access to health care, and health promotion. She has been a member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) since 2014 and is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP). She has a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Illinois-Chicago and a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa.
Board of Directors
Neil Buckholtz, PhD
John Dwyer
Michael J. Glosserman
Drew Holzapfel
Steven Paul
George Vradenburg
Pascale Witz
Key Advisors
Robert Alexander, MD
Mark Brody, MD
Samantha Budd Haeberlein, PhD
Jeffrey Burns, MD
Sharon Cohen, MD
Rachelle Doody, MD
Howard Fillit, MD
Michael Irizarry, MD
Lynn Kramer, MD
Mike Krautkramer, MBA
Simon Lovestone, PhD, MRCPsych
Thomas Obisesan, MD
Stephen Salloway, MD
Allison Searle, BSc
Pierre Tariot, MD
Luc Truyen, MD, PhD
Serge Van Der Geyten, PhD
Our Partners
The Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation is grateful to be supported by the following philanthropic and industry partners
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