Our Leadership
Lila Dalton, RN, BSN, CCRP | Director of CTC | Email: ldalton@llu.edu
Mrs. Lila Dalton works under the auspices of institutional leadership to produce and implement the strategic plan for the Clinical Trial Center. She oversees administration in the areas of clinical trial contracting, financial management, site operation and training, as well as development and promotion. She collaborates with clinical trial site personnel and ancillary service providers to ensure good procedural adherence and clinical trial progress. Ms. Dalton has been a Registered Nurse since 1992, received her BSN in 2009 and is also certified as a Clinical Research Professional. She has over twenty years of experience in clinical research field, with specialized practice in pediatrics, neonatology, and oncology. Her various roles within clinical research have encompassed nursing, coordination, and management.
Luis Garcia, Finance and Accounting Manager luagarcia@llu.edu
Luis Garcia has over sixteen years of experience in accounting, finance, and financial management. This includes 5 years of accounting and finance experience in Radiation Medicine Research and 6 years experience in clinical research finance. Currently, he partners with billing offices, clinical departments, and administrators to successfully manage clinical trial accounting and financial management cycle from startup through closeout. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Healthcare Administration.
Rajesh Rao, Manager, Study Startup and Administration rkrao@llu.edu
Rajesh Rao manages the administrative and startup processes at the Clinical Trial Center. Using his expertise in clinical research, he oversees the study startup review process, including the feasibility analysis, budget negotiations, and completion of Medicare coverage analysis. He also assists the Clinical Trial Center Director in maintaining and developing clinical research education activities. Rajesh has over fourteen years of clinical research experience, including clinical trial coordinator, specializing in study startup and budget development. He has been employed at Loma Linda University Health since 2008. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from India and is a SOCRA certified Clinical Care Research Professional (CCRP). He graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 2019 with his MAS degree (Masters in Advanced Studies) in Clinical Research.
Melissa Rundquist, Manager, Clinical Research mrundquist@llu.edu
Mrs. Melissa Rundquist is responsible for developing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating procedures to ensure clinical research protocols are conducted in accordance with requirements of the institution and applicable regulatory agencies. She supervises clinical research coordinators to maintain adherence to protocol requirements and for completion of job duties. Mrs. Rundquist facilitates and provides training and education for the coordinators through staff meetings and in-services. She works closely with directors, study investigators, department leads, regulatory staff, and clinical staff for promotion and growth of clinical research activity at Loma Linda University Health entities while supporting the mission of the Clinical Trial Center. Melissa also attends conferences, group meetings, and National Investigator Meetings to stay on top of new developments in clinical research.
Our Team Members
Finance and Accounting
Mandy Pfister, Finance Analyst apfister@llu.edu
Debbie Murillo, Finance Assistant dmurillo@llu.edu
Study Startup
Rosa Rivas, Study Start-Up Specialist rrivas@llu.edu
Regulatory Staff
Celerina Sevilla, Senior Regulatory Coordinator cesevilla@llu.edu
Doris Charles, Regulatory Coordinator dcharles@llu.edu
Sandra Coronado, Regulatory Coordinator smcoronado@llu.edu
Clinical Staff
Brenda Gonzalez, Research Nurse, LVN-2 bregonzales@llu.edu
John "Nash" Quintans, Research Nurse, LVN-1 jnquintans@llu.edu
Jaclyn Lopez, Clinical Research Coordinator janlopez@llu.edu
Daisy Sekly, Research Nurse, LVN-1 dsekly@llu.edu
Jennifer Ceballos, Per Diem Clinical Research Coordinator jceballos@llu.edu
Brittany "Grace" Futch, Per Diem Clinical Research Coordinator bfutch@llu.edu
Raquel Hernandez, Clinical Research Coordinator raqhernandez@llu.edu
Marcia Easterly, Clinical Research Coordinator measterly@llu.edu
Tina Ramirez, Clinical Research Coordinator tiramirez@llu.edu
David Borg, Clinical Research Coordinator dborg@llu.edu
Administrative Staff
Jennelle Stacey, Project Specialist jstacey@llu.edu
Alicia Martinez, Administrative Assistant alimartinez@llu.edu