Mission
The mission of the Office of Clinical Trials is to encourage and support investigators at Einstein and Montefiore in the conduct of clinical research by providing resources, expertise and best practices to facilitate efficient, compliant and ethical study conduct and management.
We strive to provide exceptional support to our physicians and to our community to foster better health outcomes for our patients and afford them access to state-of-the-art therapies and drugs.
We seek to attract novel, innovative and transformational research and devices to our medical center and its stakeholders, and serve as an easy partner giving industry sponsors access to our skilled investigators, our experienced study coordinators and our active and involved patient population.
History and Purpose
Opened in May 2011, the Office of Clinical Trials (OCT) serves Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in managing all aspects of clinical trials of pharmaceuticals and medical devices for both industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated studies.
We help build and negotiate budgets, craft contracts, and engage in business development. OCT is committed to serving the needs of our principal investigators (PIs) and their study coordinators as well as study sponsors, clinical research organizations (CROs), IRBs, regulatory agencies and patients.
Activating a trial is a major undertaking for the investigator and team, and we provide guidance, assistance and counsel to facilitate all steps from budget building to study initiation. We are committed to eliminating barriers, waits and delays in clinical research and recognize that investigators’ need for support does not end when subject enrollment begins. We search nationwide for trials and best practices to bring to our investigators, our Centers of Excellence and our patient community.
OCT Staff
Christina Rivera, Senior Director of Clinical Research Operations
Dean’s Office and Office of Clinical Trials
christina.rivera@einsteinmed.Edu
Jennifer Ayala, Associate Director
Office of Clinical Trials
jayala@montefiore.org
Fatima Bautista, Senior Research Contract Specialist
OCT Submissions, Contracts, and Complion eRegulatory System
fbautist@montefiore.org
Nicole Faraci, Business Analyst
Velos Calender and Financial Build
nfaraci@montefiore.org
Vivian Nwaogbe, Senior Financial Analyst
Budget Development and Negotiations
vnwaogbe@montefiore.org
Feba George, Financial Research Analyst
Greenphire Clincard Administration
fegeorge@montefiore.org
Amrish Patel, Senior Financial Analyst
Velos Post-Award Financials (Sponsors A – H)
amrpatel@montefiore.org
Tanisha Thakurdeen, Financial Analyst
Velos Post-Award Financials (Sponsors I – Z)
tthakurdee@montefiore.org
Donna Joseph, Financial Analyst
Velos Post-Award Close-outs (All Sponsors)
donjoseph@Montefiore.org
Edward Borukhov, Research Compliance Specialist
Quality Assurance and Billing Compliance
eborukho@montefiore.org
K. Zoe Tsagaris, Director of ICTR (Institute for Clinical & Translational Research)
Study Opportunities and Recruitment Resources
zoe.tsagaris@einsteinmed.edu
OCT Finance Mailbox: Finance Inquires and Financial Supporting Documentation
octfinances@montefiore.org
General Inquiries
oct@montefiore.org
718-920-2000