Demystifying Complex Operations in Psychedelic Research

(Moderator) Richard Bennett, Senior Director, Therapeutic Strategy Lead, Neuroscience, Worldwide Clinical Trials

Richard Bennett is Senior Director and Therapeutic Strategy Lead in the Neuroscience franchise at Worldwide Clinical Trials. With two decades in the industry, he has advanced through the traditional clinical operations roles such as clinical research associate and clinical trial manager and has spent many years as a leader of clinical development programs in both the larger pharma and biotech setting. He has worked on neuromuscular disorders, rare diseases, critical care, pain and palliative care, dermatology, and epidemiology programs. His direct experience working with large pharma and small and emerging biotech firms has given him a deep understanding of the needs of our sponsors.

Julia Forte, Senior Director, Project Management, Worldwide Clinical Trials

Julia Forte holds over 25 years of clinical research industry experience across a variety of indications, the majority of which is in CNS. She has successfully assisted in leading all Phases of clinical trials in large global environments across multiple CNS therapeutic areas with a major focus in major depressive disorder and treatment resistant depression. Over the past few years, Julia has been involved in the oversight and management of trials with psychedelic compounds in treatment resistant depression, MDD, PTSD, and anorexia. Her current responsibilities include overseeing and providing operational advice and supporting the project managers and study teams to ensure high-quality and timely delivery of these programs.

Christine K. Moore, PhD, Vice President, Neuroscience, Scientific Solutions, Worldwide Clinical Trials

Christine Moore, PhD, Vice President, Neuroscience, Scientific Solutions provides strategic scientific guidance across multiple programs, driving neuroscience clinical research of the highest quality for the company. With over 25 years of drug development and commercialization experience, Dr. Moore’s experience extends from scientific to operational expertise across neuroscience indications, with specialization in analgesia and addiction. As one of the original team members at Worldwide Clinical Trials, she has held diverse roles within CROs as well as with large and small pharma. Her unique and broad industry experience allows for planning clinical trials that are both methodologically rigorous and feasible, and that will ultimately enable commercial product adoption by payers and health care providers after approval.

Rolana Avrumson, MS, Vice President of Clinical Projects, Clinical Assessment Technologies, Worldwide Clinical Trials

Rolana Avrumson has over 23 years’ clinical experience, 14 years’ experience in clinical trial research, and has worked for Worldwide Clinical Trials since May 2014. As the Senior Director of Clinical Projects, her primary responsibilities include oversight of the operational and clinical conduct of assigned studies, including rater, CRA, and patient training, source eligibility reviews, data surveillance, sponsor reporting, and scale management. Additional responsibilities include management of clinical staff, protocol review, oversight of eCOA & other technology vendor responsibilities, as well as collaboration with key study functional groups.

Ms. Avrumson has held significant roles in global and domestic phase I/II/III/IV trials in a number of indications with pediatric, adult, and geriatric populations including psychiatry (e.g. mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, addiction, ADHD), neurocognitive disorders (e.g. Alzheimer’s Disease, MCI, TBI), movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson’s), and various rare disease and pain indications (e.g. ALS, Myasthenia Gravis, Neimann-Pick Type C, neuropathic pain, and arthritis trials). As a Clinician in applied practice, she has specialized in areas of Mood, Anxiety, Psychotic, Movement, and Neurocognitive disorders, as well as Addictions, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Eating Disorders.

Ms. Avrumson has a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling Psychology with a specialty in Substance Dependence from the University at Albany, Albany, NY and a Bachelor’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University, Medford, MA.