Advisory Board
MEET THE TCIS AFRICA 2025 ADVISORY WORKING COMMITTEE
Our advisory committee is composed of seasoned professionals who provide invaluable guidance and expertise. Their diverse backgrounds and insights help us navigate the complexities of the clinical research industry and make informed decisions.
MRS. ROSEANNE ONYIA
Founder/CEO Clinique Research, Convener, TCIS AFRICA
Roseanne Onyia is a pioneering force in the clinical research field, boasting 17 years of dedicated experience.
As the Founder and CEO of Clinique Research Development Limited, she is transforming the landscape of clinical research in Africa, drawing global attention to the continent’s untapped potential in drug discovery. Her vision extends beyond her company to the entire African clinical research ecosystem, embodied in her role as the convener of The Clinical Investigators Summit (TCIS AFRICA).
TCIS AFRICA is the continent’s premier gathering of Clinical Researchers, Medical Professionals, CROs, Pharmaceutical Companies, Regulatory Agencies, and Academia. Under Roseanne’s leadership, the summit has become a vital platform for networking, exchanging achievements, and addressing the challenges of clinical trial management in Africa. TCIS AFRICA fosters strategic collaborations that aim to attract more clinical trials to the continent and ensure their effective management.
DR. JEROME ADAMS, M.D., MPH
FORMER U.S. Surgeon General Chairman of the Board for The Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials & Executive Director of Health Equity Initiatives
Dr. Adams serves as the Chairman of the Board for The Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials. Adams also currently serves as Executive Director of Health Equity Initiatives at Purdue University. He formerly served as the 20th United States Surgeon General and as a member of the President’s COVID-19 task force, where he was at the forefront of America’s most pressing health challenges throughout the pandemic, including working with companies to increase diversity in vaccine trials. As the Chairman of the Board, Adams provides his in-depth knowledge of patient perspectives and industry views on diversity to create sustainable solutions and best practices to establish more diverse representation in clinical trials.
DR. PAMELA MDA
Director, Nelson Mandela Academic Clinical Research Unit (NeMACRU), SOUTH AFRICA
Dr. Pam Mda is a seasoned specialist family physician with expertise in HIV medicine and clinical trials, particularly in a rural setting.
She is the founding Director at the Nelson Mandela Academic Clinical Research Unit (NeMACRU), in Mthatha, Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Under her leadership, NeMACRU contributed significantly to national, regional and global clinical trials in collaboration with international networks. These encompass trials on HIV and Covid-19 vaccine, as well as research on infectious diseases and rare conditions.
Throughout a diverse career spanning from public, private practice to academia and research, she has held numerous leadership positions. Notably, she served as a Provincial Clinical Research Site Vaccination Lead, and provided critical oversight for the rollout of the healthcare worker COVID 19 vaccination programs in the Eastern Cape.
Dr. Isaac R. Rodriguez-Chavez, Ph.D., M.H.S., M.S.
CEO, 4Biosolutions Consulting, Former NIH, FDA Official
Dr. Isaac R. Rodriguez-Chavez is a distinguished scientific and regulatory expert with a 30-year career spanning Infectious Diseases, Viral Immunology, Viral Oncology, Microbiology, Vaccinology, and Rare Diseases. His experience covers the entire life cycle of medical product development, from basic and preclinical research to interventional clinical research (Phases I-IV), non-interventional clinical research, and post-marketing studies, leveraging them with standard healthcare systems.
Currently an independent clinical research, regulatory affairs, and digital medicine consultant, Dr. Rodriguez-Chavez has held influential roles, including Senior Vice President at ICON plc, where he led Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs) and Digital Medicine strategies. He has made significant contributions as an FDA CDER Senior Officer, leading efforts to modernize clinical research through DCTs and Digital Health Technologies.
DR. DIANA L. FOSTER, PH.D.
