OUR TEAM
The physicians behind the science
Board-certified specialists with decades of experience, committed to advancing care through precision trials.
Alan B. Ettinger, M.D., MBA, FAES, FAAN
Epilepsy | Clinical Neurophysiology | EEG | Neuropsychiatry
Alan B. Ettinger, MD, MBA, FAAN, FAES is a nationally-known epilepsy specialist devoted to helping individuals with seizures and related disorders. He is a former Professor in the Department of Clinical Neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He has performed major research related to advancing the quality of life of persons grappling with epilepsy including numerous antiseizure medication trials. Previously, he has served in leadership academic positions including Director of the Stony Brook University Adult Epilepsy Program and following that Director of the Northwell (previously termed LIJ) Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
Dr. Ettinger has directed national and regional epilepsy symposia. He has published widely in peer-review journals on depression, psychotropic properties of antiepileptic drugs, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, and has edited journal supplements and six textbooks. Among them is book for the
lay public entitled “The Essential Patient Handbook: Getting the Health Care You Need – From Doctors Who Know” (Ettinger AB, Weisbrot DM. Demos), a guide for teaching patients to advocate for their needs when meeting with the physician.
Dr. Ettinger has been on the editorial board of several epilepsy journals, has served on national committees of the American Academy of Neurology, American Epilepsy Society, the national Epilepsy Foundation, and the International League Against Epilepsy, and was for many years the moderator at the psychiatric interest special interest group sessions at the annual American Epilepsy Society meetings.
Dr. Ettinger is president of the EPIC- Long Island Epilepsy Foundation Professional Advisory Board and was a member of the national Professional Advisory Board and the Executive Board of Directors of the Epilepsy Foundation of America. He was the recipient of the Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island’s 2004 Professional Achievement Award and the co-recipient of the March of Dimes Long Island Chapter’s humanitarian award in October 2004. In preceding years, he has often been cited in best doctors guides including Castle and Connelly, New York Magazine, Newsday and New York Time’s featured Superdoctors. Dr. Ettinger was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma Society, the honor society for achievement in Master of Business Administration studies.
Dr. Ettinger provides education to physicians, by delivering grand rounds presentations at major medical centers, as a consultant in epilepsy, and as the lead author of textbooks commonly utilized by healthcare practitioners including “Neurologic Differential Diagnosis (Cambridge University Press 2014) and “Synopsis of Neurology, Psychiatry and Related Systemic Disorders” (Cambridge University Press 2019). He is currently conducting studies examining the potential benefits of music for epilepsy.
Dr. Ettinger is also the sax player and health educator for the Synaptic Groove Band, which provides lecture/concerts for the lay public, and gets everyone up dancing while teaching about the health benefits of music.
Ellen Yi,
PharmD, MBA
Clinical Pharmacist | Regulatory & Operations Specialist
Dr. Ellen Yi is a licensed pharmacist and healthcare operations professional with multidisciplinary experience spanning clinical pharmacy, regulatory affairs, pharmaceutical analytics, and healthcare systems management. Her background includes leadership roles within hospital enterprise pharmacy operations, independent and compounding pharmacy practice, and large-scale centralized pharmacy distribution models, providing her with a broad understanding of both patient-centered care and complex operational infrastructures.
Dr. Yi has contributed to regulatory and clinical development initiatives within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, including support for Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) activities related to oncology therapeutic development and FDA submission readiness. Her experience includes management of eCTD documentation systems, regulatory compliance tracking, audit preparation, and coordination of cross-functional documentation workflows involving stability reports, batch records, deviations, change controls, and packaging documentation.
In her current and prior pharmacy leadership roles, Dr. Yi has collaborated closely with healthcare providers, operational teams, and reimbursement specialists to optimize therapy coordination, medication access, and continuity of care. She has extensive experience supporting high-volume pharmacy environments while maintaining rigorous standards for medication safety, workflow efficiency, and regulatory compliance. Her operational background also includes enterprise-level pharmaceutical analytics and healthcare systems optimization across multiple hospital campuses.
