Leadership Team
Nicole Osborn
Chief Executive Officer
Nicole Osborn founded Meridian Clinical Research in 1999 in Omaha, NE. Under her guidance, Meridian grew from a single dedicated research center in Omaha, NE, to a network that includes more than 20 research sites and 60 principal investigators across North America.
Under Osborn’s direction, research at Meridian is frequently published in academic journals and presented at major scientific and academic events worldwide. In recent years, Osborn has expanded Meridian's therapeutic capabilities in areas such as infectious disease, neurology, dermatology, and women's health to facilitate more complex trials for novel drugs and medical devices. In 2019, she led Meridian's acquisition of Regional Clinical Research to expand the company's reach to four research sites in New York.
Osborn has been appointed to the Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) leadership council, for which she provides strategic guidance, policy decisions, and oversight. Osborn cofounded Platinum Research Network, a highly respected site network and global leader in vaccine clinical trials.
She is involved in numerous charitable organizations focused on researching and treating diseases. Osborn attended the University of Iowa and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Clarkson College.
Laura Falcone, APRN
Chief Operating Officer
As chief operating officer, Laura Falcone directs operations at all Meridian sites across North America. An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), Falcone brings years of firsthand clinical experience to her executive role at Meridian. She established Meridian’s excellence in patient-centric research conduct and remains heavily-involved in day-to-day clinical operations, occasionally serving as sub-investigator for trials.
In 2012, Falcone was named Study Nurse of the Year at the PharmaTimes U.S. Clinical Researcher of the Year competition.
Before joining Meridian, Falcone was a nurse at the Methodist Health System. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Biology from the University of Virginia; a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Creighton University; a Master of Science in Adult Acute Care and a Post-Master's Certificate in Family Practice Nursing from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Dave Roehr
Chief Financial Officer
Dave Roehr brings more than three decades of experience in banking, finance, and strategic growth to his role at Meridian. Before joining Meridian, he founded Proceed Finance. Roehr was also president and chief financial officer of Cabela’s Inc., guiding the company through a time of unprecedented sales growth and retail expansion, rocketing the company past the $1 billion valuation mark.
In his role at Cabela’s, Roehr also served as founder, chairman of the board, and CEO of World’s Foremost Bank, a wholly-owned regulated credit card bank used by Cabela’s. He was also a partner at tax consultancy Grant Thornton LLP, where he leveraged his certified public accountant (CPA) and Masters of Taxation credentials within their public accounting business practice, contributing to revenue growth of over $150 million and expansion into almost 70 countries.
Aside from his career leadership roles, Roehr is also a member on various boards of directors, with current and past board memberships at organizations including Buckle, Air Methods, Regional Board of Directors for US Bank, and Security First Bank.
Brandon J. Essink, MD, CPI
Principal Investigator, Medical Director
Dr. Brandon Essink has served as a principal investigator at Meridian since 2003. In his role, Dr. Essink directs clinical practice operations at Meridian’s dedicated research center in Omaha, NE. He is frequently selected to lead pioneering vaccine research programs because of his extensive experience in the field and the superb track record sites have maintained under his guidance. Results from clinical studies Dr. Essink oversees are frequently published in industry journals, including Vaccine.
Dr. Essink earned his BS from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE, and attended medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha, NE, graduating in 2001. He completed his residency in Family Practice at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2003 and a Family Practice Procedural Fellowship in 2004. He has been board certified in family practice since 2003 and has practiced family medicine since 2004.
Keith Vrbicky, MD
Principal Investigator, International Medical Director
Dr. Keith Vrbicky serves as a principal investigator for Meridian’s Norfolk, NE, OB/GYN site, and is also the company’s international medical director. Dr. Vrbicky earned his medical degree from Creighton University School of Medicine in 1979. He completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Creighton University Affiliated Hospitals in 1983 and served as assistant professor at Creighton University School of Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology until he began private practice in Norfolk in 1985. In 2013, Dr. Vrbicky delivered his 10,000th baby.
A frequent contributor to prestigious publications, Dr. Vrbicky maintains a faculty appointment at both Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology by the American College of OB/GYN. In 2006, Dr. Vrbicky, together with Connie Keck, co-authored a book titled Menopause Maze. In 2006, Dr. Vrbicky was welcomed by U.S. Congressman Jeff Fortenberry to address the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations. Dr. Vrbicky was recognized for his service at the President's Convocation at Creighton University and received the 25-Year Faculty Service Award.
Wes Bonner
Vice President, Strategic Development
Wes Bonner joined Meridian Clinical Research in 2014 and now serves as VP, business development and principal investigator liaison. He is responsible for cultivating relationships with physicians across North America to enhance Meridian’s site network and operations. Before joining Meridian, Wes accrued 17 years of experience in sales and account management roles with pharmaceutical companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Upjohn, Otsuka, and Sanofi (where he was a seven-time Above and Beyond winner).
Bonner serves as expert counsel for Total Clinical Trial Management, a committee that bridges the gap between clinical research organizations (CROs) and clinical research conduct. He has also spoken at a Model Agreements & Guidelines International (MAGI) event and served as a moderator at the Global Site Solutions Summit. Bonner earned his Bachelor of Science in Communication from Georgia Southern University.
