2024 ASCO Annual Meeting

Isagani (Gani) M. Chico, MD, is Vice President and Global Head for Oncology Therapeutic Expertise, Fortrea Clinical Development Services, based in Baltimore, Maryland. Gani has more than 35 years of experience in oncology clinical drug development from small and medium sized biotechnology companies, CROs and the FDA, focused on planning and execution global oncology clinical development projects from early phase to post approval, leadership of cross-functional strategic teams within medical affairs and clinical development organizations, and management of pharmaceutical, academic and regulatory interactions. Gani earned his medical degree from the University of the Philippines, completed his Internal Medicine residency at the Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and completed his Medical Oncology fellowship training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. 

At Fortrea, Gani leads a dedicated team of more than 50 oncology physicians with an average of 23 years of academic and industry-related clinical experience in countries across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. The oncology medical team executes program and study level medical oversight that span early phase clinical development through late-phase and post-marketing studies. Fortrea also offers a group of consultants that provide expertise in specific tumor indications, technologies and drug classes, including study protocol and clinical development planning and strategy, establishment of target product profiles, feasibility and risk assessment.

Laura Vidal, MD, is a certified medical oncologist with extensively experience in oncology drug. She holds two fellowships in Clinical Drug Development from the Royal Marsden hospital, London and the Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto. She spent 15 years in clinical and academic positions specializing in the field on oncology and drug development. Throughout her career, Dr. Vidal has authored or co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles and received numerous health and research awards. Her research interests are focused on early phase development of targeted agents, molecular and imaging biomarkers and anticancer immunotherapy. She holds a thesis title from the London University in oncolytic viruses from her pre-clinical and clinical work in reovirus (Reolysin®). 

She joined our company in December 2020. Dr. Laura Vidal is the Medical Head of the Oncology group in EU. She contributes to the development of Fortrea policies involving medical, safety and therapeutics; serves as point of contact for key clients on business and studies oversight; manages relationships with investigators/sites for clinical trials, and mentors clinical research physicians and medical directors across the company.

Kamal Saini, MD, executive medical director at Fortrea Inc., is a board-certified medical oncologist based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, where he also practices part-time at the Addenbrooke’s (Cambridge University) Hospital. He contributes to the scientific strategic leadership of the oncology therapeutic area at Fortrea and provides clinical and medical expertise to project teams and other Fortrea departments on clients’ drug development projects. He liaises with key opinion leaders and academic cooperative groups with regard to the design, setup, and execution of cancer trials, especially in the breast cancer subdomain. He manages a team of high-performing medical monitors who are a part of the European oncology team. He leads the Precision Medicine and Emerging Therapies Leadership Center at Fortrea, and is also our global Scientific Publications Lead (Oncology). He brings more than 15 years of experience in clinical research and development to Fortrea. He is the author or co-author of several peer-reviewed journal articles. He joined our company in 2015.

Geoffrey Kannan, PhD, MD, is an Executive Medical Director in the Oncology Therapeutic Area, Head of the Americas Oncology Team, and Lead for the Pediatric Oncology Medical Science Leadership Center. Dr. Kannan also provides medical and scientific governance to Sponsors, supporting development and execution of oncology clinical trials. Dr. Kannan brings more than 25 years of oncology scientific and medical experience to Fortrea. Dr. Kannan trained as a pediatric hematologist/oncologist and pediatric neuro-oncologist and has served at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Boston Children’s Hospital, and on faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kannan joined Fortrea out of practice as a pediatric neuro-oncologist affiliated with Inova Children’s Hospital and Children’s National Medical Center. At Fortrea Dr. Kannan leads medical and scientific oncology therapeutic expertise and strategic endeavors for Fortrea’s Americas-based oncology physicians, and leads Fortrea’s pediatric oncology initiatives, lending an experienced voice to guide industry partners to bring life-saving therapies to children afflicted with cancer.

Maria Ignacia Berraondo, MD, is Senior Medical Director of oncology for Fortrea, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Dr. Berraondo has 10 years of experience in oncology clinical drug development, providing clinical and medical expertise to project teams and other Fortrea departments to advance clients’ drug development programs and contributing to the planning and execution of the scientific strategic leadership of the Oncology therapeutic area. 

Dr. Berraondo earned her medical degree from Universidad del Salvador, Argentina and is a board certified hematologist. She completed her Hematologic residency at Hospital Teodoro Alvarez, Buenos Aires Argentina and Sociedad Argentina de Hematologia. She joined our company in July 2020.

Patrícia Andrade Brandalise, MD, is a boarded clinical oncologist in Brazil since 2005. Dr. Brandalise earned her MD and MsC degrees at Campinas State University (UNICAMP), Brazil, and received her oncology qualifications in the Campinas Institute of Oncology. She is an active member of the Brazilian Society of Oncology. 

Dr. Brandalise has more than 18 years of experience in clinical oncology with clinical, investigational and administrative responsibilities and 15 years serving in pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Fortrea, Patrícia worked for Janssen and Abbvie as Medical Director for Latin America in the Hematology and Oncology Business Unit. She also served as Oncology Medical Leader for Roche Brazil implementing several compassionate use programs in Latin America, preparing and delivering launches for new molecules/indications. She also has been designing and implementing Phase I-II-III-IV trials in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, México, Peru, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Korea and Australia, many as lead physician.