Alcanza Clinical Research

As CEO, Carlos Orantes provides leadership and strategic direction for site network. With nearly 30 years of experience within the life sciences industry, his career has included executive leadership, operational management, LEAN Six Sigma process improvement, as well as systems and technology deployment.

Most recently, Carlos served as Executive Director, Site Operations for Accelerated Enrollment Solutions, a business of PPD and ThermoFisher Scientific. There, he led the site operations for the Americas site operations in support of the company’s vast global clinical trial network.

Prior to joining PPD, Carlos served as Chief Executive Officer of Amplify Clinical and Accel Research Sites, where he developed the business strategy to effectively compete in Phase II-III clinical research involving multi-therapeutic trials and specialty vaccines. He also led activities related to both companies’ asset purchase by private equity.

Earlier career positions included 20 years of operational, quality assurance, process improvement and laboratory management roles of increasing responsibility at Covance, now part of LabCorp.

Carlos earned a master’s of business administration degree from Old Dominion University, and a bachelor of science degree in biology from George Washington University. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from Six Sigma Academy.

As President and Chief Operating Officer of Alcanza, Karim leads site operations with a focus on building high-performance teams, optimizing efficiency, and enhancing the patient experience. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare, he has successfully led multi-site clinical operations, corporate development, M&A, and technology innovation—expanding access to care and driving sustainable growth both organically and through strategic acquisitions.
Before joining Alcanza, Karim served as Chief Operating Officer at Caravel Autism Health, where he spearheaded operational improvements and leveraged cutting-edge technology to enhance care delivery and accelerate growth. Under his leadership, Caravel solidified its position as a market leader in autism services through mission-critical initiatives, differentiating technology, and operational best practices.
Prior to Caravel, Karim was an operating partner at Frazier Healthcare Partners, a leading healthcare and biotech investment firm. In this role, he led complex organizational transformations and enterprise technology implementations, enabling companies to scale efficiently and improve patient outcomes. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership positions spanning clinical operations, corporate development, and data-driven technology consulting.
Karim holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Concordia University and an MBA from Christian Brothers University. Passionate about leveraging innovation to improve healthcare accessibility and efficiency, he remains committed to advancing patient care through strategic growth and operational excellence.

Jeff Irving is a results-driven Chief Financial Officer with over 25 years of experience leading financial strategies and operations within dynamic, fast-paced environments. Renowned for his expertise in financial planning, risk management, and corporate governance, Jeff has a proven track record of driving profitability and organizational growth.

In his current role at Alcanza, Jeff oversees all aspects of financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial compliance. Jeff Irving is also adept at partnering with executive teams to align financial goals with long-term business objectives, fostering sustainable success.

Previously, Jeff held key financial leadership roles at OMS360 and Banfield Pet Hospital, where he led a cross-functional teams to execute acquisition and de novo growth. With a strong foundation in Healthcare, Jeff brings invaluable insights and analytical acumen to every decision.

Jeff has a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and is passionate about leveraging data-driven strategies and innovative financial solutions to create value. Beyond the numbers, Jeff believes in mentoring the next generation of financial leaders and fostering a collaborative workplace culture with a customer service mindset.

With nearly 25 years of experience in the research site space, Casey has a long and exemplary career history in pharmaceutical research site services including serving as past President of the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS), a global organization representing nearly 10,000 clinical research sites in 47 countries within the pharmaceutical industry.

Casey began his career leading a large pharmaceutical research site network, Research Solutions. In 2007, he was recruited to join Clinical Research Advantage/Radiant as EVP of BD and successfully led a network of over 75 research sites conducting clinical trials for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical devices. Under Casey’s leadership, several crucial partnerships were formed with major pharmaceutical companies which fueled the company’s rapid growth both geographically and therapeutically. He facilitated the acquisition of two competitors securing the company’s spot as what was at the time the largest clinical research site network in the US.

In 2015, Casey and the executive team at Radiant merged with Synexus, a division of PPD. With Casey’s guidance, Synexus continued to expand to 215 global clinical sites in 4 continents and over 15 countries. Casey also served as SVP of Pharmaceutical Relationships at StudyKik, a full-service patient recruitment and retention technology company.  Most recently he was the Chief Commercial Officer for CenExel leading the sales and commercial team to become the largest independent wholly-owned site network of 18 sites specializing in both inpatient and outpatient services in the CNS space.

