Our executive team is comprised of a diverse group of clinical trial and technology experts who average over 20 years of industry experience.
Leadership Team
US TEAM
Yijun Huang, PhDCO-FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Dr. Huang has 25+ years of experience in leading software and hardware development for medical imaging applications, both in academic and in FDA-regulated environments. Dr. Huang is dedicated to the development of methodologies that increase efficiency, gain additional insights, shorten development time, and reduce costs for specialty clinical trials.
Ronald P Danis, MD, FARVOCO-FOUNDER & CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER
Dr. Danis co-founded MERIT’s predecessor EyeKor, Inc. in 2012 with Dr. Huang and Dr. Christopher Murphy, bringing extensive experience as a practicing medical retina specialist to the company. Dr Danis is involved in the design and conduct of many clinical trials, and serves on leadership committees and data safety and monitoring boards for several ongoing studies.
Heather Baumhauer, MSChief Operating Officer
Heather Baumhauer brings nearly two decades of specialized experience in clinical trial operations to her role as Chief Operating Officer at MERIT. With a robust background spanning academic institutions, reading centers, and clinical research organizations, Heather is dedicated to elevating the standards of clinical trial support. Since earning her certification as a Clinical Research Coordinator from the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) in 2012, she has applied her extensive skills to lead and inspire a team of dedicated clinical trial professionals. At MERIT, Heather is committed to harnessing her comprehensive knowledge to drive operational excellence and deliver exceptional service, ensuring that every project not only meets but exceeds the stringent demands of clinical research.
David Bingaman, DVM, PhD, D. ACVOCHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, OPHTHALMOLOGY
Dr. Bingaman has over 25 years of experience in ophthalmic pharmaceutical and device companies. He holds a PhD in Ocular Angiogenesis and is a board-certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist. Dr. Bingaman works closely with MERIT’s senior management team to support the company’s strategic vision for growth and development in ophthalmology.
Qienyuan Zhou, PhDVP, MEDICAL & SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS
Dr. Zhou oversees the MERIT team of graders and data scientists and analysts, working together with our partners to assist with study design and consultation. Dr. Zhou works extensively with study sponsors and Independent Reading Centers (IRC) to develop imaging protocols and grading forms to meet the specific needs of each trial. Her team is focused on maintaining quality initiatives and providing timely deliverables to ensure the effective execution of clinical trials for our partners.
Nathan DiersVP, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Nathan leads the software development team and provides oversight for MERIT’s IT and software validation teams. He works to improve the functionality of the EXCELSIOR™ platform while maintaining the quality and regulatory standards vital for clinical trials. In addition, Nathan works with the management team to develop new capabilities and monitor resource allocation.
Shinji Yue, MS, MBAVP, ONCOLOGY
Shinji Yue leads the oncology commercial strategies at MERIT. He has 20+ years of global commercialization and market development experience in medical imaging, AI software, and medical devices for clinical trials. Shinji is responsible for growing the oncology business; developing commercial relationships with sponsors; and building and managing an exceptional team to meet aggressive revenue and profitability targets.
Julia Oxley, MBAVP, MARKETING, CONTRACTS & PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT
Julia leads MERIT’s teams dedicated to marketing, contract management and partnership management activities. She collaborates with CROs and sponsors to ensure MERIT services align with clients’ needs. Julia’s teams are dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service via open communication throughout the entire partnership.
Kymberly LarsonVP, REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Kym brings 20+ years of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance experience to her role at MERIT. Her broad GxP background includes experience in process improvement, risk assessment, CAPA, and HIPAA. Kym provides regulatory leadership to cross functional teams and ensures compliance throughout the company.
In addition, Kym acts as MERIT’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) and is responsible for the development and delivery of a comprehensive information security and privacy program.
In addition, Kym acts as MERIT’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) and is responsible for the development and delivery of a comprehensive information security and privacy program.
Anne GouldingDIRECTOR, OPHTHALMOLOGY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Anne collaborates with CROs, sponsors, and independent reading center personnel to optimize the study start-up process and maintain transparency and communication throughout the course of the study. Her extensive experience working on grant and industry-funded studies enables Anne to help ensure study objectives are achieved using state-of-the art processes.
Catherine Chintala, PMPDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, ONCOLOGY
With over 20 years of experience working in clinical operations at CROs and imaging core labs, Catherine has expertise managing oncology clinical trials from start up to close out. She works closely with Sponsors, designing and implementing processes to meet project timelines while helping to ensure study needs are clearly communicated across key stakeholders. Catherine’s background also includes Sponsor governance, managing KPIs, and standardizing processes for teams and departments to run more efficiently. Drawing upon her experience in a variety of indications and response criteria, Catherine can partner with your team to help make your clinical trial a success.
Brittany Figenscher, MS, CRA, COA, OCT-CDIRECTOR, OPHTHALMOLOGY PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Brittany Figenscher leads the MERIT ophthalmology imaging project management team, overseeing strategic project direction, client relations, and service integration across clinical studies. As Director of Ophthalmology Project Management at MERIT, she ensures the seamless execution of trials from startup to closeout. Her team is committed to quality initiatives, regulatory compliance, and timely deliverables. With over a decade of experience in ophthalmic imaging and clinical trial operations, Brittany holds a Master’s in Healthcare Analytics from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Photographic Communications from Rochester Institute of Technology. She is also certified as an OCT-C, CRA, and COA.
