Scientific Advisory Experts

SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY Experts

The FHI Clinical team of Scientific Advisory Experts serves as consultants to support our global programs and operations. Together, we will promote best practices, lessons learned and thought leadership as we advance local solutions and conduct rigorous research.

Our approach rests on the belief that alliances should be mutually beneficial, focus on community needs and spur innovation. Working together, we are able to deliver more sustainable and equitable solutions and amplify our impact.

Current team members

Anne Blanchard, CCRA, CPM, FACRP

Robert W. Frenck, MD

Kevin Hurley, BA, MS

Kelly McKee, MD, MPH

Syed Hasan Raza Naqvi, MBBS, MPH

Falgunee K. Parekh, MPH, PhD

John Schieffelin, MD, MSPH

Stephen Thomas, MS, PhD

Gayani Tillekeratne, MD, MSc

Lucas Tina, MBChB, MSc

Stacey Wooden, PhD, MPH

Christopher T. Woods, MD, MPH, FIDSA

Jon "Ben" Woods, MD

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Anne Blanchard, CCRA, CPM, FACRP

Anne Blanchard is a Clinical Research Executive Consultant in Latin America. Previously, she was CEO and involved in quality assurance for more than 10 years (11/2008 to 12/2019) at a regional contract research organization (CRO), leading numerous projects in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Bolivia and Colombia. She began her career in clinical research in 1997, when she worked for a multinational CRO in Argentina. Since then, Anne has been involved in clinical monitoring and management for both the biopharmaceutical and medical device industry and academic-based research. As part of her experience, she managed clinical trial implementation for parasitic (Chagas, hookworm, leishmaniasis) and viral (Zika, hepatitis C, HIV, RSV, and several types of influenza) diseases.

Anne is internationally ICH-certified by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) as a clinical research associate (CRA) since 2004 and as a clinical project manager since 2020 and was an Item Writer for the CCRA exam for 4 years. Anne was also part of the editorial group of the Barnett International “GCP Question and Answer Guide” (Section for Latin America) between 2012 and 2019. Anne has authored several articles in publications such as The Monitor and GCP Journal, presented at several international conferences and hosted webinars and in-person trainings related to the implementation of clinical research studies, regulations and oversight for compliance in Latin America. In 2015, she won the Outstanding Leadership in Clinical Research as a CRA Award by ACRP and is now completing her third term as elected member of the Board of Trustees within the organization. Anne has also participated in the writing of local clinical research regulations in Argentina and coordinated the writing of National Plans to support overall clinical research activity.

Since 2005, Anne is the President and Executive Director of Fundacion Dra. Cecilia Grierson, a regional non-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting academic and investigator-initiated research focused mainly in infectious diseases, community awareness about clinical research participation and education about the life of Cecilia Grierson, Anne’s great-aunt and the first woman to become a physician in Argentina in 1889.

Anne studied Biology at the University of Buenos Aires and completed her postgraduate in Monitoring of Clinical Trials and Clinical Research in the AMA (Argentine Medical Association) in 2001.

Syed Hasan Raza Naqvi, MBBS, MPH

Dr. Syed Hasan Raza Naqvi has a Master’s degree in Public Health as well as extensive experience implementing and managing projects funded by UNICEF, UK Department for International Development (DFID), World Bank and USAID, whereby he successfully led multidisciplinary teams of programs in Pakistan encompassing clinical service delivery, prevention activities with a focus on behavior change interventions, and improved and integrated clinical services with a focus on increased access to publicly and privately provided services.

He started his career as a clinical doctor in Pakistan and England. During his initial career, he was registered with the General Medical Council in the United Kingdom and worked in Essex, England with the National Health Service.

As a public health and development specialist, he is well-versed with health programs including project design, management, monitoring and evaluation; strategic information management and planning; logical framework analysis; organizational development; and research, training and facilitation for both international and local governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). He has provided managerial and technical expertise in the fields of sexual and reproductive health (including all aspects of HIV/AIDS/sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment, prevention and care); the health sector including tuberculosis for various organizations such as community-based organizations, NGOs and international NGOs.