At New York Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Yi participated in large-scale operational and financial initiatives involving pharmaceutical inventory management, billing analytics, workflow reconciliation, and executive-level reporting. Her work contributed to significant reductions in vendor reconciliation deficits following system-wide EPIC implementation and supported data-driven decision-making related to pharmaceutical utilization, budget variance analysis, and operational efficiency.
Dr. Yi holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from St. John’s University and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management from Capella University. She has also completed regulatory affairs training through Duke University and maintains advanced certification in 340B operations through APEXUS. Her additional certifications include FDA Regulatory Education for Industry (REdI), GLP/GCP/GMP training, and REMS program certification.
With a foundation that integrates clinical pharmacy practice, regulatory science, healthcare administration, and operational strategy, Dr. Yi brings a scientifically rigorous and systems-oriented approach to healthcare collaboration, pharmaceutical operations, and clinical research support.
Arthur C. Hertling,
MD, FASA, MBA
nesthesiology | Regional Anesthesia | Perioperative Medicine | Clinical Trials
Dr. Arthur Hertling is a board-certified anesthesiologist and Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (FASA) with dual board certification in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine — recertified in both in 2022 and 2023 respectively. He holds an MBA with a 3.8 GPA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, reflecting a command of healthcare management and operational strategy that is rare among physician-researchers of his caliber.
Born and trained in Paris, Dr. Hertling completed his medical education at the Faculté de Médecine Broussais – Hôtel Dieu (Université Pierre et Marie Curie) and earned dual board certification in both Orthopedic Surgery in France and Anesthesiology in the United States — a combination that gives him an exceptionally broad surgical and physiologic foundation. He completed a research fellowship in Plastic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis under Dr. Susan Mackinnon, one of the world's foremost peripheral nerve surgeons, and a Critical Care fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
Over a career spanning more than two decades at the highest levels of American academic medicine, Dr. Hertling has held full professorships and leadership roles at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Montefiore Medical Center. At NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, he served as Director of Ambulatory Surgery and Director of the Regional Anesthesia Fellowship, training the next generation of specialist anesthesiologists. At Montefiore, he most recently served as Site Director for Anesthesia Services for the Moses Campus — one of the largest and most complex anesthesia programs in the New York metropolitan area.
Dr. Hertling has authored or co-authored over 45 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals including Anesthesiology, the European Journal of Anaesthesiology, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the British Journal of Anaesthesia Education, and Arthroscopy. His research spans randomized controlled trials in regional anesthesia, postoperative analgesia, spinal anesthesia, ketamine infusion for opioid-tolerant patients, and perioperative outcomes in orthopedic surgery. He has co-edited The Anesthesia Guide (McGraw-Hill), contributed to Hadzic's Textbook of Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management, Insall & Scott Surgery of the Knee, and the Manual of Clinical Anesthesiology (Wolters Kluwer). A textbook on Regional Anaesthesia: From Anatomy to Clinical Practice is currently in press with Cambridge University Press.
As a clinical trialist, Dr. Hertling has served as principal investigator and co-investigator on multiple IRB-approved randomized controlled trials examining nerve block techniques, local anesthetic pharmacology, opioid-sparing strategies, and ambulatory surgery outcomes. He has presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting, the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia Congress, the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, and major international symposia across five continents — including Japan, Singapore, Israel, China, Iran, and throughout Europe.
He has served on the editorial boards of Analgesia and Resuscitation: Current Research and Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and as a peer reviewer for Anesthesia & Analgesia, Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, and Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica. He has been recognized with the Finster Attending Teacher of the Year Award at Columbia University and the Anesthesiology Excellence Award in Education at Montefiore.
Dr. Hertling speaks English, French, Spanish, and German fluently, enabling him to engage with patients and research teams across diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds — a significant advantage for multi-site and international sponsor trials.