Yvonne McCracken, MPH
Vice President, Quality Assurance
Yvonne McCracken joined Meridian Clinical Research as VP of quality assurance in 2015. Before joining Meridian, she founded Carolinas Research Associates (CRA) and served as CEO from 1996 until 2013 when the company was sold to PMG Research. In that role, McCracken implemented clinical research programs for numerous private practice physicians and large medical groups. She also provided consultation and training services to academic medical centers, private practice groups, and pharmaceutical companies.
McCracken has been a frequent speaker, panelist, and moderator at forums ranging from national professional conferences to community organizations. She has given presentations at the Clinical Research Conference in Taipei, Taiwan, sponsored by Association for Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) and Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). McCracken earned her Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992 and was a certified clinical research coordinator from 1996 to 2013.
- Member of the Drug Information Association (DIA) Good Clinical Practices & Quality Assurance (GCP-QA) Community since 2004; Elected as co-chair of the GCP-QA Core Committee in 2014.
- Held positions in DIA groups including the Nominations Committee, Annual Meeting Planning Committee, and SIAC Program Committee.
- Served on the ACRP Board of Trustees and on the Editorial Advisory Board for the ACRP journal, The Monitor; Member of the ACRP Marketing & Communications Committee.
- Founding member of the Greater Charlotte Chapter of ACRP; president of the chapter in 1996 and 2006; Program committee chair from 2001-2010.
Kathy Stoddard RN, CCRC
Vice President, Clinical Operations
Kathy Stoddard has substantial experience in managing multi-site research trials and providing oversight for business development, contracts, budgets, staffing, and operating procedures. She was previously chief operating officer at AMR. Before that, Stoddard served as vice president for a nationally known multi-site research network for four years. During this time, she was primarily responsible for the development, buildout, and credentialing of three urgent care centers in three states to augment the core business.
Stoddard was also director of research for Heartland Research Associates for 15 years. During her tenure there, the business grew from one employee to more than 50 across five separate research centers, with annual revenue exceeding $4M.
Stoddard attended Wichita State University and St. Francis School of Nursing. Her past experience includes the buildout of an orthopedic ambulatory surgery center, accredited by the state of Kansas. She is a member of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals and is recognized by that organization as a certified clinical research coordinator.
Andrew Kimball
Vice President, Business Development
At Meridian, Andrew Kimball is responsible for generating new partnerships and strengthening existing client relationships while assisting in the financial and operational growth of research sites. Kimball was formerly vice president of business development at Platinum Research Network, of which Meridian Clinical Research is the largest member. At Platinum, he expanded the network to comprise more than 80 principal investigators and 30 cities.
Before joining Platinum, Kimball was senior director of business operations at Total Clinical Trial Management, and worked at companies including Benchmark Research, VaxNet, and Greenphire. Kimball frequently presents at clinical research conferences worldwide, speaking on site management, growth, and relationship development. He graduated from Mount Wachusett Community College with a degree in graphic design.
Lorita Johnson
Vice President, Human Resources
Lorita Johnson joined Meridian in 2015, bringing years of employment and labor law experience to her executive role. Before joining Meridian, Johnson worked in private practice specializing in employment litigation.
Johnson also worked for 12 years for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the nation’s second largest school district. At LAUSD, Johnson served under the direction of the Superintendent and the General Counsel as a negotiation strategist and negotiator, and she administered and coordinated the planning, development, and implementation of all collective bargaining aspects for the District. Johnson also facilitated high-level work involving contract negotiations and conflict resolution.
Johnson earned her BA from the University of California at Irvine, and attended law school at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, CA. Johnson is a licensed attorney in California.
Sally Kahre
Director of Executive Office and Community Relations
Sally Kahre brings more than 20 years of experience to her role at Meridian. Joining the company in 2017, Kahre serves as a conduit to the executive office and is responsible for communications, corporate conventions, annual meetings, travel logistics, and company-sponsored community and employee events. Her emphasis on interpersonal communication fosters strong working relationships.
Kahre previously worked in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries, in which her organizational, analytical, and planning skills allowed her to excel. She also served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) teaching Introduction to Public Speaking.
A lifelong resident of Omaha, Kahre has held various community service leadership roles, including president of the Children’s Hospital & Medical Center Friends Board. She earned a bachelor’s in journalism and a master’s in communication from UNO.
Debra Gabrielson
Vice President, Finance
Debra Gabrielson has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for almost 25 years as CEO of Regional Clinical Research. She has extensive knowledge in negotiating contracts and budgets, and in managing all aspects of running investigative sites. Throughout her career, she has helped facilitate more than 850 clinical studies. Gabrielson expanded Regional from one site to five in the Upstate New York area, and supported development programs across numerous therapeutic areas.
Before her research career, Gabrielson worked in a level II trauma center as an emergency department nurse. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Binghamton University and the Wilson Hospital School of Nursing.
Deborah Hubish
Vice President, Clinical Development
Debbie Hubish has almost 40 years of experience in clinical nursing and working with physicians and clinics. She also has almost 25 years of experience in managing multi-site clinical trials, and has directed operational procedures, business development, budget negotiations, regulatory, and staffing.
Hubish was divisional chief operating officer at Regional Clinical Research, where she was instrumental in establishing and growing the successful outpatient clinical research program for UHS, a large multi-specialty hospital-based group in upstate New York.
At Meridian, Hubish oversees site and staff training/mentoring programs, quality assurance, strategic planning, and the identification and development of new sites and investigators.
Hubish attended the State University of New York’s nursing program, has held memberships in the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) and participated in the steering committee as a member of the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP).