Clinical Experience: 18 years, Preferred Phases 2, 3, 4

Specialties: Anti-Aging Therapy, Behavioral Medicine, Dermatology, Endocrine & Metabolism, Family Practice, Gastroenterology, Geriatric Medicine, Gynecology, Healthy Populations, Hypertension, Immunology, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Nutrition, Psychiatry, Rheumatology, Sleep Medicine, and Women's Health

Therapeutic Areas:

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Migraine Headaches
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Mood Disorders
• Menopause
• Hyperlipidemia
• Sexual Disorders
• Contraception
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Osteoporosis
• Pain Syndromes
• Anxiety Disorders
• Hypertension
• Nutrition
• Sleep Disorders
• Smoking Cessation
• Acne
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Memory Impairment (Age Associated)
• Peripheral Vascular Disease
• Rosacea
• Weight Loss
• Endometriosis
• Common Cold
• Multiple Sclerosis

Site facilities include:

• centrifuge
• scale in pounds and kilograms
• stadiometer
• -70° freezer
• refrigerator
• Three exam rooms with gynecologic examination capabilities
• EKG machines
• Large double-locked medication room with 24 hour temperature recording
• Three independent monitoring offices with high speed internet access
• Quiet testing rooms for cognitive evaluations
• Regulatory office
• Large medical records storage on site
• Kitchen for food preparation
• Multiple waiting areas for subjects
• Ample parking
• Easy access on major North South thoroughfare in Pinellas County, accessible to bus lines

Chief Principal Investigator/Medical Director: Mildred V. Farmer MD
Mildred Farmer, MD is board certified in Internal Medicine. She has over 17 years of clinical trial experience and has been the principal investigator for over 500 trials across multiple therapeutic areas. Dr. Farmer works in both the St Petersburg and Brooksville sites Dr. Mildred Farmer has been a principal investigator since 1990. She has particular expertise in cognitive impairment from Age-associated Memory Impairment to Severe Dementia. Board certified in Internal Medicine, fellowship trained in Geriatrics, she has extensive experience in memory, mood disorders, women's health, migraine, smoking cessation, nutrition, geriatrics, and metabolic studies including lipid disorders, diabetes, and hypertension. Dr. Farmer has been audited by the FDA 5 times over the past 14 years for high enrollment in pivotal trials.

Principal Investigators:

Cynthia Huffman MD-board certified in Neurology (Tampa)
During her three years with Meridien Research, Dr. Cynthia Huffman has been a principal investigator and sub-investigator for over 75 clinical trials. Although, Dr. Huffman specializes in CNS trials, her broad range of investigation includes studies in dermatology, gynecology, internal medicine, rheumatology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and recently multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Huffman received her B.S. from Ohio State University and her M.D. from Wright State University. She did her four-year residency at the Texas Medical Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Dr. Huffman is board-certified by the American College of Psychiatry and Neurology.

In addition to the above, Dr. Huffman's medical experience includes thirteen years in private practice serving out-patients, and hospital and rehabilitation patients. Dr. Huffman has been the director of a National Multiple Sclerosis Society sponsored clinic and has worked for the University of South Florida in medical student education.

Gigi C. Lefebvre, MD' board certified in Family Practice (St. Petersburg and Brooksville)
Gigi C. Lefebvre, MD is a board certified Family Physician who has been in private practice in St. Petersburg since 1990. After graduating from Louisiana State University in New Orleans in 1987, she came to St. Petersburg to complete her Family Practice residency training at Bay Front Medical Center. She enjoys all aspects of medicine in both the out-patient setting of her private practice as well as the clinical research arena. Dr. Lefebvre has been conducting trials in multi-therapeutic areas with Meridien Research since January of 2006.

Lou Chaykin, MD- Board certified in Endocrinology (Bradenton)
Dr. Chaykin has joined the Meridien team as PI of our new Bradenton site. He retired from his private practice in Miami in December 2007. He has over 15 years in pharmaceutical research and is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Medicine. His areas of expertise are in diabetes, lipids, metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis. He is involved with chairing and developing programs for CME and CEUfor Physicians, Nurses, P.A.s, Dieticians, and Pharmacists in Diabetes and related topics. Dr. Chaykin is also a national speaker for Eli Lilly on the topic of relationship of atypical anti-psychotics as they relate to risk of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular events in the treatment of schizophrenia and bi-polar disorders.

Meridien Research has a large staff of experienced CCRC certified coordinators and laboratory personnel. We have a staff dietician. Personnel are experienced in ADAS, Ham A, Ham D, MINI, CIBIC, CDR, MMSE, ADL scales, and computerized memory testing.

Cathy Collins, RN, MSN, has extensive experience in the management of clinical trial sites as director of operations for Clinical Studies, LTD, and Protocare Inc. She is the primary site contact for site negotiations, budgets and contracts.

Ann Gove (St. Pete), Linda Fucheck (Tampa) , Dawn Welshans (Brooksville) and Barbara Padilla (Bradenton) are Site Operations Managers with clinical research experience ranging from regulatory to psychometric testing. They are responsible for the day to day operations of their sites. and are the contact person for new study inquires. They work directly with their Principal Investigators to ensure that all trials are conducted with the highest level of quality.

The Tampa Bay area comprises a unique demographic of a large geriatric population combined with explosive growth in the population segment 35-55. Meridien Research capitalizes on the demographics of the region by strategically placing sites to capture the appropriate demographic.

Meridien Research has extensive experience in the following information technology systems:

• eCRF - EDC
• PhaseForward
• INet
• Impala
• InForm
• IVRS
• Sponsor Specific programs

If you are interested in contacting this center to discuss placing a clinical trial there, please complete and send the e-mail form below. A representative from the research center will then follow up with you.