Meet The Team

Investigators

Craig Curtis, MD

Chief Medical Officer & Principal Investigator

Carole Gordon

Principal Investigator

Ruth Paiano, APRN, CPI

Principal Investigator

Cheryl Klenow, MD

Principal Investigator

Clinical Team

Christian Beierschmitt

Regional Director of Clinical Operations & Managing Partner, K2 The Villages, FL

Jenna Meador, BS, CSP

Director of Site Operations

Juliana Barrera, RPht, CPht

Clinical Site Director

Graham Alrutz

Director of Clinical Operations

Jessica Myers

Lead Project Manager

Cori Ackerman

Project Manager & Psychometric Rater

Daniel Beierschmitt

Project Manager

Miranda Calaverne

Project Manager & Infusion Nurse

Elma Fallejo

Project Manager

Devin Feliciano

Project Manager

Lluvia Munoz Morillo

Project Manager

Takashi Sado

Project Manager

Kylie Webster

Project Manager

Nancy Cabelus

Research Nurse & Psychometric Rater

Cheryl Main Rae

Clinical Research Assistant

Destiny Puentes

Clinical Research Assistant

Orfa Romero

Clinical Research Assistant

Cheryl Bidwell

Laboratory Specialist

Carleigh Spivey, RBT

Laboratory Specialist

Elizabeth Ramcharit, RPhT

Pharmacy Technician

Christopher Curtis

Clinical Operations Coordinator

Kim Gray

Community Connector

Keith Barsky

Recruitment Specialist

Amanda Biancardi

Recruitment Specialist

Missy Carlson

Recruitment Specialist

Sylvia Wolcott

Administrator of Global Data Management

Cathy Lord

Regulatory Associate

Beatriz Antunes

Front Desk Coordinator

Dr. Craig Curtis, MD

Chief Medical Officer & Principal Investigator

Dr. Craig Curtis, MD, serves as Chief Medical Officer and founder of K2 Medical Research, The Villages and was co-founder of Compass Research, one of the country’s largest and foremost memory loss, Dementia and  Alzheimer’s Disease research centers.  Dr. Curtis’ research focuses on prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and as a collaborator, has been published in leading national and international journals including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Neurology. He has been both a local and national lecturer on the topics of Alzheimer’s Disease and clinical research site management. Dr. Curtis is particularly interested in the underlying biology and prevention of memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease – and pursuing the science that one day will lead to an effective treatment. 

Dr. Curtis began his medical career while proudly serving in the United States Navy. His tour of duty lasted 6 years primarily at the Washington D.C. Naval Yard Medical Clinic, a detachment of Bethesda Naval Hospital. He attended the Univ. of Maryland but obtained his undergraduate degree from Regents College of the State of New York (due to military service) and earned his medical degree from Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine. 

Dr. Curtis trained at Florida Hospital (now Advent Health – one of the largest hospitals in the United States); at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia where he participated in multiple oncology clinical trials; and St. Vincent’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. He has maintained his Florida Medical license in good standing since 1997. 

Dr. Curtis lives in central Florida with his wife, 2 children and their Golden Retriever. His interests outside of medical research include cycling, tennis, WWII history and watching Cleveland sports teams.

Carole Gordon, MD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Carole Gordon is a Board Certified urologist .She received her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and has been in practice over thirty years. She practices general urology with a focus on women’s health and overactive bladder.

Ruth Paiano, APRN, CPI

Investigator

Ruth completed her Nurse Practitioner at Stonybrook University in New York. Her initial Nursing degree was obtained in St. Louis, Missouri. She has worked as a Nurse practitioner in the fields of emergency medicine, cardiology, and neurology. Ruth has over 10 years of research experience.

Her hobbies include traveling and exploring new places in Florida with her family.

