Clinical Research 

Clinical Investigators:

Suneel Udani, MD - Medical Director

Pravir Baxi, MD

Melanie Barrido, MD

Omaima Degani, MD

John Ducker, MD

Sadaf Elahi, MD

Nayan Gowda, MD

Garima Gupta, MD

Jeanette McLaughlin, MD

Amir Memon, MD

Andrew O’Shaughnessy, MD

Umesh Patel, MD

Leon Sujata, MD

Abraham Thomas, MD

Maria Valcarcel, MD

William Whittier, MD

Clinical trials at our facilities are run by kidney doctors, or nephrologists. Our physician investigators are trained in the Code of Federal Regulations and International Conference on Harmonization Guidelines and are Good Clinical Practice certified.

The NANI Research Team is responsible for conducting clinical trials within the Code of Federal Regulations and International Conference Harmonization guidelines. Team members are thoroughly trained and regularly monitored for compliance to all NANI Standard Operating Procedures and Good Clinical Practice Guidelines.

• Nancy Cipparrone, Director of Research
• Jael Bewick, Clinical Research Coordinator I
• Julia Borovkov Clinical Research Coordinator II
• Swarnam Chiramel, Clinical Research Coordinator III
• Damola Omisore Clinical Research Coordinator III
• Kunal Patel, MD, ACRP-CP, Clinical Research Coordinator II
• Kristine Valcarcel, Clinical Research Coordinator II

Clinical Research is the foundation for advancement of medicine, offering new ways to prevent, detect and treat diseases. Clinical Trials have offered hope for people with chronic illnesses and the possibility of new kidney disease treatments in the future. Our research participants help us make this happen.

Why participate in a Clinical Trial?
The decision to enroll in research is personal. For some, clinical trial participation may offer new investigational treatment options and hope of recovery from illness. For others, it’s a way to help people in the future. Most importantly, everyone receives skilled and compassionate care at NANI. People who participate in research are closely monitored by physicians and research team members during their clinical trial participation. Our researchers ensure participants and families are kept informed throughout the trial and remain available for questions and additional support. We offer research opportunities for adult individuals at sites of care throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.

How does it work?
Before a drug can be released and sold in the consumer market, there are many levels of approval needed. Clinical Trials are conducted to collect the data regarding overall safety and efficacy of a new drug during its development. This testing begins in the laboratory. It involves months of experimentation on animal and human cells before it reaches trial on humans. If these initial experiments are successful, the accumulated data is then sent to the FDA for approval to continue research in humans. This commences the 4 phases of a Clinical Trial. NANI conducts only Phase II, III and IV Clinical Trials.

  ●  Phase I:  A new drug/treatment is tested in a small group of healthy individuals to evaluate the safety, tolerability, side effects and safe dosage.
  ●  Phase II:  The same drug is given to a larger group of individuals to further determine its effectiveness, safety and overall, how well the drug works.
  ●  Phase III:  The same drug is then given to even larger groups to confirm its effectiveness, side effects, and compare it to current “gold-standard” treatments already in the market.
  ●  Phase IV:  After the drug/treatment has released in the market, studies are done to collect information on the drug’s effects in various populations and associated side effects with long-term usage.