Our research and services are built on a firm foundation of academic excellence and a vast therapeutic experience. We translate those intellectual assets into innovation in medicine and success for our clients.
Our leaders have individually and collectively made academic contributions to clinical, biostatistical, and translational research that drive the evolution of clinical trial design and the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. We are tackling the most difficult unmet research and medical needs and providing solutions to improve human health. Client access to and collaboration with these academic experts differentiates Alimentiv from traditional Contract Research Organizations.
Collaboration expands our clinical and therapeutic expertise and our ability to address unmet medical needs. Our academic partners are internationally recognized experts in target indications, outcomes research, and disease assessment. Their contributions are fundamental to designing and conducting efficient trials and improving patient outcomes.
Executive
Scientific Advisors
Collaborators
MD, FRCPCGastroenterologist
MD, PhD, AGAFScientific Advisor
MD, MS Gastroenterologist
Chief Executive Officer
Pierre joined Alimentiv as Chief Executive Officer in January 2024, he is responsible for Alimentiv’s strategic direction, financial prosperity, and operational excellence.
Pierre is a Biopharmaceutical executive and thought leader in the healthcare industry, with more than 25 years of executive experience in managing multi-billion dollar businesses in the Asia Pacific Region, China, Japan, Europe and Canada.
Pierre led diverse commercial organizations, and go-to-market model transformations, as well as developing in-depth knowledge about multiple healthcare systems and archetypes across the globe. He has a proven track of transforming organizations to achieve significant growth and has a real passion for diversity & inclusion and leadership development.
Before joining Alimentiv, Pierre’s most recent position was President of Asia Region and China at Pfizer Biopharmaceutical Group.
Pierre holds a Science degree in Molecular Biology from Laval University in Canada. He is married and has four daughters.
Chief Medical Officer
Vipul Jairath, MBChB, DPhil, MRCP, FRCPC, oversees the global Medical R&D initiatives and services. In conjunction with the executive team and senior medical advisors, he assumes overall responsibility for research strategy, as well as performance of the organization’s Medical R&D services including medical operations, medical imaging, precision medicine, medical writing, medical monitoring, medical/biostatics advisory collaborations and IBD fellowships. He also provides medical oversight for the design of clinical trials, protocol development and imaging R&D endpoints. Vipul was previously VP Medical Research & Development (2019-2021) and Director of Academic Research and Development (2016-19).
Background
Dr. Jairath obtained his BSc (Pharmacology) and Medical Degree from the University of Leeds (UK), DPhil (PhD) in Clinical Medicine from the University of Oxford and post-graduate diploma in Clinical Trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is Professor of Medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, and holder of the John and Susan McDonald Endowed Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) at Western University.
His specialist clinical training in Gastroenterology was completed in London and Oxford, and he holds specialist certification in both Ontario and the UK. Prior to moving to Western in 2016, he was a National Institute for Health Research Clinical Trials Fellow at the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit and Consultant Gastroenterologist at Oxford University hospitals.
He is a practising gastroenterologist and specialist in inflammatory bowel disease, and his research interests in clinical therapeutics for IBD include design of clinical trials, development and validation of outcome measures for use in clinical trials, patient reported outcome measures and prediction modelling for response to therapy.
Achievements
Vipul has driven the development and validation of several novel indices for use in IBD clinical trials, like the UC-100 and the novel patient reported outcome measures, SIQ-UC and SIQ-CD. In addition, he was instrumental to the delivery of the REACT2 trial and to the design of the VERDICT trial, both of which are important clinical practice questions for patients with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, respectively.
Ethos
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle
Chief Financial Officer
Mike has been CFO of Alimentiv since spring of 2021. He oversees the overall strategy and business operations of the company as well as leading the Finance/Accounting, IT, Legal, Quality Assurance, Facilities, and Enterprise Analytics areas at Alimentiv.
