MEET THE TCIS AFRICA 2026 ADVISORY WORKING COMMITTEE
Our advisory committee is composed of seasoned professionals who provide invaluable guidance and expertise. Their diverse backgrounds and insights help us navigate the complexities of the clinical research industry and make informed decisions.
Roseanne Onyia
Founder/CEO Clinique Research, Convener, TCIS AFRICA
Roseanne Onyia is a pioneering force in the clinical research field, boasting 17 years of dedicated experience.
As the Founder and CEO of Clinique Research Development Limited, she is transforming the landscape of clinical research in Africa, drawing global attention to the continent’s untapped potential in drug discovery. Her vision extends beyond her company to the entire African clinical research ecosystem, embodied in her role as the convener of The Clinical Investigators Summit (TCIS AFRICA).
TCIS AFRICA is the continent’s premier gathering of Clinical Researchers, Medical Professionals, CROs, Pharmaceutical Companies, Regulatory Agencies, and Academia. Under Roseanne’s leadership, the summit has become a vital platform for networking, exchanging achievements, and addressing the challenges of clinical trial management in Africa. TCIS AFRICA fosters strategic collaborations that aim to attract more clinical trials to the continent and ensure their effective management.
DR. Jerome Adams, M.D., MPH
FORMER U.S. Surgeon General Chairman of the Board for The Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials & Executive Director of Health Equity Initiatives
Dr. Adams serves as the Chairman of the Board for The Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials. Adams also currently serves as Executive Director of Health Equity Initiatives at Purdue University. He formerly served as the 20th United States Surgeon General and as a member of the President’s COVID-19 task force, where he was at the forefront of America’s most pressing health challenges throughout the pandemic, including working with companies to increase diversity in vaccine trials. As the Chairman of the Board, Adams provides his in-depth knowledge of patient perspectives and industry views on diversity to create sustainable solutions and best practices to establish more diverse representation in clinical trials.
Dr. Bettina Buabeng
Co-Executive Director
International Working Group for Health Systems Strengthening (IWGHSS)
Dr. Bettina Buabeng-Baidoo is a medical doctor, public health policy and systems researcher, and youth governance advocate whose work bridges clinical medicine, public health, and values-based systems reform. Clinically, she works as a medical doctor at Polokwane Hospital in South Africa. She currently serves as co-executive director of the International Working Group for Health Systems Strengthening (IWGHSS), where she leads the Youth in Global Health Governance Report in partnership with the Africa CDC’s Bingwa+ program.
Dr. Buabeng-Baidoo represents the Health Equality stream of the Values-20 (V20) under the G20 process, contributing to global dialogues on equity, dignity, and ubuntu-driven health governance. She has collaborated with Africa CDC, WHO Africa, AMREF, and other partners to design youth engagement frameworks that embed young professionals in decision-making spaces.
Recognized for her leadership in promoting youth agency, she frequently mentors young professionals and contributes to international panels on governance, mental health, and health systems transformation. She is a Mandela-Rhodes Scholarship alumna, a fellow of the Ban Ki-Moon Global Citizenship program, and the Africa CDC Y-Health Fellowship Programme.
Dr. Buabeng-Baidoo believes that sustainable health reform depends on empowering the next generation of investigators, policymakers, and clinicians to lead with values, evidence, and compassion.
DR. Pamela Mda
Director, Nelson Mandela Academic Clinical Research Unit (NeMACRU), SOUTH AFRICA
Dr. Pam Mda is a seasoned specialist family physician with expertise in HIV medicine and clinical trials, particularly in a rural setting.
She is the founding Director at the Nelson Mandela Academic Clinical Research Unit (NeMACRU), in Mthatha, Eastern Cape province, South Africa. Under her leadership, NeMACRU contributed significantly to national, regional and global clinical trials in collaboration with international networks. These encompass trials on HIV and Covid-19 vaccine, as well as research on infectious diseases and rare conditions.
Throughout a diverse career spanning from public, private practice to academia and research, she has held numerous leadership positions. Notably, she served as a Provincial Clinical Research Site Vaccination Lead, and provided critical oversight for the rollout of the healthcare worker COVID 19 vaccination programs in the Eastern Cape.
Dr. Isaac R. Rodriguez-Chavez, Ph.D., M.H.S., M.S.
CEO, 4Biosolutions Consulting, Former NIH, FDA Official
Dr. Isaac R. Rodriguez-Chavez is a distinguished scientific and regulatory expert with a 30-year career spanning Infectious Diseases, Viral Immunology, Viral Oncology, Microbiology, Vaccinology, and Rare Diseases. His experience covers the entire life cycle of medical product development, from basic and preclinical research to interventional clinical research (Phases I-IV), non-interventional clinical research, and post-marketing studies, leveraging them with standard healthcare systems.
