Our Team

Dr. Bier joined Nutrasource in 2014 as the Medical Director of the clinical trials unit, actively engaged in both the domestic and global divisions of the clinical division. Dr. Bier has become an integral member of the clinic team by participating in protocol design, research, adverse event reporting, and narrative composition. Dr. Bier actively mentors the clinical monitors and sub-investigators during active clinical trials as well as ongoing training and leadership in Good Clinical Practices (GCP) with his team. He has successfully obtained his Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans Course on Research Ethics, ACLS course re-certification, GCP Training, NIDA Clinical Trials Network, and PALS course.

Rosie Ilnisky is a dedicated nurse practitioner with a BScN and MScN/NP from McMaster University. With over a decade of experience in primary care and public health, specializing in pediatrics and diabetes, she brings a wealth of knowledge to their role. Rosie serves as a casual NP at Apex Trials, supporting and reviewing medical eligibility and screening during study visits. She is passionate about contributing to the development of nutraceutical products that enhance individuals' health and wellbeing. Alongside her work at Apex Trials, Rosie also works part-time in primary care and public health, ensuring a well-rounded approach to patient care.

Graduating with Honours from the BScN Collaborative Nursing program at Ryerson University in 2015, Yuriy initially pursued Mental Health & Addictions as a field of interest where people's needs were largely underserved. In working at Unity Health Toronto (previously St. Michael's Hospital) downtown Toronto, Yuriy realized the gravity of how fragmented  the healthcare system really is and how little could be done at the bedside to change systemic outcomes after-the-fact. Yuriy made the decision to pivot from providing acute care to target health prevention and health promotion instead and enrolled in the MN-PHC-NP program, graduating with Honours at Western University in 2019.

Since graduation, Yuriy has focused on education, primary care, and clinical research and entered the academic world reinforcing positive patient care outcomes with his students in the IEN, PSW, RPN, and BScN programs at George Brown College. Yuriy has extensive experience in travel medicine from working at the Travel Vaccine Clinic and has solid experience in clinical research, previously with Cliantha Research, and currently at Apex Trials as a Nurse Practitioner/ Sub- Investigator.

Yuriy continues to provide acute care services on a casual basis at Unity Health Toronto as the need for compassionate care is more dire than ever before and continues to walk the path to love all, trust a few, and do wrong to none (ref. W. Shakespeare).

Katie Keene is the Clinic Supervisor at Apex Trials and brings 10+ years of experience in the NHP industry including 3+ years in regulatory and 6+ years in clinical trial conduct for Phase I through IV studies.

Saif Abdulwahhab, a national and internationally certified Medical Laboratory Professional, is the Lab Manager at Apex Trials. Mr. Abdulwahhab holds a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science with more than 12 years of experience working in a research lab and different laboratory departments including hematology, biochemistry, serology, cytology, histology, microbiology, and tumor markers. Primary responsibilities include the support and management of sample collection, processing, storage, and shipment, reviewing study protocol sections related to biological samples, and participating in safety, quality assurance, and improvement initiatives involving the lab. Mr. Abdulwahhab also chairs the internal Joint Health and Safety Committee with the goal of maintaining staff and participant safety.

Jeannie Quiambao joined Apex trials with a comprehensive 10+ years of experience in BA and BE studies, Phase 1 – 4 studies. She started as a lab technician in 2019 and worked her way up to her current position as a Clinical Research Coordinator in 2020. Jeannie enjoys working in challenging phases prioritizing human subjects’ safety and protection.

Ann joined the Apex Trials team as a Clinical Research Coordinator in 2020. With over 5 years of experience in the field and certified in Applied Clinical Research, she is skilled in coordinating and managing clinical trials, understanding regulatory requirements and collecting data. Her top priority is to ensure ethical conduct and protection of participants' rights, while completing studies to their objectives.

Arpita Patel pursued her Bachelor of Pharmacy from India in 2013 and later completed a Post Graduation Diploma in Advanced Clinical Research in 2015. Launching her career in the same field in 2015, Arpita started as a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) and has since continued to gain experience across phase II to phase IV, BA/BE projects for a duration of approximately 6 years. Arpita has also had the opportunity to contribute to Covid-19 trials.

Having decided to enhance her education and gain experience, Arpita moved to Canada and pursued further education from Vancouver Community College in 2022 focusing on Business and Project Management. Currently, Arpita is delighted to serve as a CRC II on the Apex Trials team.

Jaimie is a Clinical Research Coordinator II at Apex Trials.

Jaana joined Apex Trials in 2022 as a Clinical Research Coordinator. As a graduate from the University of Western Ontario with a Masters of Neuroscience, Jaana has 3 years of research experience working with healthy and clinical populations. Jaana is passionate about clinical research and enjoys working directly with participants to conduct research with high ethical standards. 

Ainsley Arreza joined Apex Trials in 2022 as a Clinical Research Coordinator I.  Ainsley holds a BSc in Biomedical Toxicology along with a Certificate in Food Science from the University of Guelph and a Diploma in Clinical Research, Drug Safety, and Pharmacovigilance.  This education has allowed her to integrate the sciences and develop a comprehensive understanding of how the body interacts with food and drugs.  With previous experience as a Quality Assurance professional in the food and pharmaceutical processing industries, Ainsley has a passion for ensuring the safety of all products.  In her role as a Clinical Research Coordinator, she aims to ensure the best care of participants and build confidence in progressive clinical research for future patients

Jessica joined Apex Trials in 2022 as a Clinical Trial Recruiter and has since transitioned to a Lead Participant Recruiter role, responsible for overseeing clinical trial recruitment activities at the site, designing and implementing the overall recruitment strategy, and managing clinic social media outlets and advertising methods. 

In 2023, Taylor joined Apex Trials as a Participant Recruiter following graduation from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Neuroscience. Through her experiences in academic research involving animal models and applied cognitive science, she learnt the value of evidence-based research in advancing healthcare. By leveraging her academic foundation, she is eager to maximize recruitment while upholding good clinical practices to ensure all participants receive quality care.

As a graduate of CDI College and with over a decade of clinical experience, Bradley is a part of the Apex Trials team as Lead Lab Technician. His experience extends across phase I through 4 trials in drugs, natural health products, and class 2 medical devices. Bradley is proficient in training and coordinating staff on lab procedures, he is diligent at QC and is committed to continuing education opportunities.   

Rica Cserei-Costa is a Certified Clinical Research Medical Lab Technician II and Senior Phlebotomist with over 15 years of laboratory experience. Areas of expertise include medical testing and general laboratory practice. In addition to a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto in Arts and Science (with Minor in Psychology), Ms. Cserei-Costa holds the Applied Clinical Research Certification, CPR Level BLS , IV Therapy and Phlebotomy Certification, and the cMLA/T MLPAO designation.

Jing is a skilled medical lab technician with a diploma from Anderson College of Health, Business and Technology. With nearly 10 years of experience in clinical laboratory procedures and a thorough understanding of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Documentation Practice (GDP), Jing is dedicated to working collaboratively with the Apex Trials team as Quality Control Lead. Jing’s clinical research experience includes drugs / biologics and natural health products / dietary supplements with a focus in Phase I trials.