Background:
Mike is a senior executive leader with decades of demonstrated success in business transformation expertise. With more than 20 years of experience in the CRO space, his accomplishments have spanned driving growth within Venture Capital, Private Equity, Private and Public Organizations. Prior to Alimentiv, Mike was President of a US based technology company and before then he was CFO of BioStorage Technologies. He also spent nearly a decade in leadership roles at Covance (now part of LabCorp). Mike holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration.
Achievements:
As a founding executive of BioStorage Technologies, Mike was instrumental in driving the organization from start-up to an international market leading business, ultimately navigating the company through a strategic sales process and acquisition by Brooks Life Sciences (NASDAQ: BRKS). He has won awards such as “CFO of the Year” as well as recognized by the Association for Corporate Growth for its annual transaction honor.
MDGastroenterologist / Hepatologist
Dr. Arab is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Trained at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica, Chile and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Dr. Arab is a Gastroenterology and Hepatology specialist, Transplant Hepatologist, and Clinical Researcher with an interest in clinical/translational research and epidemiology in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcohol-related liver disease.
He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed papers, co-authored several book chapters, and delivered lectures on liver-related topics at national and international meetings. He is an Associate Editor for Hepatology (flagship AASLD journal). He has also participated in the generation of clinical practice guidelines for alcohol-related liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatorenal syndrome and regularly serves as an expert reviewer of research grants and scientific research abstracts for multiple societies, funding agencies, and international peer-reviewed journals.
Additionally, he is spearheading international collaboration groups aiming to study alcohol-associated liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (AH-LATIN and Global AlcHep BigData Network). Dr. Arab is a member of the AASLD Global Outreach and Engagement Committee. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Special Interest Group on the alcohol-associated liver disease of the AASLD. Additionally, he is the President of the Chilean Hepatology Association and Vice-Chair of the Education & Scholarship Committee of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS).
Dr. Panaccione is a Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit at the University of Calgary. He also serves as the Dean of MD Admissions and Director of the IBD Fellowship Program. He has been honored with the Crohn’s Colitis Canada Endowed Research Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease at the University of Calgary.
He is the 2020 Crohn’s Colitis Canada Outstanding Physician of the Year and has been recently recognized as a 2020-22 Clarivate Research Scholar for being cited in the top 1% of researchers cited in the world. He has co-authored over 350 manuscripts, 7 book chapters, and 426 abstracts including publications in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, JAMA, Nature, and Annals of Internal Medicine.
He is a founding member of the Crohn’s Colitis Canada PACE initiative ( 5 million dollar grant) Dr. Panaccione is the principal investigator on several studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of new agents in subjects of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. His special interest lies in the fields of advanced therapies, biological therapy, and delivery of care. He is a recognized authority on IBD therapeutics and has co-authored numerous guidelines for the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. He actively participates in clinical trials of new therapeutic agents for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He reviews for prestigious journals including NEJM, Lancet, Gastroenterology, and Gut.
MD, MScPediatric Gastroenterologist
Dr. Eileen Crowley completed her honours medical degree at the National University of Ireland and subspecialty training with the Royal College of Physicians, Ireland. Moving to SickKids, Toronto for fellowship training in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and submitted her Master’s thesis entitled ‘Towards Personalized Care in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease’. She completed postdoctoral training and subspecialty Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease training in the laboratory of Dr Aleixo Muise and received CIHR grant funding for supports. She was co-supervised by Dr Anne Griffiths working on the Canadian (CIDsCaNN) IBD network.
Dr Crowley’s area of clinical specialty include pediatric IBD. Her research interests include pediatric IBD, the genetics of IBD, therapeutic drug monitoring and precision medicine. Her work has served to better delineate the genetic phenotype of children with IBD as well as optimizing response to therapy in this age group. Dr Crowley works as a Pediatric Gastroenterologist at the Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences, Ontario, as an Assistant Professor with Western University and Clinician Investigator in Pediatric IBD. Dr Crowley intends to pursue further research in index development and clinical trials in Pediatric IBD.
