Meet Our Team

 Leadership

Han C. Phan, MD

  • Dr. Phan is a pediatric neurologist and sleep specialist with years of clinical experience. She is passionate about clinical research, specifically clinical research in rare diseases. Her passion and motivation to improve access to clinical trials for patients with rare diseases led her to establish Rare Disease Research, LLC. Dr. Phan earned her MD at Morehouse School of Medicine and completed her residency at the University of Alabama.

Samata Kamireddy, MD

  • Dr. Kamireddy is an allergy/immunology physician who has recently joined RDR from clinical medicine. She attended Jefferson Medical College for medical school. She completed her internal medicine residency at the University of Rochester and her fellowship in allergy/immunology at the Louisiana State University. She grew up outside of Philadelphia and has a strong penchant for all things Philly (*Go Birds*).

Scott Batchelor, MD, MPH

  • Dr. Batchelor is a board-certified pediatrician specialized in pediatric emergency medicine. He earned his MD at Mercer University, completed his residency at Emory University, and earned his MPH from Johns Hopkins University.

Fran D. Kendall, MD

  • Dr. Kendall, a board certified Clinical Biochemical Geneticist trained at Harvard, has 30 yrs. of experience in the care of patients with mitochondrial, metabolic, and connective tissue disorders. She is currently CEO of VMP, LLC, providing Direct Patient Care, Education, and Physician Support Services to countrywide hospitals and institutions.

Edward Smith, MD

  • Dr. Smith is a pediatric neurologist specialized in neuromuscular clinical trials and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at Duke University. Prior to joining RDR, he served as a faculty member in the Duke Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology from 2007-2023, and he founded and directed the Duke Children’s Neuromuscular Program, which continues to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to patients with muscle and nerve disorders. He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Trang Vo, PharmD

  • Dr. Vo has been with RDR since its inception, managing regulatory affairs and pharmacy operations. A graduate of Mercer University College of Pharmacy and with prior experience in a community pharmacy setting, Dr. Vo greatly enjoys being in research now. When not working, she enjoys discovering new things and spending time with her family.

Miro Pastrnak, PhD

  • Miro joined RDR in 2021 and brings twenty years of experience in business development, marketing, finance, and research operations. He earned his Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from University of California at Berkeley and remains a geek at heart.

Tom Powell

  • Tom brings to RDR broad expertise in IT development, IT infrastructure, full-stack applications, and much more. He has served as CTO for numerous other companies since 1992, building and leading teams, developing and deploying software products, and overseeing regulatory compliance. Tom earned his degree in international business from Kennesaw State University.

Amy Chestnut

  • Amy brings nearly 20 years of human resources and leadership experience from a variety of industries. She holds a Bachelors in Organizational Development. Amy is passionate about giving back to her community and has held multiple Board positions at a variety of non-profit organizations. She and her husband are avid tennis players and enjoy traveling with their daughters when they are home from college.

Alpa Khushalani

  • Alpa, a rare disease mom, brings her family's lived experience with hybrid and decentralized clinical trials to RDR. Passionate about improving patient access and accelerating drug development, she's also a dedicated board member of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), focusing on support groups and advocacy. She has a background in computer science and multinational client management. Alongside her husband, she manages a nonprofit school providing free education to underprivileged children in rural India and loves traveling with their 3 sons and service dog.

Sub-Investigators

Meg Hudspeth, DNP, CPNP-PC

  • Dr. Hudspeth brings extensive knowledge of pediatric care from her previous role as a registered nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. Hudspeth obtained her bachelor’s in health promotion from the University of Georgia, and earned her Master’s in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from Augusta University.

Kallie Platt, MSN, CPNP-AC

  • Kallie is an Atlanta native, and she was previously a Registered Nurse at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for over seven years. Kallie attended the University of Georgia, Medical College of Georgia, and Emory University for her nursing degrees. Kallie enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Emily Murray, MSN, FNP-BC

  • Prior to joining RDR, Emily worked as a nurse at Emory Healthcare and as a family nurse practitioner CVS MinuteClinic. She earned her Master of Science in nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Georgia State University. In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time with her husband and son.