Currently an independent clinical research, regulatory affairs, and digital medicine consultant, Dr. Rodriguez-Chavez has held influential roles, including Senior Vice President at ICON plc, where he led Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs) and Digital Medicine strategies. He has made significant contributions as an FDA CDER Senior Officer, leading efforts to modernize clinical research through DCTs and Digital Health Technologies.
DR. Diana L. Foster, PH.D.
DR. DIANA L. FOSTER, PH.D. President and Chief Diversity Officer for the Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials & Founder & CEO of Total Diversity Clinical Trial Management
Dr. Foster is the President and Chief Diversity Officer for the Association of Diversity in Clinical Trials and the Founder and CEO of TOTAL Diversity Clinical Trial Management, a full-service integrated diversity organization.
From 2016 through 2022, Dr. Foster served as Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Society of Clinical Research Sites (SCRS), where she authored the Diversity Site Assessment Tool (DSAT). Dr. Foster has written six industry books and several current research studies focused on site perspectives in diversity. Dr. Foster is a recognized thought leader and sought after expert in diversity and clinical site best practices.
Al Pacino
President / General Manager BlueCloud by HealthCarePoint.com
Al is a United States Army veteran and senior executive and with over 35 years in healthcare and clinical research. Actively involved as an innovator in the industry.
As a 16-year cancer survivor with a passion to give back in making a difference in the industry, Mr. Pacino along with patients and patient survivors, co-founded the innovative BlueCloud® Network now saving healthcare and clinical research millions of dollars.
Current Global Member base includes over 2 million healthcare professionals, 150 Sponsors, 45 CROs and over 200,000 healthcare and clinical research sites.
Yonnie Otieno
BlueCloud Africa Manager
Yonnie Otieno serves as Manager for BlueCloud Africa – BlueClouds are compliance Innovation in Global Health and Research at HealthCarePoint.
He provides the Public Benefit Corporation for R&D in Med device, drug, and vaccine development for infectious, childhood, and neglected tropical diseases. Currently involved with delivering and implementing clinical trials product development programs in Discovery & Translational Sciences involving Cloud Networks.
His activity also includes machine learning and health economics modeling collaborating with the Global Development division.
Currently, Yonnie is responsible for supporting Africa Startups Accelerator for Business Innovation, responsible for VC Intelligence components of Investors’ solutions, and discovering investors’ predictive models from real-world de-identified Business Big Data. Yonnie is the lead inventor as more work on patents and for applications, including several involving technology predictive models for clinical diagnostics.
Wes Okeke
CEO of CUBIO & The Nomad Network, USA
Wesley Okeke is a visionary leader and the CEO of the Nomad Health Care and Life Science Network and CUBIO Innovation Hub in Houston Texas, United States.
Wesley Okeke has dedicated his career to ensuring that the journey of every CEO, founder, or entrepreneur is supported and impactful. After more than two decades in Business Development, Marketing, and Sales within technology companies in Boston and Silicon Valley, and extensive global experience across Asia, Europe, Canada, South America, and the USA, Wesley has a deep understanding of what it takes to develop new markets and support product development on a global scale.
Anupa Singh
Business Development Manager
BIOCAIR
Anupa is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in clinical research and clinical trials, bringing a unique blend of expertise in both science and logistics. Holding degrees in Cell Biology, Psychology, and Human Anatomy, she has developed a robust foundation in human sciences, further strengthened by hands-on involvement in analytical laboratory procedures and research protocols.
She is a SANAS-certified auditor for ISO 15189 and ISO 17025, reflecting her in-depth knowledge of laboratory quality systems and regulatory compliance. Anupa holds multiple professional certifications, including Advanced Project Management, Lab Quality Systems, and Train the Trainer, underscoring her commitment to excellence in project execution and team development.
As a Certified IATA Trainer for Class 6.2 materials, Anupa has played a pivotal role in ensuring the safe and compliant transport of infectious substances—bridging the gap between clinical science and logistics. Her dual capability in managing both the operational and technical aspects of clinical trials makes her a valuable asset in multidisciplinary teams.
Her combined scientific acumen and logistical insight position her as a leader in supply chain and clinical research.
Dan Milam
Co-Chair
SCRS Ambassador Program
Dan brings over 30 years of experience across the pharmaceutical, CRO, and clinical site sectors, offering a well-rounded perspective on the clinical research industry. His career has focused on building and executing strategies that strengthen partnerships with global clinical research collaborators, healthcare organizations, Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), physicians, and advisory boards.
Dan is passionate about advancing clinical research through meaningful engagement and collaboration. He works closely with internal teams and external partners to drive innovation, improve research processes, and support initiatives that elevate patient-centered outcomes.
Dan also serves as Co-Chair of the SCRS Ambassador Program, where he champions site advocacy and works to amplify the voice of research sites globally within the broader clinical research ecosystem.