Cheryl Klenow, MD

Principal Investigator

Dr. Klenow was raised in Duluth, Minnesota and moved to Florida in 2018. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with her Doctor of Medicine, but she also holds a Master of Science in Physiology as well as a Master of Nursing. Dr. Klenow completed her residency in General Surgery and is Family Practice Board Certified and has also worked in Emergency Medicine for 15 years. She has been practicing medicine for over 30 years and is excited to work in research.

Outside of work, Dr. Klenow enjoys participating in the Women Doctors Club of The Villages, volunteering at the Marion Therapeutic Riding Association. She can also be found golfing and hanging out with her Bichon Frisé, Cameron.

Christian Beierschmitt

Managing Director

Christian is a lifelong Florida resident and currently resides in Leesburg. He is a trained EMT but found his true calling in clinical research. He has over a decade of experience in various clinical research roles and therapeutic areas and has been involved in over 100 clinical trials of all phases. 

Christian is happily married with one son. In addition to his position at K2 Summit Research in The Villages, he also owns and operates “Red’s Frenchies” with his spouse where they breed and show French Bulldogs. His hobbies include spending time and traveling with his growing family, CrossFit, and taking care of his farm.

Jenna Meador, BS, CSP

Director of Site Operations

Jenna moved to Florida from Missouri in 2021. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is a Board-Certified Specialist in Psychometry. She began working as a psychometrist in a neuropsychology clinic in 2019, where she administered cognitive testing to patients with a variety of diagnoses such as dementia, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and more. She then transitioned to research in 2021, where she has continued to work with similar patient populations.

Jenna’s two favorite things are her husband and their Pomeranian. When not working, she can be found playing with her puppy, watching scary movies, or doing ancestry research.

Juliana Barrera, RPht, CPht

Clinical Site Director
Bio Coming Soon.

Graham Alrutz

Director of Clinical Operations
Bio Coming Soon.

Cori Ackerman

Project Manager & Psychometric Rater
Bio Coming Soon.

Daniel Beierschmitt

Project Manager
Bio Coming Soon.

Miranda Calaverne

Project Manager & Infusion Nurse
Bio Coming Soon.

Elma Fallejo

Project Manager
Bio Coming Soon.

Devin Feliciano

Project Manager I
Bio Coming Soon.

Lluvia Munoz Morillo

Clinical Research Assistant
Bio Coming Soon.

Kylie Webster

Project Manager
Bio Coming Soon.

Destiny Puentes

Clinical Research Assistant
Bio Coming Soon.

Cheryl Bidwell

Laboratory specialist
Bio Coming Soon.

Carleigh Spivey, RBT

Clinical Research Assistant
Bio Coming Soon.

Elizabeth Ramcharit

Pharmacy Technician
Bio Coming Soon.

Christopher Curtis

Clinical Operations Coordinator
Bio Coming Soon.

Kim Gray

Community Connector
Bio Coming Soon.

Keith Barsky

RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST
Bio Coming Soon.

Amanda Biancardi

Recruitment Specialist
Bio Coming Soon.

Sylvia Wolcott

Administrator of Global Data
Bio Coming Soon.

K2 is Closed for the holidays

All K2 locations will be closed from December 24, 2024 – January 5, 2025.  We will reopen on January 6, 2025.  In the meantime, please check out our website to learn more about our clinical research trials, our teams, and ways you can join our growing team.  

Wishing you and your families a Happy Holiday Season! 

Melissa Belardo, APRN

Clinical Investigator

Melissa Belardo, is a certified family nurse practitioner (FNP-BC), joins K2 Medical Research with more than a decade of clinical experience. She has served as an investigator in over 20 trials. Prior to clinical research, she held roles in gastroenterology, hepatology, and nurse education.

Melissa’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Adventist University, followed by a master’s degree in Family Nurse Practitioner from Georgetown University.

Melissa is a native of the US Virgin Islands’ and is fluent in both English and Spanish; Melissa has lived in central Florida for the past twenty years. When she’s not at work, you can find her volunteering at her local church and spending time with family.

Join a Study

If you are interested in learning more or participating in any of our studies, please fill out the form below and our office will get back to you within 1-2 business days.