Casey is passionate about representing the site voice within the industry while ensuring every research patient’s journey is a positive one. As a thought leader in the industry, Casey is regularly invited to be a keynote speaker and panelist and is often quoted by the leading publications covering the clinical research landscape. In 2020, he was recognized in PharmaVoice as one of the 100 Most Inspiring People in the industry.

James Clark, MD is Alcanza’s Chief Medical Officer. With 25 years of clinical research experience including serving as Principal Investigator on over 400 clinical trials, Dr. Clark brings a wealth of experience and leadership to our team, patients, and sponsors.

As the CMO, Dr. Clark oversees the medical team at Alcanza including Investigators and Sub-Investigators. He is responsible for driving medical strategy and providing clinical support and direction across the Alcanza network.  Dr. Clark serves as the Chairman of the Alcanza’s Medical Advisory Board which consists of 20 experienced Investigators as well as members of the Business Development, Quality, and Operation teams.

Prior to joining Alcanza, Dr. Clark owned and operated Charlottesville Medical Research (CMR) which specializes in Phase II-IV clinical research, where he led CMR in its growth from 15 to 60+ indications.

Dr. Clark specializes in Internal Medicine and has his medical licenses in each of the state’s Alcanza has a research site.

As Vice President of Patient Experience, Claire is responsible for the optimization of patient recruitment  and retention strategies across the Alcanza network.

With over a decade of in-industry leadership experience, Claire has built fast, effective teams that design modern solutions to recruitment challenges across a broad variety of indications. Combining digital tools with creative methodologies, Claire’s teams create intuitive, patient-centric engagement models that ensure studies succeed with enrollment and generate the best health outcomes possible for patients. As a seasoned subject matter expert in life-sciences, Claire has the ability to move recruitment solutions from idea to execution quickly and seamlessly, developing the infrastructure and leading the teams that propel research forward and get patients the therapies they need.

Dolly Niles is current Vice President of Operations here at Alcanza. She worked formerly in a Business Development role for CNS sales and previously was the Executive Director at QUEST Research Institute, an Alcanza sister site. Dolly was the site owner since 2006. Prior to this, Dolly worked at AT&T and SBC Telecom at the division level in various roles in Engineering, Operations, and Finance.

As Vice President of Business Operations, Rachel Truxall has a broad range of responsibilities that include monitoring business performance and ensuring operations are running efficiently. She coordinates support for site operations across the Alcanza network, leading multiple centralized support teams, including Regulatory, Contracts, Quality Assurance, and Study Delivery.

Rachel Truxall brings over 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector, including more than a decade in clinical research. She began her career as a research assistant during her college years and later returned to the industry after a decade working as a pediatric RN. Rachel has strategically held various leadership roles in business development, patient acquisition, and clinical operations, equipping her with a comprehensive understanding and expertise in both small and large site networks.

Besides holding licensure for registered nursing, Rachel earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of West Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Florida (Go Gators!).

As Executive Director, Human Resources, Kara Chase develops and implements the company’s human resource strategies and initiatives across talent management, diversity and inclusion, employee relations, culture and engagement, compensation and benefits, and training and development.

Kara has 25 years of human resources experience, including more than 12 years in clinical research.  With an expansive background in human resources leadership, strategy and management that ranges from small to large organizations, Kara brings specialization in post-acquisition cultural integrations. In 2012, she was the recipient of the Gold Best in Biz Award as Human Resources Executive of the Year, followed by the Silver Best in Biz Award as Human Resources Executive of the Year in 2013.

Kara earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources management and business administration from King’s College She holds both SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Chris Prader is the Sr Technology Advisor for Alcanza with more than three decades of diverse Information Technology and strategic management experience in leading IT. His career extends not only nationwide, but also globally, as he’s lived and worked internationally throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Chris oversees the management, integration and usability of data and information technology within the organization. Along with his team, Chris has helped to make operations more streamlined through technological innovation and transition.
Chris earned a Master of Business Administration degree from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA, and a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University. He is also a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.

When not working, you can find Chris vacationing with family and “in the sky” as a private pilot.