• Miganush Stepanians, PhD

    Miganush Stepanians, PhD

    President & CEO

    Dr. Miganush Stepanians is the President and CEO of PROMETRIKA, which she founded in 2003. Dr. Stepanians has more than 30 years of experience in drug development, with a specific focus on biostatistics and data management. In addition to overall responsibility for the company’s scientific and operational activities, Dr. Stepanians is a practicing biostatistician, directly involved in study design and analysis, strategic product development planning, and commercialization support. Dr. Stepanians has designed the analyses for the Integrated Summaries of Efficacy and Safety for more than 20 successful marketing applications (NDAs; MAAs) and has presented on behalf of sponsors in meetings with FDA. She has particular expertise in challenging study design and analysis problems, including adaptive design trials, and has participated as a voting or non-voting member of a number of Independent Data Monitoring Committees.

    Prior to founding PROMETRIKA, Dr. Stepanians served as Director of Biostatistics and Data Management at Muro Pharmaceutical/Viatris, Inc., which she joined in 1993. In this capacity, Dr. Stepanians headed a department of 20 biostatisticians, programmers and data managers. As a member of several global project teams at Muro, Dr. Stepanians was a key contributor to the design of drug development programs and had primary oversight of statistical and data management activities. She had statistical oversight for the development and submission of three successful NDAs and interacted extensively with the FDA. Prior to joining Muro, Dr. Stepanians worked in the biostatistical arena for seven years, first at the New England Medical Center and then at Boston University’s Statistics and Consulting Unit, providing statistical services for a number of pharmaceutical companies in a wide range of indications. She has authored a number of journal articles.

    Dr. Stepanians received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Statistics from Boston University in 1994. She received her Master of Science degree in Mathematics (Statistics) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984 and her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Psychology from Boston University in 1982.

  • Chelsey Ryan, MSHS, PMP

    Chelsey Ryan, MSHS, PMP

    Director, Clinical Operations and Pharmacovigilance

    Ms. Chelsey Ryan, Director, Clinical Operations and Pharmacovigilance, oversees site monitoring, patient recruitment, site management and engagement, drug safety monitoring, risk management, and clinical vendor relationships. She has nearly 15 years of diverse experience running clinical trials, including time spent in roles at both the site and industry levels.

    With an extensive background leading global projects and global teams, Ms. Ryan has the ability to understand the needs of various levels of stakeholders and translate those needs into unified goals. Ms. Ryan excels at developing fit-for-purpose study operational strategies that emphasize patient safety and data quality, utilizing data analytics to monitor and reduce risk. She forms deep relationships with sponsor teams that enable PROMETRIKA resources to swiftly align to the sponsor’s priorities.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA, Ms. Ryan was Associate Director of Project Management at IQVIA and a Clinical Enrollment Manager at PAREXEL. She also worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as a Clinical Research Project Manager, responsible for the project management and recruitment activities on multiple clinical trials.

    Ms. Ryan received her Masters of Science in Health Sciences in Clinical Research Administration from The George Washington University. She is a member of the National Alpha Eta Honor Society. Ms. Ryan also holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Health: Science, Society & Policy and Psychology from Brandeis University. Ms. Ryan is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute (PMI).

  • Cathy Hult

    Cathy Hult

    Director, Data Management

    Ms. Cathy Hult has more than 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. At PROMETRIKA, Ms. Hult leads an experienced group of clinical data managers in all facets of clinical trial data capture, review, and archiving. Calling on her broad experience, Ms. Hult collaborates with sponsors to translate their project objectives into feasible and efficient data management plans. She is also responsible for establishing and maintaining the data management systems and procedures that assure compliance with PROMETRIKA’s quality standards and cGCP. Ms. Hult’s extensive experience includes expert application of MedDRA and WHODRUG coding, contribution to protocol design, eCRF design, and data management leadership. Since 2013, she has managed studies using the Medidata Rave EDC platform.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA in 2006, Ms. Hult held Senior Clinical Data Manager positions at Antigenics, Inc. and Wyeth Research. At PAREXEL International, Ms. Hult had roles as a Senior Clinical Data Manager and a Quality Assurance Auditor.

    Ms. Hult earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts.

  • Nicole LaVallee, PhD

    Nicole LaVallee, PhD

    Senior Statistical Advisor

    Dr. Nicole LaVallee, Senior Statistical Advisor, has more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. LaVallee manages a team of biostatisticians and SAS® programmers preparing analyses of phase 1 through 4 clinical studies and other analyses for regulatory submission or publication. Dr. LaVallee also contributes to the design of clinical development plans and the writing and review of study protocols, statistical analysis plans, and clinical study reports. She has been the lead statistician for the preparation of Integrated Summaries of Efficacy and Safety in support of several successful regulatory submissions and has served as a voting or non-voting member on several Independent Data Monitoring Committees.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA, Dr. LaVallee was Senior Manager of Biostatistics at Muro Pharmaceutical/Viatris, Inc., which she joined in 1994. Prior to joining Muro, Dr. LaVallee worked as a biostatistician in clinical research for five years, first at the Hershey Pennsylvania Medical Center, and then at Parexel International. She has authored various journal articles in the areas of clinical trials and health services research.

