Leadership
Martin Poirier
Vice President, Contract Research
Martin Poirier joined the company in April 2025 as Vice President, Contract Research, bringing over 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience to the company.
Previously, Martin held senior leadership roles across North America working for various contract research organizations. Martin gained extensive experience leading cross-functional teams in several scientific disciplines such as bioanalysis, biomarkers, immunology and toxicology in all stages of drug development including discovery, research models, preclinical and clinical testing.
As a member of CPDC’s leadership team, Martin’s full-time role is to lead the Cadena Research business and to provide strategic vision, team leadership, scientific and operational management, and client engagement, working closely with other key functional areas. This role involves working directly with clients and CRO service partners to provide specialized support for research and preclinical radiotherapeutics and diagnostics development.
Martin is a graduate of INRS-Santé in Experimental Health Sciences.
Karen Stanger
Senior Director, Project Management
Karen has over 15 years’ experience working in drug development, business operations, and strategic alliance management across biotechnology, pharmaceutical, start-up, and not-for-profit sectors. She has managed teams from preclinical research through proof-of-concept clinical studies, bringing deep expertise in program management, portfolio governance, and operational strategy. In her role as Director of Program Management at Fusion Pharmaceuticals, Karen has direct experience in managing cross-functional drug development teams working to advance radiopharmaceutical products for oncology applications.
Karen has built and scaled program management functions in biotech start-ups, guiding organizations through rapid portfolio growth and organizational change and has led Business Operations at a not-for-profit organization, overseeing finance, HR, IT, and contracts functions while managing program delivery and ensuring compliance with reporting and performance standards. She holds a Master of Science in Biochemistry and an Honors Bachelor of Science in Biology.
Verkin Khajadourian
Director, Business Development
Verkin Khajadourian joined Cadena Research and CPDC in March 2026, as Director, Business Development, bringing with her 25 years of drug development and business operations experience.
Prior to joining CPDC, Verkin held various operational and commercial positions across different contract research organizations. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive knowledge and experience in toxicology and analytical/bioanalytical sciences supporting drug development programs in all stages of drug development from discovery to clinical testing.
As Director of Business Development at Cadena Research, Verkin focuses on growing the business by building meaningful relationships with pharmaceutical and biotech partners. She works across functional teams to deliver tailored research solutions and helping organizations navigate the complexities of preclinical development in the radiopharmaceutical space.
She holds a Master of Science in Chemistry as well as an MBA.
John Forbes
Senior Advisor, Preclinical Radiopharmaceutical Research
John Forbes joined the company in December 2024 in an advisory role, bringing over 20 years of pharmaceutical industry experience including 15 years in radiopharmaceutical development.
John has been active in a variety of disciplines including medical genetics, immunotherapy, and infectious disease research. He entered the radiopharmaceutical space in 2009 as an R&D scientist and director at the CPDC where he was part of the core scientific leadership which underpinned the formation and spin-out of Fusion Pharmaceuticals. As a director-level R&D scientist, John led preclinical research programs building Fusion’s radiopharmaceutical pipeline through internal discovery of novel compounds as well as by evaluating external assets for potential in-licensing. John is an expert at generating and preparing preclinical data and document packages for regulatory filings (IND) and intellectual property.
John will work with the CPDC team and clients to ensure research projects are robust and fit for purpose.
Oscar Grilli
Vice President, Quality Operations
Oscar Grilli first joined CPDC in May 2019 as the Quality Assurance Director and returned in June 2024 in his current role, bringing over 20 years of managerial experience across pharmaceuticals, CMOs, vaccines, cosmetics, radiopharmaceuticals, and engineering firms.
He has successfully implemented GMP quality systems, validation programs for both existing and new facilities, routine monitoring programs, training programs, improvement initiatives, and hosting several regulatory inspections across multinational companies. His extensive experience also includes managing various Quality functions such as Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Sterility Assurance, Technology Transfer, and Analytical Development.
As a member of CPDC’s Leadership Team, Oscar provides strategic vision, leadership, and functional expertise, working closely with other key functional areas. His focus is on delivering Quality expertise and strategic guidance, supporting the establishment and improvement of QMS associated partners, and fostering the company’s business growth.
Oscar holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in Ontario.
Holly Bilton, PhD
Associate Director
Holly Bilton joined CPDC in 2019, and currently holds the title of Associate Director.
Holly has over 10 years’ experience in radiopharmaceutical development. Prior to joining CPDC, Holly obtained her PhD from McMaster University under Dr. John Valliant, focusing on the discovery and development of radiopharmaceuticals and multimodal imaging probes.
Zainab Ahmad, PhD
Manager
Zainab Ahmad joined CPDC in 2022, and currently holds the title of Manager.
Zainab has over 10 years of experience in radiopharmaceuticals having completed her PhD at McMaster University under Dr. John Valliant focusing on the discovery and development of small molecule- and nanoparticle-based radiopharmaceuticals. Prior to joining CPDC, Zainab worked as a Regulatory Consultant.
Uzair Sayani, PhD
External Research Manager
Uzair Sayani joined CPDC in June 2024 as the External Research Manager.
Uzair has over 6 years of experience in radiochemistry and molecular imaging, having completed his PhD at University of Ottawa under Dr. Benjamin Rotstein focusing on advancing key diagnostic and therapeutic radiotracers to improve patient outcomes.
Uzair has a Bachelor of Science from Brock University in Biotechnology. Prior to joining CPDC, Uzair worked as a translational radiochemist in a GMP manufacturing facility producing radiopharmaceuticals for use in clinical development.
Mohamed Mohammad
Manager, Business Development
Mohamed Mohammad joined CPDC in 2024 as Manager, Business Development. Mohamed graduated from McMaster University with a Master’s in Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization, and has dedicated his career to working with nonprofit organizations.
In addition to business development, Mohamed plays a supporting role for the Canadian Medical Isotope Ecosystem (CMIE). Mohamed has a strong foundation in both the science and business aspects of the Biotech sector. In his role, he aims to drive growth and foster strategic partnerships to drive the goal of making nuclear medicine available for all Canadians.
Natasha Gill-Lincoln
Sr. Director, Human Resources (Fractional – BridgeBright Search & Advisory)
Natasha Gill-Lincoln joined CPDC through BridgeBright Search & Advisory in September 2025 as Fractional Sr. Director, Human Resources. She brings over 15 years of progressive HR leadership experience across global technology, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and complex matrixed organizations.
Prior to joining BridgeBright as an independent advisor, Natasha served as Senior Leader, Business Partners at Shopify, supporting executives within the company’s largest global division. In this role, she led a high-performing HR team responsible for enterprise talent strategy, organizational design, workforce restructuring, and performance transformation initiatives across North America, EMEA, and APAC. She partnered closely with senior leaders to align people strategy with business growth objectives and led significant change initiatives in a rapidly evolving environment.
Earlier in her career, Natasha held HR leadership roles at Innomar Strategies (AmerisourceBergen), SNC-Lavalin, and Takeda, focusing on talent management, succession planning, DEI strategy, and M&A integration.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Carleton University and is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner.