Erika Stevens, MA, is the Interim Executive Director of the Clinical Trials Office at Columbia University.  This position provides leadership in promoting, implementing, and enhancing the strategic plans for clinical trials research at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and provides administrative resources and infrastructure to build and sustain clinical research through close operation with New York Presbyterian Hospital.  Ms. Stevens supervises 45 employees responsible for assisting investigators in preparing applications, negotiating contracts, setting up sub-award agreements, and maintaining certain post-award functions

Ms. Stevens completed masters' degrees from Case Western Reserve University and Temple University in both Social Medicine and Social Research.  Her area of interest has supported education and mentoring in her experience as an educator in clinical research.  Ms. Stevens is a contributing author of the UPENN Manual for Clinical Research© and member of the development team for clinical research training and certification at UPENN.  Ms. Stevens served as an oversight committee member to the “Necessary Elements” Clinical Research Coordinator training curriculum under the direction of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at Washington University School of Medicine.

Ms. Stevens' previous experiences include Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Surgery at Columbia University, Director of Research Operations in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine, Senior Project Management in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine, and Project Director at Case Western Reserve University.  Ms. Stevens has served as adjunct faculty at many academic institutions on the East Coast and the Midwest.  Ms. Stevens has co-authored and been published in a variety of peer journals related to patient oriented research.  Ms. Stevens has over 14 years of clinical research experience, including over 11 years in clinical research management.

Contact Ms. Stevens at ctodirector@columbiaclinicaltrials.org



Franco A. Barsanti, PharmD
Director, Trials Facilitation

Dr. Franco Barsanti is the Trials Facilitation Director of the Clinical Trials Office at Columbia University.  This position provides leadership and expertise to drive the successful implementation of the early clinical development initiative by expediting study placement and providing regulatory and financial oversight.

After receiving his PharmD from Northeastern University Graduate School of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions in 1991, Dr. Barsanti completed a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Rutgers College of Pharmacy in 1996.  Later that year, he joined Hoffmann-La Roche as Clinical Science Specialist.  There, he was selected for the International Development Program as Research Scientist within the Clinical Pharmacology Divisions in Welwyn, UK.  Dr. Barsanti served as a communication link between HLR Pharma Development and Clinical Affairs for new drug discovery.  In 1998, he became Director for Clinical Research at Ortho Dermatological.

In 2002, Dr. Barsanti was recruited as the Director of the Clinical Research Unit of the Department of Dermatology at Columbia University.  Dr. Barsanti joined the CTO in 2007.

Contact Dr. Barsanti at fb2025@columbia.edu



Magaly Garcia, MD
Director, Hispanic Translation Center

Magaly Garcia, MD, is the Director of the Hispanic Translation Center (HTC) resource of the Clinical Trials Office.  Dr. Garcia coordinates all aspects of the review and translation of documents at Columbia University, as well as outside institutions to be used by Hispanic participants in research.  She manages several off-site translation specialists and is the in-house contact for all research personnel requiring Spanish translations.

After receiving her medical degree from University of Havana (Cuba) School of Medicine, Dr. Garcia was Professor of Clinical Psychiatry there for 17 years.  As Psychiatry Department Chair, she taught students, evaluated patients, and collaborated in research and publications about child and adolescent mental health.  Dr. Garcia then traveled to Venezuela, where she pursued a practice in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Dr. Garcia settled in the United States, came to Columbia University, and began to work at the HTC in 1999.

In 2006, Dr. Garcia co-authored a paper describing the factors that influence how members of the upper Manhattan Latin community self–prescribe antibiotics.

Contact Dr. Garcia at Hispanic-Translation@columbiaclinicaltrials.org


Linda O'Neill
Manager of Finance, Operations Group

Linda O'Neill is the Manager of Finance in the Operations Group of the Clinical Trials Office (CTO).  Her principal roles are (1) to develop and manage the budgets for the CTO and the Clinical Trials Network and (2) to prepare monthly and yearly financial statements.  Ms. O'Neill works closely with the Controllers Office and clinical research investigators and coordinators: troubleshooting problems with their studies, account close-outs, and DAF requirements.  Ms. O'Neill also interacts regularly with industry sponsors on issues related to their trials.  In her role as Finance Manager, Ms. O'Neill maintains a professional and smoothly-run office and solves administrative problems with staff, clients, and vendors.

