About Us
Okanagan Clinical Trials is a research centre located in British Columbia that specializes in conducting research studies for the pharmaceutical industry. We have longstanding staff that have been with and grown with us, and we've got a great reputation locally with over 500 trials conducted over our history.
Our Staff
Kim Christie, PhD
President
Dr. Christie has extensive knowledge of neurological diseases, specializing in Alzheimer's disease. With this experience she spearheads a memory clinic that is offered free to the public. She is the initial contact for all new research studies conducted at our site.
Eugene Okorie, MD, FRCPC
Principle Investigator
Dr. Okorie is a Principal Investigator and Sub-Investigator at OCT. As a practiced psychiatrist, he understands the inherent limitations of available options to help people struggling with mental health issues, hence his passion in trials of investigational products that would help his patients.
Colleen Maytham, MD
Principle Investigator
Dr. Maytham is a Principal Investigator and Sub-Investigator at OCT. She has extensive knowledge in medicine and clinical research and brings with her, a broad and comprehensive knowledge of the medical field from her position as a family physician in the community.
Johannes Vorster, MD
Sub-Investigator
Dr. Vorster is a Sub-investigator at OCT. He has extensive experience in Family- and Emergency Medicine. He is passionate about Biotechnology, and the hope it brings to patients and families impacted by debilitating neurological conditions.
Krystle Kay-Pfau, MD
Sub-Investigator
Dr. Kay-Pfau is a Sub-Investigator at OCT. She has extensive knowledge in medicine and clinical research and brings with her, a broad and comprehensive knowledge of the medical field from her position as a family physician in the community here in Kelowna, BC. She recently moved to the area in August 2020. She comes from Edmonton, AB where she was a family physician but had a large role in teaching medical students & residents who are the future of medicine.
Linda Yearwood, NP(A), RN, MScN
Sub-Investigator
Linda Yearwood is a Sub-Investigator at OCT. She brings with her a solid base of knowledge in medical and nursing care as a Nurse Practitioner from both acute hospital care as well as in community-based care settings.
Dr. Celestine Esume, MD, PhD
Sub-Investigator
Dr. Esume is a Sub investigator at the Okanagan Clinical Trial center. He is Family Physician and a Clinical Pharmacologist with extensive knowledge and experience in clinical medicine, Pharmacogenomics, and biomedical research. His background in Pharmacology and interest in drug safety science motivated him to be involved in clinical trials. He hopes to be involved in the development of personalised therapeutic agents.
Lyndall Cay
Director of Operations
Lyndall has a thorough working knowledge of finance, vendor relations, HR, and administration. She is responsible for maintaining the efficiency of a day-to-day business operations. She is pursing her Chartered Professional in Human Resource designation.
Emily Eisner, BSc, CCRP
Clinical Operations Manager/ Lead Clinical Research Coordinator
Emily developed a passion for research from completing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at UBC Okanagan. Her interpersonal and research skills are utilized in all aspects of clinical trials such as helping conduct clinical trials, interacting with participants, and more.
Michelle Majury, BSc
Clinical Research Coordinator/ Start Up Specialist
Michelle graduated from University of Guelph with a degree in Nutrition and Nutraceutical Science. Her experience in Regulatory Affairs helps with preparing study start-up documents and associated regulatory documents for on-going clinical trials. She also assists with preparing study drug for clinical trials as part of the unblinded pharmacy staff.
Mel Rostamabadi
Lead Regulatory Specialist/HR Coordinator
Mel's dedication as lead regulatory specialist has provided the clinic with quality assurance and consistency. She's developed skills and experience in Health Canada inspections, her role continues to expand as she works towards completing her Human Resources Certification at Simon Fraser University. She is actively applying her education by conducting the onboarding and training as the HR Coordinator.
Patricia Roberts, BSc, CCRP
Psychometric Rater
Patricia is a certified clinical research professional who has worked locally in clinical research for over 13 years. She has worked in a wide scope of medical indications and specializes in neurological research trials including Alzheimer’s disease here at OCT.
Cait Dixon, MLA, BNRS
Laboratory Manager
Cait is a certified Medical Laboratory Assistant. Her experience assisting BC Cancer – Kelowna with clinical trials made her keenly interested in clinical trial research. As an experienced phlebotomist, she collects and processes lab specimens, vitals, and ECGs.
Robert Goldberg, BSc
Clinical Research Coordinator
Robert is a Junior CRC here at OCT. He is a recent graduate and has a Bachelor of Science in Medical Molecular Biochemistry. Robert’s duties include assisting with and coordinating clinical trials. Robert has a passion for Dementia and is involved in several trials working with Alzheimer's Disease.
