MEET OUR TEAM
The National Heart Institute is made up of professionals from diverse backgrounds with a common drive and passion to discover new and improved treatments of cardiovascular and metabolic disease that will make a difference in people’s lives.
CLINICAL RESEARCH COORDINATORS
OUR CLINICAL RESEARCH COORDINATORS ARE CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE NATIONAL HEART INSTITUTE. Our clinical research coordinators are critical to the success of the National Heart Institute. Each research coordinator receives special training on good clinical practice and the details of the protocols they are assigned. Under the guidance and support of the physician investigators, they are responsible for the operational aspects of the research program. This ranges from scheduling visits to interviewing patients and ensuring that study protocols are followed. They input all relevant subject-related communications into research databases and ensure the safety of patients throughout the trial. NHI’s clinical research team is made up of professionals from diverse backgrounds with a common drive and passion for discovering new and improved treatments for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases that will make a difference in people’s lives.
Maria Flores
Director, Clinical Trial Operations
Ali Maher, MD
Senior Clinical Research Coordinator
Nayeli Aguillon
Senior Clinical Research Coordinator
Zissy Flores
Medical Assistant, Dr. Norman E. Lepor
Julie Roberts
Administrative Assistant, Dr. Norman E. Lepor
CLINICAL TRIAL PHYSICIAN INVESTIGATORS
OUR CLINICAL TRIAL INVESTIGATORS ARE PHYSICIANS WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR CAREERS TO THE CARE OF PATIENTS. As medical doctors, they are keenly aware of the limitations of current treatments for their patients and the need for new, safer treatments to improve their outcomes. All our clinical trial investigators are in active clinical practice and board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Their primary responsibilities include selecting the research projects to be undertaken by the National Heart Institute, identifying patients who may benefit from participating in a particular clinical trial, and supervising the work of the clinical research coordinators. Each clinical trial has a dedicated primary investigator who is responsible for the conduct of the trial and sub-investigators who assist that effort.
 | Norman E. Lepor, MD FACC FACC Founder and Director, National Heart Institute Clinical Professor of Medicine-Geffen/UCLA School of Medicine Attending Cardiologist, Smidt/Cedars-Sinai Heart institute |
The National Heart Institute’s Director, Dr. Norman Lepor, is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, an Attending Cardiologist at the Smidt Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, and Co-director at Cardiovascular Imaging-Westside Medical Imaging. Dr. Lepor graduated from the prestigious Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed his advanced training in cardiology at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been listed by US News & World Report as one of the nation’s top cardiologists. As one of the pioneers in cardiology, he’s been invited to lecture at major medical meetings in the United States and worldwide. He has been a primary investigator in over sixty clinical trials over the past twenty-five years. Dr. Lepor has co-authored dozens of research papers published in the most prestigious medical journals. Dr. Lepor was also an early advocate of providing greater focus on issues relating to women’s cardiovascular health care and outreach to under-served populations.
 | Nancy Mamann Director, Global Communications |
Nancy Mamann brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the Health & Wellness, Fashion, Lifestyle, Footwear, CPG, Interactive, Entertainment, and Institutional industries, Her approach is to align and support specific brand and company needs by creating influential, strategic. and commercially successful communication strategies. Previously, Nancy held positions as global head of marketing for UGG, BioTE, Amen Clinics and Brain MD Nutraceuticals, to name a few.
 | George Grifka, MD Senior Physician Clinical Research Investigator |
Dr. Grifka received his medical degree from the University of California at Los Angeles and completed his cardiology fellowship at UCLA’s VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. He is the principal at the Metropolitan Heart Associates Medical Group in Santa Monica, California.
 | Adam Karns, M.D. Senior Physician Clinical Research Investigator |
Dr. Adam Karns, a UCLA-trained internal medicine physician, is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. In addition to his private practice in Beverly Hills, he actively participates in clinical research, contributing to safer and more effective treatments through pivotal trials.
 | Sam Setareh, MD Senior Physician Clinical Research Investigator |
Dr. Sam Setareh, a Cedars-Sinai cardiologist, specializes in sports cardiology, prevention, and imaging. He is an active leader in professional committees and a founding editorial board member of The Journal of Scientific Innovation in Medicine.
 | Rico Simonini, MD FACC Senior Physician Clinical Research Investigator |
Dr. Simonini is a double-board-certified cardiologist and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. He completed a critical care and research fellowship at the University of California at San Francisco and a clinical cardiology fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical Center. An international authority on heart failure, he has published extensively and lectured worldwide on the topic.
 | David Filsoof, MD Senior Physician Clinical Research Investigator |
Dr. David Filsoof is board-certified in multiple cardiovascular subspecialties and trained at the Mayo Clinic and Cedars-Sinai. He is a published author of Cardiology Clinical Questions and has made numerous contributions to medical literature.