About Us

Alberto Vasquez, MD, CPI

Dr. Vasquez is our lead PI and has been participating in clinical research for over 23 years and has been a neurologist for almost 40 years. He has a particular interest in neuromuscular diseases, especially multiple sclerosis, and neurophysiology. He is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology as well as the American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He has been a Certified Principal Investigator through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) since 2008.

Dr. Vasquez received his medical degree at the University of Santo Tomas and completed his medical and neurology training along with specializations at the Marshall University and Medical College of Virginia. He is an active member of the American Academy of Neurology and American Association of Electrodiagnostic & Neuromuscular Medicine.

In his free time Dr. Vasquez enjoys time with his family, fitness and music.

Gregory Scott, MD

Dr. Scott is one of our sub-investigators and has been participating in clinical research for over 22 years and has been a neurologist for almost 36 years. He’s especially interested in dementia and autonomic disorders.

He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame, graduated with his medical degree from Georgetown University, and returned to Florida for his residencies in Internal Medicine and Neurology at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Dr. Scott is past Section Chairman for Neurology at Bayfront Medical Center and past Director of the HCA Northside Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Program, both here in St. Petersburg. He was elected to Best Doctors in 2005, a prestigious peer-reviewed group that includes the top 5% of physicians in the United States.

Dr. Scott is a native Floridian, born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Daniel Bell, MD

Dr. Bell is one of our sub-investigators and has been participating in clinical research for over 20 years and has been a neurologist for almost 24 years. He’s committed to both office-based as well as hospital care for his patients and the community with special interest in managing stroke, neuromuscular disease, multiple sclerosis, and autoimmune neurological diseases. He is an active member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr. Bell was born in Las Vegas, grew up in Springfield, MO, completed his medical degree at the University of Missouri then relocated to Gainesville, FL for his internal medicine training and neurology residency at the University of Florida.

In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and spending time with his wife, daughter and numerous pets.

Christina Diaz, MD

Dr. Diaz is one of our sub-investigators and has been participating in clinical research for over 8 years and has been a neurologist for almost 34 years. Her areas of interest include dementia, migraine, and headache.

She obtained her BS in Chemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle and her medical degree from the University of Iowa then continued her medical training in neurology at the University of Florida and Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Diaz is member of the American Academy of Neurology and on staff at multiple local hospitals.

Heather Herrema, DO

Dr. Herrema is one of our sub-investigators and has been participating in clinical research for over 4 years and has been a neurologist for almost 14 years. She is a movement disorder specialist and her areas of interest include Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders which includes Essential Tremor, Dystonia, Huntington’s Disease, and ataxia. She also leads one of the local Parkinson’s Disease support groups.

Dr. Herrema grew up in Michigan and earned her BS at the University of Michigan majoring in Biopsychology. She then earned her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and went on to complete a Michigan State University affiliated internship and residency at Botsford Hospital, where she served as chief resident. After her residency, she completed a fellowship specializing in Movement Disorders at the Henry Ford Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Program.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two daughters and husband. She also enjoys running, traveling and cooking.

Matt Lowery, ACRP-CP, CCRC

Matt has been the Director of Clinical Research at SNA since 2011 where he handles the day to day operations as well as budgets and contracts, finances and accounting, regulatory, and business development. He holds certifications through the Association for Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) – the ACRP-CP since 2018 and the CCRC since 2013 – and is a member of ACRP, Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS), and the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA).

Matt is from a small, rural town in the Upstate of South Carolina. He moved to Florida to attend the University of Tampa where he graduated with dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and marine science with a minor in chemistry. After graduating, he stumbled into the medical field and never looked back, eventually working in family practice, public health, genetics, and now clinical research.

Matt has over 16 years of experience in clinical research on both the site and sponsor level. On the site side, Matt has worked as a study coordinator, site manager, director of clinical research, and assists other sites with general consulting, business development, and budget/contract negotiation. On the sponsor side, he’s gained knowledge and experience in monitoring, clinical operations, finance and accounting, and has drafted and revised several protocols for Parkinson’s disease and provided insight for protocols for Alzheimer’s disease, autism, hallucinations, multiple system atrophy, and schizophrenia.