Kennedy Astill, BSc
Bookkeeping Assistant/Unblinded Pharmacy
Kennedy graduated from UBC Okanagan with a degree in Medical and Molecular Biochemistry, where some of her favourite courses were pharmacology and clinical neuroscience. Her previous experience as a receptionist in a healthcare setting introduced her to assisting medical professionals, work she found extremely rewarding. The opportunity at OCT is a great way to bridge her education and passion, through acting as receptionist and preparing study drug for clinical trials.
Jordanna Laing, BSc
Clinical Research Coordinator
Jordanna became interested in research during her time at UBC Okanagan where she completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology. She is currently obtaining her Graduate Certification in Clinical Research online through Humber College. She assists the research team with all aspects of clinical trials including interacting with participants and conducting memory assessments.
Magdelena Frison, BSc
Clinical Research Coordinator
Magdelena graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in Microbiology and Immunology. Her background as a Clinical Research Assistant at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, coupled with her many years as a pharmacy assistant allows her help coordinate clinical trials, interact with participants, perform memory assessments, and more.
Adeel Wasti, BSc
Clinical Research Coordinator
Adeel graduated from UBC Okanagan with a degree in Biochemistry and a minor in psychology. His academic experience is utilized when he conducts memory assessments, collects lab samples, vital signs, and ECGs.
Ethan Klukas, B.A. (Hons.)
Clinical Research Coordinator
Ethan graduated from UBC Okanagan and holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology. His previous experience working with adults with neurodevelopmental disorders and his involvement with academic and clinical research allows him to facilitate the conduction of clinical trials here at OCT.
Amy Fowler, B.Sc.
Clinical Research Coordinator/Unblinded Pharmacy
Amy is a recent graduate of UBC Okanagan where she completed her degree in Biology and minor in Psychology. Amy’s academic experience alongside her previous work experience allows her to assist with the preparation of study drug, EEG recording, patient recruitment and data entry.
Cora Withers, BSc
Clinical Research Coordinator
Cora graduated from UBC Okanagan with a degree in Medical and Molecular Biochemistry. Her previous positions as a research coordinator and pharmacy assistant allows her to coordinate clinical trials, complete regulatory tasks, conduct memory assessments and recruit participants.
Jessie Pfitzenmaier, BA
Recruitment Specialist
Jessie graduated from the University of British Columbia Okanagan in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. She enjoys working with people and is passionate about improving the quality of life for Kelowna residents through her contributions to medical research.
Sara Ficaccio, BSc
Psychometric Rater
Sara graduated from UBC Okanagan with a degree in Biology and a minor in psychology. Her academic background coupled with her experience in research allows her to assist in the lab with collecting and processing lab samples, vital signs, and ECGs.
Gurleen Jassi, BSc
Research Assistant
Gurleen graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Medical Biochemistry. Gurleen’s duties include performing memory assessments and recruiting new patients for ongoing trials. Having previous experience of working in a lab, Gurleen also assists in taking vitals, ECGs as well as collecting and processing lab specimens.
Naved Wasti
Research Assistant
Naved will soon graduate from UBC Okanagan with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a Minor in Psychology. His education and prior experience as a psychometric rater aid him in performing cognitive assessments and data collection.
Adrienne Lam, BSc, IMG MD
Psychometric Rater
Adrienne is an International Medical Graduate who also holds a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology degree with a minor in Biology from University of Northern British Columbia. Her passion for research and academic/medical background enables her to take a comprehensive approach to working in the field of clinical trials at OCT.
Sarena Krell
Regulatory Assistant/Unblinded Site Staff
Sarena is the Regulatory Assistant at Okanagan Clinical Trials. Her background as a Medical Office Assistant from University of Fraser Valley has guided her to assist with preparing study start-up documents.
Alecia Songer
Research Assistant, MLA
Alecia is a certified Medical Laboratory/Office Assistant. She has a passion for working with people and is excited to bring her experience and knowledge to clinical trial research. As an experienced phlebotomist and medical assistant, she collects and processes lab specimens, takes vitals and runs ECG’s for study participants.
Paige Sepkowski, BA
Receptionist
Paige graduated from UBC Okanagan with a degree in anthropology and a minor in sociology. With a warm and welcoming personality, Paige provides exceptional customer service and ensures that every visitor to our office feels valued and supported. Whether you need assistance with scheduling, directions, or just a friendly conversation, Paige is always happy to help.