Management Team

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.

Dr. Danis co-founded MERIT’s predecessor EyeKor, Inc. in 2021 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.

Nathan leads the software development and validation team, working to improve the functionality of the EXCELSIOR™ platform while maintaining the quality and regulatory standards vital for clinical trials. He oversees the IT group for support of the MERIT infrastructure and works with the management team to develop new capabilities and monitor resource allocation.

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.

Heather brings a unique blend of academic research, reading center, and CRO experience to the management of MERIT projects. She is dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service combined with expert knowledge of clinical trial conduct. As an ACRP Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, Heather adds more than 15 years’ experience to MERIT’s Project Management team.

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 leads MERIT’s teams dedicated to sales, marketing, and business development 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.

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.

Yoki is responsible for the daily oversight of MERIT’s operations in China, coordinating the relationship between local sponsors, partners, trade associations, and the employees within each. Her familiarity with the business development and operational tasks in China provides MERIT’s partners a seamless global study experience.

Kym is responsible for providing regulatory leadership to cross functional teams and ensuring compliance and privacy throughout each Sponsor’s clinical trial. 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.