Pharmacy Team

Darwin Nguyen, PharmD

  • Dr. Darwin Nguyen was born in California and settled in Atlanta in 2003, bringing his previous experiences in retail pharmacy to RDR in 2022. Dr. Nguyen earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Mercer University. When not at work, he loves driving around Atlanta with the windows down on cool, breezy days.

Christian Hanson, MSc, CPhT

  • Christian is a native of Sierra Leone, and brings prior experience from the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone, WellStar and Emory. Christian attended the University of Sierra Leone and China Pharmaceutical University, where he earned his Bachelor of Pharmacy and MSC in Pharmacology. Christian speaks Mandarin and several African languages.

Ashanti Smith, CPhT

  • Starting in 2020 during the COVID epidemic, Ashanti's career in pharmacy brought her from overseeing team members in an allergy compounding position at Innovation Compounding Pharmacy to assisting hospice patients and managing compounding and dispensing for assisted living facilities at Guardian Pharmacy. Her career path demonstrates her proficiency in a range of pharmacy practice areas. When Ashanti has free time, she likes to go on competitive date nights with her fiancé and spends time with their dog Milo.

Research Team

Patria Ybanez, PharmD

  • Dr. Ybanez just recently joined the RDR team and brings her years of experience in the field of community pharmacy and clinical research. She has a passion for healthcare and making a difference in her patient's lives. Dr. Ybanez obtained her Bachelor's degree in Biology from Georgia State University and is a graduate of Mercer University College of Pharmacy. In her spare time, she enjoys family time, traveling, watching her son play soccer and treating her palate to all kinds of delicious cuisines!

Alaina “Corrie” Smith

  • Corrie brings to RDR her experience as a regulatory affairs coordinator at Becton Dickinson and a research specialist at the Keilholtz MIND Lab. Corrie earned her degree in biomedical engineering from Georgia Tech in 2021. In her free time, Corrie enjoys camping, hiking, running, and biking with her husband.

Dazia Campbell

  • Dazia was born in Michigan and later moved to Johns Creek, Georgia. She earned her bachelor’s in biology from Howard University and is currently working toward her master’s in biology from Georgia State University. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as a radiologist.

Laura Sutton

  • Laura brings to RDR her extensive experience as a Clinical Research Coordinator having previously managed clinical trials in pediatric and adult Endocrinology as well as pediatric Gastroenterology. In her free time Laura enjoys spending time with her wife Amber and their two dogs, Xander and Bob, brewing beer with her friends, and fishing.

Tahisha Turner

  • Tahisha was born in Hartford Connecticut, currently residing in Georgia since 2022. Tahisha earned certificates from Tunxis Community College for EKG, RMA-Registered Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy. She bring her Medical Assistance experience from American Family Care Urgent Care and is looking forward to enhance her medical knowledge at RDR as a Research Assistant. During her free time she enjoys spending quality time with her children, teaching liturgical dance, traveling and trying out new restaurants

Annette Babu

  • Annette is a PharmD graduate from India. She started out as a pharmacy technician after moving to the US. Her interest in clinical research led her to RDR. In her free time, she enjoys making memories with her little girls and husband.

Valery Sevillanos

  • Valery joined the RDR team in 2022 as a Regulatory Specialist. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Kennesaw State University and hopes to expand her knowledge and experience throughout her time at RDR. In her free time she enjoys reading, going to the gym and traveling.

Darrell Favors

Lisa Glasford

  • Lisa brings to RDR her extensive experience in medical data collection, medical assisting, and workflow management, joining our team after several years with the Infectious Disease Specialists of Atlanta. Lisa earned her Associate in Occupational Studies in Medical Assisting degree from the College of Allied Health in New York.

Lily Goggans

  • Lily brings to RDR research experience through the University of Georgia (UGA) Youth Development Program and the Department of Kinesiology. Lily earned her bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences from UGA. In her free time, Lily enjoys reading, cooking, playing badminton, and watching Formula 1.