MD, PhDGastroenterologist
Dr. Albert J (Arjan) Bredenoord studied Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. He subsequently worked on several clinical research projects on gastrointestinal motility at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands which resulted in the completion of his PhD thesis on gastroesophageal reflux disease in 2006. His clinical training was performed in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands and at the Royal London Hospital in London, UK. He currently works as a consultant Gastroenterologist at the Amsterdam University Medical Center where he is dedicated to patients care, scientific research and education in the field of benign esophageal diseases. He was appointed professor of Neurogastroenterology & Motility at the University of Amsterdam in 2019.
Dr. Bredenoord’s main focus is on achalasia, reflux disease and eosinophilic esophagitis. The esophageal clinic in the AMC Amsterdam hosts the largest population of benign esophageal diseases in the Netherlands. Dr Bredenoord is an author of over 250 papers, books and book chapters on esophageal diseases and organizes regular courses in Europe, North America and Asia. Dr Bredenoord is President of the European Society of Eosinophilic Esophagitis EUREOS, a member of the UEG Scientific Committee and co-founder of the International HRM working group. He collaborates with Alimentiv on studies on endpoint development for clinical trials in eosinophilic esophagitis and advises on all stages of trial design in drug development for eosinophilic esophagitis.
Geert D’Haens graduated from medical school at the Katholieke Universiteirt Leuven, Belgium in 1987.
Professor D’Haens specialized in gastroenterology at the University of Chicago Hospitals, USA and University Hospitals Leuven in 1990-1992. He was board certified in internal medicine in 1992. He defended his Doctoral Thesis in 1996. Currently Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology at the Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, Professor D’Haens is a specialist gastroenterologist with a clinical interest in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and gastrointestinal oncology. He has particular expertise in mucosal immunology, gastrointestinal endoscopy and immunosuppression related to IBD.
Professor D’Haens was elected to the International Organization for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) in 2003 and is currently Chairman of the organization. In 1999, D’Haens was co-founder of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization (ECCO).
He is a member of other societies including a Fellowship of the American Gastroenterological Association (2006) and the European Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Research Committee.
Professor D’Haens is the recipient of several awards including the “Silver Medal for Inflammatory Bowel Disease” from the World Congress on Gastroenterology, Vienna, 1998.
With over 250 peer reviewed scientific articles and 37 chapters in medical textbooks, Professor D’Haens has an impressive publication record and is widely recognized as an expert in the area of digestive diseases.
MD, MPHGastroenterologist
Evan S. Dellon, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Dellon received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He performed a clinical and a research fellowship in Adult Gastroenterology at UNC, during which he also received a Masters of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the UNC School of Public Health.
Dr. Dellon joined the UNC faculty and the Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing (CEDAS) in 2008, where his main clinical focus is on disorders of swallowing, and in particular eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and other eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs). He became Director of CEDAS in 2014.
Dr. Dellon’s research interests span the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of EoE and EGIDs. The goal of his research is to improve the lives of patients with EoE/EGIDs by learning how to better diagnose, treat, and monitor the conditions. He is widely published in this area, with more than 265 peer-reviewed papers in the medical literature overall.
Dr. Dellon is also an Associate Editor for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He collaborates with and advises Alimentiv Clinical Trials on studies related to EoE and EGIDs, including the areas of trial design, patient outcomes, and endpoint development.
Chief Commercial Officer
Clare joined Alimentiv as Chief Commercial Officer in August 2023, she oversees the Business Development, Proposals and Marketing activities across the Alimentiv Holdings Companies (Alimentiv and AcelaBio).
In addition, she acts as an executive sponsor for key external collaborations supporting Alimentiv’s Innovation Initiatives.
Clare has over 25 years of pharma experience spanning clinical development and pharma manufacturing, holding senior positions in QA, Operations and Business Development.
The majority of Clare’s career to date was spent at ICON Plc where she was responsible for Central Lab Operations in Europe and Asia before moving into a Commercial Leadership role.
Her most recent role included commercial leadership of Central, Specialty and Imaging Labs.
She has been a key contributor to organic growth strategies as well as involvement in M&A activities, pre and post-acquisition. Clare has a demonstrated record of overcoming challenges to drive success and is adept at optimizing organizational resources to improve performance.