Matt is involved with and helps to shape initiatives that will improve the industry. Some of his past and current projects include the Shared Investigator Platform through TransCelerate, better payment terms for sites, establishing an eISF for better communications with sponsors’ eTMFs, streamlining the feasibility and start-up phase, and developing site-facing technologies such as eSource. He often speaks at industry conferences such as the Site Solutions Summit through SCRS, the DrugDev Summit, and the Clinical Research & Operations Worldwide Networking (CROWN) Congress.

Whenever able, Matt enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking (and eating), movies, and traveling to interesting places near and far.

Nicole Huff, SSGBC, ACRP-CP, CCRC

Nicole is our Senior Study Coordinator and Compliance Officer.  She is originally from the Chicago area and lived in Colorado and Texas before settling in Florida.  She has worked in healthcare since 1992 and has over 25 years of experience in clinical research.

Nicole has worked on both the site and sponsor sides with experience in multiple therapeutics areas including surgical devices, plastic and reconstructive surgery, dermatology, neurology, and general medicine.

On the site side, she has worked as a study coordinator, manager, and site director, has started 4 sites from the ground up, co-authored a presentation for the World Congress of Dermatology, and written several investigator-initiated protocols.

On the sponsor side, she’s gained knowledge and experience in monitoring sites, supervising CRAs, managing vendors, overseeing builds and coordinating testing for eDCs, ePROs, and IVRS systems, and has drafted and revised several protocols for Parkinson’s disease and provided insight for protocols for Alzheimer’s disease, autism, multiple system atrophy, hallucinations, and schizophrenia.

Nicole holds the ACRP-CP and CCRC certifications through the Association for Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) and is a member of ACRP and the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA).

Nicole enjoys spending time with family and friends, learning new things to broaden her horizons, cooking, eating, reading, movies, and traveling.

Jeff Klein, BA

Jeff started in research as a research assistant and has been a study coordinator for over 2 years. He’s managed drug and devices studies in multiple indications including Alzheimer’s and essential tremor. Jeff also handles recruitment, quality control, and inventory management and is a part of the community outreach team. Jeff is a member of the Association for Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS), and the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA).

Before discovering clinical research, Jeff had roles in a few feature films and commercials. He also owns a production company that’s produced multiple online series, commercials, and short films. He enjoyed a long career in hospitality including managing fine dining establishments. His studies in psychology and degree in pre-law, coupled with his hospitality background has study participants enjoying his demeanor and organization. But Jeff’s true passion is stand-up comedy. He’s been in several national comedy festivals and competitions and performs on stages across Florida, the southeast, and beyond.

S. Kelly O’Neal, PsyD

Dr. O’Neal is a clinical psychologist specializing in adult and geriatric neuropsychology and has been participating in clinical research as a rater for over 8 years. He has almost 30 years of clinical experience and has worked in memory care for more than 16 years.

Dr. O’Neal received his undergraduate in psychology from Oklahoma State University, and a master’s in counseling psychology from the University of Kansas. While working as a counselor, his developing interests in neuropsychology lead to his pursuit of a doctorate in clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology. Following internship at Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh NC, he resumed studies of cognitive rehabilitation and geriatric neuropsychological assessments during a fellowship at the Institute for Living in Hartford CT.

He has supported the field of psychology among peers serving as membership chair and president of the Lower West Coast chapter of the Florida Psychological Association.

Dr. O’Neal enjoys spending time with the revolving hoard of rescued Labrador Retrievers he and his partner have adopted.

Paula Cooper, PhD, ABN

Dr. Cooper specializes in both clinical psychology and neuropsychology and has been participating in clinical research as a rater for over 4 years. She has almost 24 years of clinical experience and has worked in memory care for more than 17 years. She is board certified through the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology.

Dr. Cooper received her PhD from the California School of Professional Psychology and has worked with a variety of adult and pediatric patient populations in hospital and outpatient settings providing cognitive assessments, neuropsychological evaluations, psychoeducational assessments, and psychotherapy.

Dr. Cooper has served as President for the Lower West Coast chapter of the Florida Psychological Association, Member-at-Large for the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology (two terms), and Chair Committee Woman for the Academy of the American Board of Professional Neuropsychology.

Dr. Cooper is active in the community and has volunteered with the American Red Cross after natural disasters. She also ran a support group for CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) for 6 years prior to having her own children. She now spends time volunteering at their school.