    Dr. LaVallee received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biostatistics from Boston University in 2001, her Master of Arts degree in Statistics from Pennsylvania State University in 1990, and her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 1986.

  • Heidy Kwan Russell, PhD

    Heidy Kwan Russell, PhD

    Senior Director, Biostatistics

    Dr. Heidy Russell, Senior Director, Biostatistics, has more than 20 years of experience in biostatistics. In addition to her responsibilities managing a team of biostatisticians and SAS® programmers, Dr. Russell provides scientific input and oversight to the statistical design of clinical trials, conduct of clinical trial analyses, and writing and review of statistical analysis plans, clinical study protocols and statistical sections of clinical study reports. She has been the lead statistician in many phase 1, phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials and for the preparation of a number of Integrated Summaries of Efficacy and Safety in support of regulatory submissions. She has supported numerous statistical analyses for product commercialization and publications, and has served as a non-voting member on several Independent Data Monitoring Committees.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA, Dr. Russell served as Principal Biostatistician at Muro Pharmaceutical/Viatris, Inc., which she joined in 1997. Prior to joining Muro, Dr. Russell worked as a statistician at Boston University’s Statistics and Consulting Unit providing statistical services to pharmaceutical sponsors and FDA. Dr. Russell has published in several scientific journals and was a co-author, in 1998, of 16 chapters in the Encyclopedia of Biostatistics (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd). She has also authored many abstracts and posters reporting the results of clinical trials.

    Dr. Russell received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Statistics from Boston University in 1997. She received her Master of Arts degree in Statistics from Boston University in 1992, and Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics in 1989 from Salem State College. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Office Administration (1988) from Salem State College.

  • Susan Mutter

    Susan Mutter

    Director, Statistical Programming

    Susan Mutter, Director, Statistical Programming, has more than 25 years of diverse experience in clinical database design and management, and statistical programming. She has shared her extensive knowledge of CDISC and SDTM at conferences and training programs in the US, Russia, Europe and Asia. Throughout her career, Susan has successfully led teams through change and rapid growth, with a focus on process improvement and training. Susan’s work in the biopharmaceutical and device sectors has covered the therapeutic areas of oncology, infectious disease, anesthesia, and allergy/immunology. She has been a team member on several successful FDA and PMDA new drug submissions.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA, Susan enjoyed a distinguished 20 years of service at PAREXEL International Corp., with increasing managerial responsibilities in the areas of database design, programming, and implementation, and statistical programming, culminating in the position of Senior Manager, Statistical Programming. Earlier in her career, Susan participated as a research associate and data analyst in several projects sponsored by the US Military and NASA. She has authored several journal articles on nutrition in military field situations, and has presented her expertise on the implementation of CDISC at PharmaSUG and CDISC International Interchange conferences.

    Susan received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychobiology (1986) from Mount Holyoke College. She also attained her CDISC Tabulate Certification in 2021.

  • Aileen Ryan, MS

    Aileen Ryan, MS

    Senior Regulatory Affairs Advisor

    Ms. Aileen Ryan, Senior Regulatory Affairs Advisor, has over 40 years of diverse experience in pharmaceutical regulatory affairs, including regulatory strategy, submission preparation (IND/NDA/BLA/MAA), and health authority interactions. Her experience spans submissions in the US, Canada, EU, and Japan. Other leadership roles have included supervision of clinical quality assurance, medical writing, and safety functions.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA, Ms. Ryan’s leadership roles have included Head of Regulatory Affairs and Compliance at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Allos Therapeutics, Ophtherion, and Vion Pharmaceuticals, and Head of Global Regulatory Strategy for Oncology at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Her work has covered drugs, biologics, and devices across a wide range of therapeutic areas. Recent areas of focus have centered on oncology, particularly early phase studies of immunotherapy treatments.

    Ms. Ryan received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University Massachusetts at Amherst and a Master’s of Science in Basic Medical Sciences from New York Medical College.

  • Kathy Zheng, MPH

    Kathy Zheng, MPH

    Director, Project Management and Clinical Innovations

    Ms. Kathy Zheng, Director, Project Management and Clinical Innovations, has over 16 years of experience in management and coordination of clinical trials. At PROMETRIKA, she oversees project coordination, implementation and management activities among all PROMETRIKA functional areas and in collaboration with the client. Additionally, Ms. Zheng identifies opportunities for innovation, manages the implementation of clinical trial technologies that enhance trial quality for clients, and oversees multiple projects simultaneously. Her expertise is the implementation of clinical trial software, including EDC, randomization and trial supply management, electronic patient reported outcomes, and clinical trials management systems. She has presented on the topic of ePRO and IWRS implementation at many industry conferences and symposia.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA, Ms. Zheng spent 8 years at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she oversaw NIH- and industry-funded clinical trials and was responsible for clinical operations management and resource planning.