For sponsors, Dr. Hertling represents the full package: a decorated academic investigator with deep RCT design expertise, decades of protocol execution at high-volume quaternary care centers, a track record of publication in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, and the business acumen of an MBA. His experience spans drug trials, device studies, and procedural interventions — and his network spans the most respected anesthesia and surgical programs in the United States and Europe.
Natasa Dragicevic, M.D., Ph.D., MBA
Behavioral Neurology | TBI & CTE | Alzheimer's Disease | AI Biomarkers
Dr. Dragicevic brings a truly uncommon combination to CNS Veritas: a PhD in neurobiology and neuropharmacology from one of Europe's leading research institutes, subspecialty board certification in Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry from Columbia University, and an MBA in healthcare management and AI utilization — earned with honors. That convergence of deep science, clinical expertise, and operational leadership makes her one of the most uniquely qualified behavioral neurologists in the country.
Her clinical focus centers on traumatic brain injury, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, concussion, and Alzheimer's disease — conditions she has studied and treated across veteran populations, elite athletes, and complex academic medical center patients. She has managed major sponsor-led Alzheimer's trials including Lecanemab and Aduhelm, led a targeted Eli Lilly study in patients with genetically confirmed Alzheimer's dementia, and conducted groundbreaking EEG research on micro-concussion injuries and cognitive decline in athletes. Currently, as Director of Behavioral Neurology and TBI/CTE Specialist at the North California VA, she is pioneering AI-based biomarker research for early TBI and CTE diagnosis in veteran populations. She has published extensively in top-tier journals including the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Neuropharmacology, and the Journal of Neuroscience. For sponsors running cutting-edge neurodiagnostic or Alzheimer's trials, Dr. Dragicevic is a rare find — a clinician-scientist who speaks the language of the bench, the bedside, and the boardroom.
Leonardo Vando,
M.D.
Psychiatry | Addiction Medicine | Ketamine Therapy | Clinical Trials
Dr. Vando is one of the most prolific and entrepreneurially minded psychiatrists in the country — board-certified in both Psychiatry/Neurology and Addiction Psychiatry, and the architect of clinical systems that have served tens of thousands of patients across multiple states. As Medical Director of Mindbloom, he oversees a network of over 100 psychiatric clinicians in 37 states who have completed more than 750,000 ketamine treatment sessions for depression and anxiety — and co-authored the two largest clinical trials on ketamine for mood disorders ever published, in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
His clinical range is exceptional: from treating opioid use disorder with buprenorphine and suboxone in harm reduction settings, to consulting for MLB on substance use and ADHD programs, to directing Medicaid behavioral health services as Medical Director at Optum Maryland/Utah. He currently operates an active clinical trial enrollment site in New York City and is serving as principal investigator on multiple actively enrolling studies. For sponsors, Dr. Vando offers something rare — a physician who is simultaneously a proven PI, a high-volume clinical operator, and a published researcher with direct experience scaling trial enrollment. For patients, he is a psychiatrist with a demonstrated, career-long commitment to reaching underserved communities with compassionate, evidence-based care.
Susan De Santi,
Ph.D.
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE | NEUROIMAGING | BIOMARKERS | CNS RESEARCH
Dr. De Santi is an internationally recognized Alzheimer’s disease expert whose career has spanned academia, pharmaceutical development, molecular imaging, and global medical affairs leadership. Her work has helped shape modern approaches to early Alzheimer’s detection, biomarker integration, amyloid and tau imaging, and the development of next-generation therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disease.
She has held senior executive leadership roles at Eisai, Life Molecular Imaging, GE Healthcare, and Bayer Healthcare, where she led global medical affairs initiatives, imaging biomarker programs, and clinical development strategies supporting Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics and emerging disease-modifying therapies. At Eisai, she directed worldwide stakeholder engagement and educational platforms surrounding first-in-class Alzheimer’s immunotherapies, helping prepare clinicians and healthcare systems for the integration of biomarker-driven treatment pathways.
