Our Team

Meet the physicians leading our trials.

Meet the principal investigators and sub-investigators who lead our trials. Each brings decades of clinical expertise and a commitment to participant safety.

Our Investigators

Experienced physicians, dedicated to your safety

Ophthalmology

Jaafar Fadl El-Annan, M.D.

Principal Investigator

M.D.

Board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained vitreoretinal surgeon with extensive experience in medical and surgical retina, academic ophthalmology, translational research, and clinical investigation. President of Annan Retina Eye Center and Clinical Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, and MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Medical & Surgical Retina
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Diabetic Retinopathy & Diabetic Macular Edema
Vitreoretinal Surgery

Cardiology

Alexander Butkevich

Principal Investigator

Dr. Alexander Butkevich is a board-certified cardiologist specializing in cardiovascular disease and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. He brings nearly two decades of private-practice experience in general cardiology, cardiac transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and the management of complex cardiovascular conditions. His research experience spans Phase II and Phase III studies involving heart failure, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy.

Advanced Heart Failure
Transplant Cardiology
Coronary Artery Disease
Atrial Fibrillation

Psychiatry

Wafaa Farag

Principal Investigator

Dr. Wafaa Farag is a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 25 years of experience treating children, adolescents, and adults in outpatient, inpatient, and emergency settings. Her clinical research experience includes Phase II and Phase III studies in major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, ADHD, and insomnia. At Prime Research Institute, she provides medical oversight, ensures protocol adherence, and supports the safe and ethical participation of research subjects.

Major Depressive Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
PTSD
Anxiety Disorders

Family Medicine and Pediatrics

Indira Maharaj-Mikiel

Principal Investigator

Dr. Indira Maharaj-Mikiel is a board-certified family medicine physician and obesity medicine diplomate with extensive experience across primary care, urgent care, inpatient medicine, preventive health, and metabolic care. As a Principal Investigator, she provides medical oversight, participant-safety review, protocol supervision, and recruitment support for Phase II and Phase III clinical trials, including studies involving adult and pediatric populations. Her clinical breadth and research background support studies across family medicine, immunization, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular health, and preventive care.

Family Medicine
Obesity Medicine
Pediatrics
Preventive Care

Vitreoretinal Surgery

Larry Michael Puthenparambil

Principal Investigator

Dr. Larry Michael Puthenparambil is a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained vitreoretinal surgeon with expertise in age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinal disease, retinal vascular disorders, macular conditions, retinal detachment, and complex posterior-segment surgery. He serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch and brings research experience as a Sub-Investigator, along with peer-reviewed publications and presentations in vitreoretinal disease. His clinical and research background strongly supports Phase II and Phase III interventional retina studies and ophthalmic surgical research.

Macular Degeneration
Diabetic Retinopathy
Retinal Detachment
Vitreoretinal Surgery

Family Nurse Practitioner

Saji Joseph

Sub-Investigator

MSN, APRN, NP-C

Saji Joseph is a Family Nurse Practitioner with clinical experience spanning urgent care, pediatric critical care, adult medical and surgical care, oncology, and primary care across the lifespan. Her practice includes patient assessment and diagnosis, prescribing, laboratory and diagnostic ordering, chronic-disease management, wound care, women's health, and care of newborn through geriatric populations. As a Sub-Investigator at Prime Research Institute, she supports delegated clinical assessments, eligibility evaluation, participant-safety review, and protocol-required procedures, with research experience that includes Phase III pediatric vaccine and severe asthma studies.

Urgent Care
Pediatric Critical Care
Primary Care
Chronic Disease Management

Family and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Joy Yango

Sub-Investigator

Joy Yango is a certified Family and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with experience across primary care, outpatient psychiatry, urgent care, chronic-disease management, palliative care, and critical care. She provides care across the lifespan and has extensive experience managing both medical and behavioral-health conditions. As a Sub-Investigator at Prime Research Institute, she supports delegated medical assessments, eligibility evaluation, medication review, participant-safety monitoring, and adverse-event follow-up. Her research experience includes studies in major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, type 2 diabetes and weight management, adolescent obesity, and pediatric ADHD.

Primary Care
Outpatient Psychiatry
Palliative Care
Critical Care

Clinical Operations and Site Management

Bolu Aina

Site Director

MA, BSc, PMP

Bolu Aina is a clinical research and operations professional with 15 years of experience across sponsors, CROs, biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical organizations, and investigative sites. She has completed more than 700 independent clinical trial site visits across Phase I through Phase IV studies and brings extensive experience in site start-up, monitoring, regulatory compliance, participant safety, data quality, audit readiness, and study close-out. As Site Director, she oversees PRI's day-to-day research operations and serves as a responsive operational partner to sponsors, CROs, investigators, IRBs, laboratories, and study vendors.

Site Start-up
Regulatory Compliance
Audit Readiness
Data Quality