Ms. O'Neill graduated from East Carolina University with a BSBA in Accounting. Ms. O'Neill comes to Columbia with a prestigious accounting background having worked for several Fortune 500 Companies.  Before joining the Clinical Trials Office, Ms. O’Neill worked for 11 years at the entertainment conglomerate Ogden Corporation as a Senior Financial Analyst, primarily with international mergers and acquisitions and various other financial and accounting roles; for seven years at Viacom’s Showtime Networks as the Business Manager for Marketing and Advertising; and with Madison Square Garden, a subsidiary of Cablevision.  Ms. O’Neill also worked two years with Ingersoll Rand Company, a worldwide manufacturing company, where traveled internationally as Audit Supervisor.

Contact Ms. O'Neill at ctofinancemanager@columbiaclinicaltrials.org


Mitchell Appleson, CPA
Manager of Finance, Post-Award Group

Mitch Appleson is the Finance Manager of the Post-Award Group of the Clinical Trials Office.  Post award activities include cash receipts, disbursements, billing, accounts receivable and project account reconciliations.  Mr. Appleson is responsible for the day-to-day management and activities of the post-award staff and developing and enhancing processes to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the post-award group.

Mr. Appleson graduated from Yeshiva University in 2003 with a BS in Accounting and earned his CPA license in 2005.

After nearly five years in public accounting, which included auditing healthcare institutions, Mr. Appleson joined Columbia University Medical Center.

Contact Mr. Appleson at ctofinancemanager@columbiaclinicaltrials.org


Lourdes Vasquez
Manager of Finance, Budgeting Group

Lourdes Vasquez is the Finance Manager of the Budgeting Group of the Clinical Trials Office.  Ms. Vasquez and the budget team review all industry sponsored projects to ensure accuracy and completeness of budget plans, in order to gauge a project’s financial feasibility.  If studies are deemed not financially viable, the budget team will negotiate with sponsors to achieve this goal.

Ms. Vasquez and her budget team act as a liaison between investigators/coordinators and sponsors to promote effective financial management in accordance with all established Columbia University Medical Center policies and procedures.

Ms. Vasquez is a graduate of CUNY, Baruch College, where she earned a BBA in Business Administration.

Prior to joining the Clinical Trials Office in 2005, Ms. Vasquez worked in both private industry and the New York Health and Hospital Corporation-Elmhurst Hospital's Human Resources Office.  Since joining the CTO, Ms. Vasquez received her Paralegal Certificate from Hunter College in 2007.

Contact Ms. Vasquez at ctobudget@columbiaclinicaltrials.org



Jean Robert Gabeau, JD
Manager, Contracts Group

Jean R. Gabeau received his BA cum laude with honors in Economics and Political Science from Boston College in 1997 and received his JD from Boston College Law School in 2003.  He is admitted to practice law in New York State.  Before joining the Clinical Trials Office, Mr. Gabeau worked as a contract attorney for Hughes, Hubbard & Reed LLP and Bank of America.

Mr. Gabeau joined the Contracts Department of the Clinical Trials Office in August, 2005 as a project officer.  He has extensive experience reviewing, drafting, and negotiating clinical trial agreements, non-disclosure agreements, subcontracts, and material transfer agreements.  Mr. Gabeau also manages several special projects at the CTO, including serving as the primary project officer for all clinical trial agreements with Columbia University’s Cancer Research Management Office as well as working closely with Columbia University’s Office of General Counsel in developing new clinical trial agreement provisions.

In 2007, Mr. Gabeau assumed the position of Manager of Contracts.  In this position, Mr. Gabeau is responsible for managing and training a staff of several attorneys and paralegals, designing and implementing procedures and guidelines to facilitate the contracting process.  In addition, Mr. Gabeau serves as a liaison among the CTO, the Columbia University research community, and Columbia University’s Office of General Counsel for to all contractual matters.