Prior to her industry leadership, Dr. De Santi spent nearly two decades at NYU School of Medicine conducting pioneering neuroimaging and neurocognitive research in aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease. Her academic work contributed to foundational advances in PET and MRI biomarker research, hippocampal imaging, and preclinical Alzheimer’s detection. She has authored or co-authored an extensive body of peer-reviewed publications in leading journals including Nature Aging, Neurology, Neurobiology of Aging, and Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
For sponsors, Dr. De Santi brings a rare combination of scientific depth, operational experience, and strategic insight across the evolving landscape of Alzheimer’s disease and CNS clinical research. Her expertise in neuroimaging, biomarker integration, and translational neuroscience makes her an invaluable leader for trials focused on neurodegeneration, cognitive decline, and precision medicine approaches in neurology.
Kim Busichio,
Ph. D.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY | COGNITIVE REHABILITATION | TBI
With over two decades of specialized clinical practice, Dr. Busichio is one of the most experienced neuropsychologists working in the field of acquired and developmental cognitive disorders. Her expertise spans the full spectrum — from stroke, dementia, and traumatic brain injury to ADHD and other developmental conditions — and she applies that breadth to build individualized, comprehensive treatment strategies focused on enhancing each patient's functional capacity in real life.
What patients feel immediately in Dr. Busichio's care is that they are being truly seen and understood. She works with adults and children alike, conducting thorough cognitive evaluations and translating complex neurological findings into clear, actionable plans. Beyond clinical care, she is recognized as an authoritative voice in forensic neuropsychology, providing expert testimony when legal clarity is needed around cognitive function and brain injury. For sponsors, her depth in TBI and post-concussion syndrome research, validated diagnostic methodology, and long track record of patient assessment make her an invaluable asset in any CNS trial requiring rigorous cognitive endpoints.
John Casas,
M.D.
PSYCHIATRY | MILITARY & VETERAN MENTAL HEALTH
Dr. Casas is a board-certified psychiatrist who has spent his entire career at the most demanding frontier of mental health care — treating combat veterans with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. A proud U.S. Army veteran himself, he served a full decade on active duty before transitioning to the Veterans Health Administration, where he rose to Chief Psychiatrist of a nationally recognized inpatient PTSD treatment program.
That dual identity — clinician and veteran — gives Dr. Casas an empathy and credibility with patients that is simply impossible to replicate. He knows firsthand what it means to carry invisible wounds, and that understanding shapes every patient interaction. For sponsors, his 20+ years of psychiatric leadership, deep psychopharmacology expertise, and proven experience managing complex inpatient populations translate directly into rigorous protocol execution and reliable enrollment in psychiatric and CNS trials. He is also a dedicated medical educator, having trained physicians, residents, and physician assistants in comprehensive psychiatric care throughout his career.
Board-Certified Neuro-Optometrist | Fellow, College of Optometrists in Vision Development
Anne Reuter, OD, FCOVD
Dr. Anne Reuter, a professor at MCPHS University, specializes in Neuro-Optometry, Binocular Vision, and Neurological Rehabilitation. She holds a board certification in Neuro-Developmental Optometry and Vision Therapy. Dr. Reuter has been involved in the athletic world for most of her life as a competitive soccer player, and understands the requirements for success in sports. During her senior year at the University of Wisconsin, she underwent a visual training program that significantly improved her visual function, leading to enhanced performance both in the classroom and on the field. This personal experience inspired her to become an optometrist, so that she could provide others with the same benefits she received. Throughout her career, Dr. Reuter has worked with athletes of all ages and skill levels, with a particular emphasis on helping amateur athletes reach an elite level and continuing to enhance the visual abilities of professional athletes.