DR. DIANA L. FOSTER, PH.D. President and Chief Diversity Officer for the Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials & Founder & CEO of Total Diversity Clinical Trial Management
Dr. Foster is the President and Chief Diversity Officer for the Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials and the Founder and CEO of TOTAL Diversity Clinical Trial Management, a full-service integrated diversity organization.
From 2016 through 2022, Dr. Foster served as Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Society of Clinical Research Sites (SCRS), where she authored the Diversity Site Assessment Tool (DSAT). Dr. Foster has written six industry books and several current research studies focused on site perspectives in diversity. Dr. Foster is a recognized thought leader and sought after expert in diversity and clinical site best practices.
MR. AL PACINO
President / General Manager BlueCloud by HealthCarePoint.com
Al is a United States Army veteran and senior executive and with over 35 years in healthcare and clinical research. Actively involved as an innovator in the industry.
As a 16-year cancer survivor with a passion to give back in making a difference in the industry, Mr. Pacino along with patients and patient survivors, co-founded the innovative BlueCloud® Network now saving healthcare and clinical research millions of dollars.
Current Global Member base includes over 2 million healthcare professionals, 150 Sponsors, 45 CROs and over 200,000 healthcare and clinical research sites.
MR. KENNETH OKOLIE
CEO, SYNLAB NIGERIA
Kenneth Okolie is an experienced business leader in the healthcare sector with a demonstrated background in Medical Diagnostic Services.
His skill set in Business Process Design/Improvement, Healthcare Management, Design Thinking/Strategy, Total Quality Management, and Change Management has accelerated his career.
Currently, he holds the esteemed position of Chief Executive Officer at SYNLAB Nigeria, a leading name in medical laboratory services in West Africa. His past collaborations with other industry giants in Nigeria further underscore his professional prowess.
Kenneth completed his executive management training at INSEAD Business School, focusing on Business Administration, Management, Strategy, and Finance.
YONNIE OTIENO
BlueCloud Africa Manager
Yonnie Otieno serves as Manager for BlueCloud Africa – BlueClouds are compliance Innovation in Global Health and Research at HealthCarePoint.
He provides the Public Benefit Corporation for R&D in Med device, drug, and vaccine development for infectious, childhood, and neglected tropical diseases. Currently involved with delivering and implementing clinical trials product development programs in Discovery & Translational Sciences involving Cloud Networks.
His activity also includes machine learning and health economics modeling collaborating with the Global Development division.
Currently, Yonnie is responsible for supporting Africa Startups Accelerator for Business Innovation, responsible for VC Intelligence components of Investors’ solutions, and discovering investors’ predictive models from real-world de-identified Business Big Data. Yonnie is the lead inventor as more work on patents and for applications, including several involving technology predictive models for clinical diagnostics.
MR. WES OKEKE
CEO of CUBIO & The Nomad Network, USA
Wesley Okeke is a visionary leader and the CEO of the Nomad Health Care and Life Science Network and CUBIO Innovation Hub in Houston Texas, United States.
Wesley Okeke has dedicated his career to ensuring that the journey of every CEO, founder, or entrepreneur is supported and impactful. After more than two decades in Business Development, Marketing, and Sales within technology companies in Boston and Silicon Valley, and extensive global experience across Asia, Europe, Canada, South America, and the USA, Wesley has a deep understanding of what it takes to develop new markets and support productdevelopment on a global scale.
DR. ELISABETH A. LIYONG DIALLO
Founder & CEO, LIKAK Research
Dr. Elisabeth is a Medical Doctor and clinical research professional with over 15 years of expertise overseeing Phase I-IV studies in different therapeutic areas and settings across Africa.
She is the founder and CEO of LIKAK Research, a CRO based in West and Central Africa. LIKAK Research offers clinical research and health-related services to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical device companies and healthcare organizations. Among previous partners and sponsors are J&J, GSK, WHO, Path, Swiss TPH, ICON, BMG Foundation.
Likak has operations in over 25 countries, with dedicated personnel physical present in those nations. Likak celebrated its 13th anniversary on the 18th of April 2024.