Chief Digital & Technology Officer
Samir Kothari is a seasoned technology leader with over 25 years of experience driving innovation and operational excellence across multiple industries, including life sciences. As the Chief Digital & Technology Officer (CDTO) at Alimentiv, he leads global initiatives across infrastructure, cybersecurity, business systems, and software development, including the integration of AI into the company’s products and services.
Known for his strategic vision and ability to deliver technology solutions that enhance business agility and support growth, Samir has successfully led digital and security transformations in highly regulated environments. His leadership in the life sciences sector has been instrumental in modernizing operations while ensuring compliance and resilience.
Samir is deeply passionate about customer service, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and building solutions that help businesses thrive.
He holds a Master of Science in the Management of Information Technology from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in Finance with an Accounting concentration from Indiana University.
Chief Operations Officer
Stephanie joined Alimentiv as Chief Operations Office in July 2025 with over 25 years of experience in clinical research and drug development including more than a decade in leadership roles. Stephanie brings deep expertise in study operations and delivery across a broad spectrum of pharma, biotech, and CRO environments.
She has led both regional and global teams, including as Head of the Americas, Head of EMEA, and Global Therapeutic Area Head, and is known for building high-performing teams and cultivating strong customer partnerships to drive operational excellence in clinical trials.
Vice President, People and Culture
Amanda Harvey has worked in HR for nearly 20 years with a focus on business partnering, organizational development and change management across the manufacturing, financial services and staffing industries.
Amanda most recently held the role of People and Culture Director for Hays Canada where she built the Canadian operations first People and Culture function and supported the organization through rapid growth and the launch of multiple new business lines. She is experienced in leading large scale multi- disciplinary projects and is a big proponent of change management concepts. She is passionate about developing people and is a strong believer that the role of a leader is to serve as advocate for their people and to champion the culture and values of the organization.
Amanda holds her CHRL designation and is an active member of the HRPA and Strategic Capability Network.
“Authenticity encourages a culture where people feel more connected and loyal to the organization and its purpose, which helps attract and retain people to do their best”
MDSenior Medical Director
Dr. Ma supports medical R&D projects.
Dr. Ma obtained his MD from the University of Calgary in 2012. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Alberta, adult gastroenterology training at the University of Calgary and advanced IBD fellowships at the University of Calgary and Western University. In 2018, he completed a one-year Robarts IBD Clinical Trials Fellowship and in 2019 he earned an MPH in Epidemiology from Harvard University.
“Teamwork is everything.”
MD, PhDRadiologist
Dr. J Rimola is a radiologist who sub-specializes in abdominal and gastrointestinal imaging. He is a member of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease unit directed by Dr. Julian Panés in Barcelona. He has had a leading role in the application of cross-sectional imaging techniques to the study of Crohn’s disease, development and validation of activity indices, and implementation of MRE and pelvic MRI in multicentric clinical studies. He participated in the ECCO-ESGAR guidelines elaboration and in different other expert consensus and recommendations document.
Bruce Sands, MD, MS, is the Dr. Burrill B. Crohn Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Dr. Sands was awarded his BA and MD from Boston University, and trained in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. After completing GI fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital, he joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School and served as the Acting Chief of the Gastrointestinal Unit at MGH before moving to Mount Sinai in 2010 as Chief of the Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology.
Dr. Sands is widely recognized for his clinical investigations of new therapeutics for the inflammatory bowel diseases and has published over 275 original manuscripts. He was the lead investigator of the landmark studies ACCENT 2, UNIFI and VARSITY, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, and SEAVUE, published in the Lancet.
MD, FRCPCGastrointestinal Pathologist
Dr. Schaeffer is an associate professor in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at University of British Columbia and the Head of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), where he practices as a gastrointestinal pathologist. Dr. Schaeffer obtained his medical degree from the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany. After a residency program in Anatomical Pathology in Vancouver, he completed his gastrointestinal pathology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Dr. Schaeffer is the co-director of Pancreas Centre BC and the Pancreatic Cancer Research Chair at Vancouver General Hospital.