After completing her optometric training at the SUNY College of Optometry in 2008, Dr. Reuter began her career at the Brooklyn VA system and later joined the Lenox Hill Community Medical Group in New York City, where she gained advanced clinical expertise in the diagnosis and management of ocular diseases. She then went on to establish and oversee the binocular vision department at The Brown Center in Providence, Rhode Island, focusing on pediatric care, functional vision performance, and neuro-rehabilitation.
Dr. Reuter has contributed significantly to the field of Ocular Disease and Vision Rehabilitation, with several publications to her credit. She is actively involved in research as an investigator for the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigators Group (PEDI).
Dr. Reuter and her team were selected to lead the Massachusetts school screening initiative and implemented reformed screening protocols, which earned her a scholarship award in the field. She has also presented at continuing education events for healthcare providers and educators, delivering multiple approved courses in the field. Furthermore, Dr. Reuter is committed to providing optometric services and eye care to at-risk women and children through various charitable organizations. She has also participated in outreach programs in the Bronx, demonstrating her dedication to serving underprivileged communities.
Mehrdad Golzad,
M.D.
NEUROLOGY | BRAIN INJURY | ELECTRODIAGNOSTICS
Dr. Golzad is a board-certified specialist in Neurology, Brain Injury Medicine, and Electrodiagnostic Medicine — a rare triple certification that positions him at the intersection of clinical care and cutting-edge neurological research. His expertise spans neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, quantitative EEG, neurofeedback, and TBI-related balance disorders, giving him an unusually broad lens through which to evaluate and treat complex neurological conditions.
What sets Dr. Golzad apart is his commitment to pushing the boundaries of what recovery looks like. He is actively involved in the administration of parenteral Ketamine — under pharmaco-EEG monitoring — combined with music therapy and psychotherapy in TBI survivors with neuropsychiatric complications. He has published on neurotoxicology, neuropsychological testing, and motor neuropathies, and believes deeply in the aggressive multi-modal treatment of TBI survivors to leverage neuroplasticity and achieve outcomes others consider out of reach. For sponsors, his technical depth and protocol literacy make him a principal investigator who understands the science as thoroughly as the process.
Marco Pappagallo,
M.D.
NEUROLOGY | PAIN MEDICINE | CNS RESEARCH
Few physicians in the country bring the breadth of experience that Dr. Pappagallo carries into every clinical encounter and research protocol. Trained in neurology and pain medicine at Johns Hopkins University — where he later served as faculty progressing from Clinical Instructor to Assistant Professor — he has held full professorships at NYU School of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he served as Director of Pain Research.
Dr. Pappagallo has directed landmark chronic pain programs at Johns Hopkins and Beth Israel Medical Center, and has led NIH-funded trials in neuropathic pain, migraine, and spinal disorders. He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications and the textbook The Neurological Basis of Pain, and holds numerous U.S. and international patents. His career has extended deep into the biotech world — serving as Chief Medical Officer for NovaPharm Therapeutics, CerSci Therapeutics, and Relmada Therapeutics, where he contributed to the development of esmethadone (REL-1017) for depression and neural plasticity modulation. He is recognized among the Best Doctors in America®. For sponsors, Dr. Pappagallo represents the gold standard of a principal investigator: academically rigorous, operationally experienced, and scientifically prolific. For patients, he is a physician whose life's work has been devoted to understanding and relieving pain.
Alexandra Saintil,
MSN, FNP-BC
Family nurse practitioner
Alexandra Saintil, MSN, FNP-BC, is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner dedicated to delivering compassionate, evidence-based care across diverse patient populations. She earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner) from Molloy University and is fluent in both English and Haitian Creole.
With extensive experience in neurological and critical care at Montefiore Medical Center, Alexandra has cared for patients with stroke, traumatic brain injuries, epilepsy, and other complex neurological conditions. Her clinical background also includes emergency response, comprehensive patient assessments, chronic disease management, and preventive care. She is committed to providing personalized, high-quality care while ensuring every patient feels heard, informed, and supported throughout their treatment journey.