PRA Trials - About Us

Dr. Lawrence D. Sher M.D.
Dr. Sher received his medical degree in 1983 from the University of Utah School of Medicine and his medical training at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Hospital and Clinics, Department of Pediatrics. He is board certified in adult/pediatric allergy and immunology as well as pediatrics, and is Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at UCLA. Dr. Sher holds fellowships with the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He founded Peninsula Research Associates, Inc., in 1999 and is the principal investigator in all of the center's research studies. Since 1987, he has been in private practice in Southern California's South Bay, where his community involvement includes the Los Angeles County School Nurses Association and asthma support leadership at UCLA/Harbor Medical Center. His most recent publishing includes Clinical Therapeutics: Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology; and Medical Crossfire. Dr. Sher is also on speaker bureaus for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Schering Plough, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck. Along with the previous positions, he sits on National Advisory Boards for Merck and Eli-Lilly, as well as taking a seat on the Aventis Pediatric Advisory Board. Dr. Sher has served as a medical monitor on clinical research trials in South Africa, and is also involved with the designing of new research protocols.

Farid Khan, M.D.
Clinical Research Director, C.C.R.C
Farid received his medical degree in 1997 from the University of Debrecen, Medical and Sciences Health Center in Hungary. After receiving his degree, Farid held an externship in general surgery at Sharjah Al-Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and then worked as a resident surgeon at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital of Hatvan in Hatvan, Hungary.
He came to the United States in March 2000 and joined Harbor/UCLA Medical Center Research and Education Institute as a Clinical Trials Coordinator for two years where he was directly involved with in-patient clinical trials for the Department of Surgery.
In May 2002, he joined Peninsula Research Associates as a clinical research coordinator for outpatient clinical trials. He currently supervises the team of Clinical Research Coordinators at the research site and also handles business development for PRA.

Peninsula Research has an experienced staff of 5 full-time coordinators and a marketing department.

Vijay Parikh, MBBS CCRC
(3 years) is a physician licensed in India,
who joined Peninsula Research Associates
in 2003. Vijay coordinates our Asthma
studies at PRA Trials.

Baishakhi(Ruma) Barva, MBBS CCRC
(3 years) is a physician licensed in Bangladesh,
who also joined Peninsula Research Associates
in 2003. Baishakhi is the lead coordinator on all
ADHD studies at PRA Trials.

Lillian Bennett
Clinical Research Coordinator,
Phlebotomist, MA, Ex-ray Tech.
(5 years) is a California-licensed medical assistant, radiology technician and phlebotomist. She has
over 30 yearsof experience in the medical field.
Lillian coordinates the ADHD trials with Ruma and handles the laboratory work for PRA Trials.

Debbie Cappy CCRC
(5 years) has 18 years experience as a medical assistant in the field of Pediatrics and she
coordinates Pediatric as well as Adult Vaccine
studies for PRA Trials.

Carey Goldsmith-Furman CCRC (6 years) has worked as a research coordinator at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group prior to her appointment at PRA and she coordinates all of PRA's Sleep Disorder trials.

Maila Klein - Accounting (1 year)

Seamus Sullivan B.A. Marketing
(3 years) Is director for PRA trials
marketing and recruitment department.



*04/28/07* Cure Autism Now walk. We are proud to be participating in a great fund raiser for children with autism. We are excited not only to be a part of the Autism walk which raises money for autism research and support in the U.S. but we are also going to be handing out free prizes, puppets, pens and flyers with information about our new Autism study. We are leading the way to help better understand Autism with a trial of an investigational medication that may help with serious behavioral problems, specifically irritability, tantrums, agitation, and self-injurious behavior in children and adolescents between the ages of 6-17 years old that are diagnosed with Autism. *04/20/07* View our new insomnia advertisement that will be playing in our local movie theater. For 2 months we will be running our Insomnia advertisement in the local thearters (Regal The Avenues 13). If you have trouble sleeping or know someone who does please feel free to give us a call. *04/19/07* New African American asthma study that involves no placebo. We are now enrolling for a African American asthma study which involves comparing two FDA approved asthma medications at varying doses for 1 year. Today asthma is extreamly prevalent in African American communities and is due to a lack of access to medications and a lack of understanding of peoples level of asthma, what causes it, and how you can help manage it with and without medications. For More Information Call Us At (310) 265-1623	Dr. Lawrence D. Sher M.D. Dr. Sher received his medical degree in 1983 from the University of Utah School of Medicine and his medical training at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Hospital and Clinics, Department of Pediatrics. He is board certified in adult/pediatric allergy and immunology as well as pediatrics, and is Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in the Department of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at UCLA. Dr. Sher holds fellowships with the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology; and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He founded Peninsula Research Associates, Inc., in 1999 and is the principal investigator in all of the center's research studies. Since 1987, he has been in private practice in Southern California's South Bay, where his community involvement includes the Los Angeles County School Nurses Association and asthma support leadership at UCLA/Harbor Medical Center. His most recent publishing includes Clinical Therapeutics: Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology; and Medical Crossfire. Dr. Sher is also on speaker bureaus for Bristol-Myers Squibb, Schering Plough, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck. Along with the previous positions, he sits on National Advisory Boards for Merck and Eli-Lilly, as well as taking a seat on the Aventis Pediatric Advisory Board. Dr. Sher has served as a medical monitor on clinical research trials in South Africa, and is also involved with the designing of new research protocols. Farid Khan, M.D. Clinical Research Director, C.C.R.C Farid received his medical degree in 1997 from the University of Debrecen, Medical and Sciences Health Center in Hungary. After receiving his degree, Farid held an externship in general surgery at Sharjah Al-Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and then worked as a resident surgeon at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital of Hatvan in Hatvan, Hungary. He came to the United States in March 2000 and joined Harbor/UCLA Medical Center Research and Education Institute as a Clinical Trials Coordinator for two years where he was directly involved with in-patient clinical trials for the Department of Surgery. In May 2002, he joined Peninsula Research Associates as a clinical research coordinator for outpatient clinical trials. He currently supervises the team of Clinical Research Coordinators at the research site and also handles business development for PRA. Peninsula Research has an experienced staff of 5 full-time coordinators and a marketing department. Vijay Parikh, MBBS CCRC (3 years) is a physician licensed in India, who joined Peninsula Research Associates in 2003. Vijay coordinates our Asthma studies at PRA Trials. Baishakhi(Ruma) Barva, MBBS CCRC (3 years) is a physician licensed in Bangladesh, who also joined Peninsula Research Associates in 2003. Baishakhi is the lead coordinator on all ADHD studies at PRA Trials. Lillian Bennett Clinical Research Coordinator, Phlebotomist, MA, Ex-ray Tech. (5 years) is a California-licensed medical assistant, radiology technician and phlebotomist. She has over 30 yearsof experience in the medical field. Lillian coordinates the ADHD trials with Ruma and handles the laboratory work for PRA Trials. Debbie Cappy CCRC (5 years) has 18 years experience as a medical assistant in the field of Pediatrics and she coordinates Pediatric as well as Adult Vaccine studies for PRA Trials. Carey Goldsmith-Furman CCRC (6 years) has worked as a research coordinator at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group prior to her appointment at PRA and she coordinates all of PRA's Sleep Disorder trials. Maila Klein - Accounting (1 year) Seamus Sullivan B.A. Marketing (3 years) Is director for PRA trials marketing and recruitment department.