Owen Glogovsky

  • Owen graduated from Lipscomb University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He arrived at RDR in 2022 having previously participated in a clinical chemistry research fellowship at the CDC. In his free time, Owen enjoys experimenting with new food recipes, running around Atlanta, and relaxing at home with his girlfriend and their two cats: Newt and Toad

Alvin Nguyen

  • Alvin initially joined the RDR team in 2022 as an administrative assistant, and now serves as a dedicated clinical research assistant. In his free time, Alvin enjoys detailing cars, martial arts, and working out. The part he enjoys most about RDR is working closely with his friendly and encouraging colleagues.

Jessica Bowman

  • Jessica is a native of Richmond, VA and moved to Atlanta, GA in 2019. She has worked in various research specialties including spinal cord injury, rare disease, and infectious disease. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Old Dominion University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida. In her free time, she enjoys quality time with her family, trying local restaurants, and outdoor activities.

Ashaunti Davis

Julia Zhu, PharmD

  • Julia was born in Georgia and moved around within the state throughout her life. After earning her PharmD degree at Mercer University, she wanted to pursue a career in clinical research and joined RDR in 2023. In her free time, Julia enjoys baking, cooking, doodling, and spoiling her dog.

Fabricio Nunez

  • Fabricio joined RDR in 2023 as a Research Assistant. He is a certified Phlebotomist Technician (PBT) and is currently working for his Associate's in Biopharmaceutical Technology. He has over 10 years of experience in Laboratory settings. Previously he worked as a Clinical Research Assistant for the School of Medicine at UNC. Fabricio would like to continue growing in RDR and expand his knowledge in research trials. During leisure time he likes to run, hike and spend time with loved ones. His favorite quote is “If not you, then who? If not now, when?” by Hillel first.

Physical Therapy Team

Lynette Slovensky, MS, PT

  • Lynette has over 30 years of experience as a pediatric physical therapist including acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient, and research. She earned her bachelor’s in psychology from the University of South Carolina and her master’s in physical therapy from the University of Alabama-Birmingham. She enjoys traveling with her family, hiking, and reading.

Cindy Ferrante, PT

  • Cindy comes to RDR with pediatric experience as a physical therapist specializing in treatment of medically complex patients and premature infants. Cindy also works with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta serving children in both the hospital and outpatient settings. Cindy earned her degree in physical therapy at Georgia State University.

Operations

William Headen

  • William brings a unique blend of healthcare, clinical trials, and IT experience to the RDR Team. He is a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant and Certified Clinical Research Professional with nearly 15 years of experience. William holds a Bachelor of Science in Business - Healthcare Management, and he currently pursing a Masters in IT Management. In his free time, he enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends.

Marcial Almaraz

  • A jack of all trades, Marcial joined RDR in 2019, bringing a decade of experience as a hospital pharmacy technician. He earned his bachelor’s from Shorter University. Marcial loves the work he does at RDR and is even working on getting his 4-year-old daughter to eventually join our team as an intern!

McKenzie Duncan

Olga Tenyuta, MBA

  • Olga is originally from Russia, where she previously served as CFO of a large company. Olga earned her bachelor’s degree in engineering and MBA at Ural Federal University. Olga is an avid traveler, and on the weekends, she enjoys hiking in the north Georgia mountains with her dog.

Janesha Noelsaint, RN

Jennifer Griffin

  • Jennifer serves in multiple capacities at RDR, where she is a member of our Onboarding and HR Teams. Prior to RDR, Jennifer held roles as an operations manager and in government administration. Jennifer earned her bachelor’s at Alabama State University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her kids, playing softball, and cooking.

Donna Spaulding

  • Donna brings over 17 years of experience as a patient care technician at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to RDR. Donna working towards her bachelor’s degree in sociology at Clayton State University. In her free time, Donna enjoys baking, wine tasting, traveling, and spending time with her grandsons Ari and Kai.

Demesha Williams

  • Demesha has recently joined RDR as a Regulatory Specialist. She earned a Bachelor’s in Health Service Administration from Monroe College in New York City and hopes to expand her knowledge and experience throughout her time at RDR. She is currently working towards finishing her Master’s in Public Administration. Demesha enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and reading.