Brittany Royster, COTDirector, Ophthalmic Imaging
Brittany Royster leads the Ophthalmology Imaging Quality Control Specialist (IQCS) team. This group performs the initial evaluation of site image acquisition and upload as well as site certification and training. As Director, she oversees the team to ensure site photographers are prepared for accurate image capture as well as efficiency and accuracy in image quality review for each Ophthalmology clinical trial. Brittany monitors team efficiency, KPIs, and leads departmental initiatives to improve imaging processes. She has been a part of the eye care field for the past 20 years. Brittany holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Campbell University. She graduated from the Duke University School of Medicine Ophthalmic Technician Training Program where she holds a COT certification through JCAHPO.
Xiangrun Huang, PhDDIRECTOR, CLINICAL DATA MANAGEMENT
Xiangrun oversees MERIT’s data management team. She leads departmental initiatives to improve quality processes, implement data quality control plans, and monitor department KPIs to measure work quality and operational efficiencies. She ensures that project milestones are met while adhering to GCP, MERIT, and study-specific procedures. Xiangrun has extensive expertise in examining optical properties of ocular tissues and developing optical instruments. She also has experience in mathematical/physical modeling of experimental data and investigating damage mechanisms in optic nerve neuropathic diseases.
Pete CuenoDirector, Product Operations & Management
Pete leads MERIT’s Product Operations & Management department, ensuring timely and accurate project configuration that aligns with stakeholder needs. He collaborates closely with Product Development to enhance MERIT’s EXCELSIOR platform for evolving preclinical and clinical trial requirements. Throughout study start-up, closeout, and R&D, Pete’s team partners with internal teams as well as sponsors, CROs, and reading centers to support successful study execution.
Kathleen Zielinski, MDDirector of Medical Affairs, Anterior Segment/Safety
Dr. Zielinski is a seasoned comprehensive ophthalmologist with more than 20 years of clinical experience. She provides medical expertise for anterior segment clinical trials, including oversight of safety reviews, and contributes to the development of imaging charters and key study documents—such as PSEPs—to support clear, effective reader training. Dr. Zielinski also works closely with sponsors throughout all phases of clinical research, ensuring the highest standards of data integrity and patient safety are consistently upheld.
John LaugermanDirector, Engineering
John leads the Engineering team. for the EXCELSIOR™ platform, bringing over 25 years of development expertise to MERIT's clinical imaging solutions. He guides technical strategy across the platform's full stack while maintaining the rigorous quality and compliance standards required for FDA-regulated clinical trials. John works closely with cross-functional teams to optimize performance, manage cloud infrastructure, and build development capabilities.
Elaine BrownDIRECTOR, FINANCE
Elaine leads MERIT’s finance team to assure compliance with accounting, company, and legal standards. She works closely with company executives to achieve monthly goals for revenue and cost-control, providing consolidated financial reporting and guidance for decision making. Elaine coordinates with external auditors for annual financial audits and supports the Proposal Development teams by reviewing budgets and amendments for current, new, and prospective studies.
Michelle Wallace, SPHRDirector, Human Resources
Michelle Wallace is an HR leader with over 20 years of experience in driving transformative HR strategies and fostering inclusive workplace cultures. She has led numerous initiatives that have improved retention rates and optimized organizational development programs, across various industries, including telecommunications, retail, and distribution. As Director of Human Resources at MERIT, Michelle leads a team of HR professionals who align HR practices with the business strategies while supporting employee engagement. Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and is certified through HRCI as a senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). She also holds the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certification through USF Muma College of Business.
CHINA TEAM
Yoki QianVICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Yoki is responsible for the strategic alliance between MERIT’s US and China operations. She coordinates the collaboration between US and China business development and operational tasks across different regions and serves as a strong advocate for Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors conducting global multi-regional clinical trials.
LIN Chengyu, MDMEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dr. Lin has been exploring the value of radiology in clinical research ever since obtaining his MD degree. During this time, he has worked with multiple sponsors, providing high-quality independent reading data to support the regulatory approval of various products in multiple countries and regions. Currently, Dr. Lin serves as Medical Director at MERIT, where his work continues to focus closely on protocol design, aiming to minimize risks and biases, while conducting quality monitoring of independent reads.
Percy WuDIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, CHINA
Percy leads our business development team in China, building relationships with strategic partners and advancing MERIT’s sales, marketing, and business development efforts. He has experience in global clinical data collection technology and has focused on improving clinical trial efficiencies, accelerating digital transformation, and bringing therapies to market faster.
Alex (Yang) Wang, MS, PMP, FCPDIRECTOR, PROJECT MANAGEMENT
With over 10 years of experience in clinical trials, including extensive hands-on experience in central imaging for oncology studies, Alex oversees daily operations of MERIT’s project management team in China. He’s proficient in quality and risk management and has a deep understanding of ICH-GCP and imaging endpoint guidelines. Alex leads Project Management in monitoring data review and quality control functions; providing training and support for clinical sites, reading centers, and clients using EXCELSIOR™; and ensuring study compliance for the lifecycle of a project.
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