Contact Mr. Gabeau at ctocontractsmanager@columbiaclinicaltrials.org


Linda Busacca, BA
Manager, Clinical Trials Network

Linda Busacca is the Manager of the Clinical Trials Network (CTN) and acts as liaison between the Clinical Trials Office (CTO) and the CTN. She is the primary contact for all CTN study start-up, recruitment and regulatory documents, whether for industry or government. The CTN was created by Columbia University Medical Center, Weill-Cornell Medical Center, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, under the aegis of the CTO. Ms. Busacca coordinates all activities between the Contract Research Organizations (CROs), Site Management Organizations (SMOs), sponsors and all participating network sites. Upon receiving her Bachelors degree from the City University of New York and prior to joining the CTO, she held positions in banking, pharmaceutical executive recruiting, scientific publishing, and Columbia University's legal department.

As encouraged by the NIH, Ms. Busacca will be participating in the partnership between the academic medical centers and private practices. The CTO will expand the CTN by incorporating the Affiliated Hospitals of the New York-Presbyterian Health Care System. Such partnerships reap the rewards of combining clinical excellence and state-of-the-art research and education.

Contact Ms. Busacca at ctoCTN@columbiaclinicaltrials.org


John F. Ennever MD, PhD
Medical Director

Dr. John F. Ennever is the Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Office. He has served as an Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons since 1993. He is also the Associate Medical Director of the Clinical Trials Network of the Clinical Trials Office, a joint venture of Columbia University and the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Prior to the merger of the Presbyterian Hospital and New York Hospital, Dr. Ennever served in a number of administrative roles at the Presbyterian Hospital, including Medical Director of the Allen Pavilion, Medical Director of the Ambulatory Care Network Corporation and Medical Liaison for Columbia-Presbyterian/Moscow. He was also the Hospital's representative to the Executive Committee of the Clinical Trials Advisory Committee during the time that the Clinical Trials Network was conceived and initiated. He is a member of the Columbia University Medical Center IRB and the Irving Center GCRC Advisory Committee. Dr. Ennever received his Bachelors and PhD in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University; he also received his MD degree from Case Western Reserve University.

Prior to joining the administrative staff of the Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Ennever was at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine where he did basic research in bilirubin photochemistry and clinical research in phototherapy for neonatal jaundice. He helped to develop the BiliBlanket™ and led the first international trial of this device in the treatment of neonatal jaundice.

Contact Dr. Ennever at ctomedicaldirector@columbiaclinicaltrials.org


Richard Hlenski, MBA
Director of Strategic Planning and Finance

Richard Hlenski assumed the leadership role of Director of the Finance and Strategic Planning department in the fall of 2003. Upon graduating from Queen's College with a BA in Accounting; he started his career in healthcare as an internal auditor for New York Hospital. In 1988, he became the Chief Accountant for the Westchester Division of New York Hospital, where he was responsible for the Finance Department.

Over the next eleven years, Mr. Hlenski transferred to the New York division of the Presbyterian Hospital system, earned a Master's degree in Health Administration and became the Controller of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. After briefly serving as the Director of Grants, he joined the Clinical Trials Office, bringing with him a vast knowledge of Finance and Strategic Planning and a clear vision of developing a process that enables the customer to work within the intricacies of the financial systems of both the University and the Hospital and supports the investigators in achieving their goals.

Contact Mr. Hlenski at ctofinance@columbiaclinicaltrials.org


Robert B. MacArthur, PharmD
Director, Research Pharmacy

Dr. MacArthur received his degree of Pharm.D. from St. John's University in New York, in 1988. He began his career working for LAB, Inc., in Ridgefield, New Jersey as director of a 60-bed Phase I unit and oversaw hundreds of Phase I and Bioequivalence clinical trials from the initial proposal development to FDA submission. In 1994, he worked for Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in Drug Safety and Product labeling, and within the same year, launched the opening of the Research Pharmacy at Columbia University. The pharmacy presently has two locations and is involved in hundreds of clinical trials.

As director of the CUMC Research Pharmacy, Dr. MacArthur and his staff strive to provide the highest quality of investigational drug pharmacy services to the University, NYPH, and its investigators. Presently, the research pharmacy provides services to all divisions and medical specialties. In the future, Dr. MacArthur looks forward to expanding the capabilities of the existing solid and sterile dosage forms for the convenience of the industry and academic investigators, and to further develop the Englewood, New Jersey site into a clinical trial packaging and investigational and specialty drug distribution center for both the pharmaceutical industry and academic sponsors.

Contact Dr. MacArthur at ctopharmacy@columbiaclinicaltrials.org