    Ms. Zheng received her Master of Public Health in Biostatistics in 2009, and her Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) in 2005, from Boston University.

  • Christopher Gallant

    Christopher Gallant

    Director, Client Relations

    Mr. Chris Gallant, Director, Client Relations, has served more than 15 years as PROMETRIKA’s primary liaison with sponsors. In this role, Mr. Gallant communicates with sponsors about their clinical research and support needs, develops budgets and proposals with input from PROMETRIKA’s project teams, and interacts with sponsors during the conduct of each project to provide support and facilitate communications. Mr. Gallant presents PROMETRIKA’s services to prospective clients and represents PROMETRIKA at industry conferences and trade shows.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA, Mr. Gallant was a Data Manager at Muro Pharmaceutical/Viatris, Inc., which he joined in 1999. Mr. Gallant received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 1996.

  • Barry Mirrer

    Barry Mirrer

    Head of Quality Assurance

    Mr. Barry Mirrer, Head of Quality Assurance, has more than 15 years of experience in the development and management of quality systems in the biopharmaceutical industry.  At PROMETRIKA, Barry has overall responsibility for compliance and quality systems.

    A quality, compliance, and software validation subject matter expert (SME), Barry has held the position of Director or Global Head of Quality Programs/Quality Management at Outcome Sciences, Quintiles and IQVIA, among others.  With a background in computer science, Barry has successfully guided sponsors through the establishment of systems and practices that dramatically improved quality and training processes.

    Barry holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Barry has also earned the ANSI-accredited Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) credential through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

  • Rob A. Ferragamo, MS, CISM

    Rob A. Ferragamo, MS, CISM

    Senior Director, Technology

    Mr. Rob A. Ferragamo, Senior Director, Technology, is responsible for all business-critical Technology including Infrastructure, Security, General Business Systems, and Validated Systems. With over 30 years of professional and operational expertise, Rob is committed to providing a robust and reliable technology strategy that encompasses scalable architecture, processes, practices, and operational standards supportive of PROMETRIKA’s internal and external customers.

    Before joining PROMETRIKA, Rob held the role of Global Information Technology Director at Data Intensity, LLC, a technology company providing enterprise solutions for application management and managed cloud services for Oracle environments. Rob also served as Senior Director, Information Technology at Courion Corporation, where he led a global IT strategy that included expanding and merging enterprise technology solutions in the US and India offices during a time of rapid growth.  Earlier in his career, Rob held other technical leadership positions with PROMETRIKA, LLC (Director, Information Technology and Infrastructure Services) and State Street Corporation (Vice President/Senior Network Analysis Manager).

    Mr. Ferragamo holds many technical certifications and is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) through the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).  He earned his Masters of Science in Information Assurance from Western Governor’s University and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Suffolk University.

  • Vahe Zeroonian, MA, MPP

    Vahe Zeroonian, MA, MPP

    Principal and CFO

    Mr. Vahe Zeroonian is a founding member of PROMETRIKA and oversees all financial functions of the company. Mr. Zeroonian’s 30-year career in finance spans the private, government, and non-profit sectors.

    Prior to joining PROMETRIKA, Mr. Zeroonian served as a Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In this role, he advised the Governor’s Office on legislative budgets, bills, and programs, and prepared the Governor’s budget submissions. He subsequently held the role of Assistant Budget Manager for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

    With KPMG Peat Marwick Policy Economics Group, Mr. Zeroonian was assigned to Moscow in the role of Senior Consultant/Inter-governmental Finance Advisor to the Russian Republic’s Ministry of Finance, on the USAID Russia Fiscal Reform Project. His work on this project included policy recommendations for fiscal decentralization, design recommendations for a fiscal information and management system, and development of performance-based criteria for program evaluation and analysis.

    In the non-profit sector, Mr. Zeroonian was the Executive Director of the international Armenian Relief Society of North America, Inc., and managed the organization’s budget and investments.

    Mr. Zeroonian holds a Master of Public Policy (Public Finance and Economic Development) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (1989), and Master (International Relations) and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science from St. Louis University (1984).

  • Kirsten E. Flaherty

    Kirsten E. Flaherty

    Head of Human Resources

    Ms. Kirsten Flaherty, Head of Human Resources, has 15+ years of experience in People Strategy, Executive Coaching and Mentoring, Talent Development and Acquisition, Total Rewards and Recognition, Change Management, Employee Relations, Benefits, Process Improvement, HR Operations/Systems, and Community Outreach and Engagement.  At PROMETRIKA, Kirsten has responsibility for all Human Resources functions.

    A leader in human resources strategy, talent development and operations, Ms. Flaherty has held leadership positions in Human Resources at L.E.K. Consulting, DDJ Capital Management, Allied Minds and, most recently, at Foundation Medicine. With a background in business management and an affinity for leading the talent development and culture of organizations, she has successfully implemented process improvements and coached executives, employees and teams towards increasing success.

    Ms. Flaherty holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Management from Simmons University (formally Simmons College).