Hasan has cutting-edge experience from two decades in the field of health programs management. Prior to joining USAID, Hasan worked as Country Director in the Pakistan country office with a US-based organization (FHI 360); Project Manager of a Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) funded health project; National Project Manager of a World Bank-funded project related to delivery of a package of primary health care and STI management, voluntary counseling and testing, and behavior change communication (BCC); Senior Director with Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP); and full member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), implementing various programs related to maternal-child health (MCH), sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and family planning.

Hasan also has expertise, as a team member and leader, in overall design and implementation of qualitative and quantitative research; baseline, midterm and end evaluations; and behavioral surveillance surveys funded by the World Bank, USAID, DFID, JTF, Groupe Development (GD) and the Pakistan Medical and Research Council. His diverse research experience spans from research on commercial sexual exploitation of children to a multicenter National Study of Reproductive Tract Infections funded by the DFID.

Over the years, owing to his various assignments, he has had opportunities to be trained both locally and overseas in the fields of program monitoring and evaluation, quality assurance and improvement, delivery of quality health/clinical services, development and implementation of targeted BCC strategies and interventions, integration of BCC activities with other program activities, development of BCC materials including documentaries, development of standard operating procedures, and clinical operational guidelines (COGS) for health service delivery. Hasan has experience writing subagreements for grants funded by USAID adhering to the Mandatory Standard Provisions for Non-US and non-governmental recipients As a team leader for health-related projects, he provided guidance and strategic direction to multidisciplinary teams; has been implementing, managing and actively involved in preparation of implementation plans, annual work plans, budgets and monitoring systems; and has maintained contacts and liaised with private and public sector stakeholders and partners at provincial and national levels.

Stephen Thomas, MS, PhD

Dr. Stephen B. Thomas is a tenured Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the School of Public Health and Director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity (MCHE) at the University of Maryland in College Park. Prior to joining the faculty in 2010, he served as the Director of the Center for Minority Health in the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh from 2000-2009.

He is a highly experienced principal investigator (PI), having served as PI of multiple five-year NIH-NIMHD P60 grants titled “Excellence in Partnership through Community Outreach, Research on Health Disparities and Training (EXPORT)” (5P60 MD000207; 2002-2007) and the Research Center of Excellence in Minority Health Disparities (7 P60 MD000207, 2007-2012). With Dr. Quinn, Dr. Thomas was the joint PI of the Center of Excellence in Race, Ethnicity and Health Disparities Research (P20 MD006737, 2012-2017, NIMHD). He also served as PI (along with Dr. Quinn) on a prestigious Grand Opportunity (“GO”) grant sponsored by the Office of the Director, NIH, NIMHD, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) titled “Bioethics Research Infrastructure Initiative: Building Trust between Minorities and Researchers” (7RC2MD004766).

Over the decades, he has developed a significant network of relationships and leadership roles across multiple health disparity-influencing sectors including academic researchers; healthcare providers and service organizations; community leaders; national foundations; and local, state, and federal policymakers. He has specific expertise in the development, implementation and evaluation of community-engaged minority health and health disparity interventions. He also has extensive experience in overcoming barriers associated with the legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972) and conducting scientifically sound and culturally tailored community-based interventions designed to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities to achieve health equity. He believes in team science and building trust with minority communities by first addressing their unmet health needs. Once trust is established, opportunities to conduct research can flourish.

He serves on the Board of Directors for Doctors Community Hospital in Prince George’s County and is a founding member of the leadership team for the Totally Linking Care Coalition composed of five hospital systems. Nationally, he serves on the Institutional Review Board of the All of US research initiative, a major NIH longitudinal study seeking to enroll one million Americans. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Health Equity Research Initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.