NANI Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana Patient Resources

Clinical Research 



Clinical Trials are the gateway to advances in the field of Medicine.

NANI Research conducts high-quality Phase II-IV clinical trials at many NANI locations, specializing in research for the field of Nephrology. Developing new therapies can significantly improve the quality of life for people affected by various medical conditions. Our goal is to ensure the best medical care is provided to our patients, while maintaining an active role in the devel­op­ment of new treatments and medications.

NANI has set a high standard for the conduct of Clinical Trials. We provide a reliable environment in which clinical research of superior quality is conducted. All personnel involved in conducting clinical trials at NANI are trained in Good Clinical Practice and apply a set of standard operating procedures to ensure uniformity and quality.








Clinical Investigators:

Suneel Udani, MD - Medical Director

Melissa Anderson, MD

Pravir Baxi, MD

Melanie Barrido, MD

Omaima Degani, MD

John Ducker, MD

Sadaf Elahi, MD

Nayan Gowda, MD

Garima Gupta, MD

Patrick McHugh, MD

Jeanette McLaughlin, MD

Amir Memon, MD

Andrew O’Shaughnessy, MD

Umesh Patel, MD

Abhishek Pulla, MD

Leon Sujata, MD

Abraham Thomas, MD

Maria Valcarcel, MD

William Whittier, MD


Clinical trials at our facilities are run by kidney doctors, or nephrologists. Our physician investigators are trained in the Code of Federal Regulations and International Conference on Harmonization Guidelines and are Good Clinical Practice certified.


The NANI Research Team is responsible for conducting clinical trials within the Code of Federal Regulations and International Conference Harmonization guidelines. Team members are thoroughly trained and regularly monitored for compliance to all NANI Standard Operating Procedures and Good Clinical Practice Guidelines.


  • Nancy Cipparrone, Director of Research
  • Jael Bewick, Clinical Research Coordinator I
  • Julia Borovkov Clinical Research Coordinator II
  • Kelly Johnston, Clinical Research Coordinator II
  • Olabimpe Bolumole, MBBS, Clinical Research Coordinator I
  • Swarnam Chiramel, Clinical Research Coordinator III
  • Kunal Patel, MD, ACRP-CP, Clinical Research Coordinator II
  • Kristine Valcarcel, Clinical Research Coordinator III

 For Potential Research Participants

Clinical Research is the foundation for advancement of medicine, offering new ways to prevent, detect and treat diseases. Clinical Trials have offered hope for people with chronic illnesses and the possibility of new kidney disease treatments in the future. Our research participants help us make this happen.

Why participate in a Clinical Trial?
The decision to enroll in research is personal. For some, clinical trial participation may offer new investigational treatment options and hope of recovery from illness. For others, it’s a way to help people in the future. Most importantly, everyone receives skilled and compassionate care at NANI. People who participate in research are closely monitored by physicians and research team members during their clinical trial participation. Our researchers ensure participants and families are kept informed throughout the trial and remain available for questions and additional support. We offer research opportunities for adult individuals at sites of care throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana.

How does it work?
Before a drug can be released and sold in the consumer market, there are many levels of approval needed. Clinical Trials are conducted to collect the data regarding overall safety and efficacy of a new drug during its development. This testing begins in the laboratory. It involves months of experimentation on animal and human cells before it reaches trial on humans. If these initial experiments are successful, the accumulated data is then sent to the FDA for approval to continue research in humans. This commences the 4 phases of a Clinical Trial. NANI conducts only Phase II, III and IV Clinical Trials.

  ●  Phase I:  A new drug/treatment is tested in a small group of healthy individuals to evaluate the safety, tolerability, side effects and safe dosage.
  ●  Phase II:  The same drug is given to a larger group of individuals to further determine its effectiveness, safety and overall, how well the drug works.
  ●  Phase III:  The same drug is then given to even larger groups to confirm its effectiveness, side effects, and compare it to current “gold-standard” treatments already in the market.
  ●  Phase IV:  After the drug/treatment has released in the market, studies are done to collect information on the drug’s effects in various populations and associated side effects with long-term usage.




 For Sponsors

NANI Research specializes in conducting high-quality Phase II-IV Clinical Trials in Nephrology at many of its NANI Clinic Locations, with access to thousands of Nephrology patients having varying common and rare diagnoses.

NANI successfully works with many Sponsors and CROs and their staff. We have productive working relationships with clinical research associates, on-site and remote, clinical trial managers, laboratories, vendors, and hospitals.

NANI implements a GCP, 21 CFR Part 11 compliant Clinical Trial Management System with e-regulatory, e-source, and e-consent capabilities making it accessible to Sponsor’s and CROs to participate in remote monitoring.

NANI Research can open a clinical trial from CDA execution to SIV in less than 8 weeks and we work with many commercial IRBs. Our research sites offer full service phlebotomy, investigational product handling, laboratory processing / shipping, and other ancillary services.

NANI Research ILLINOIS locations:
  • 1445 Hunt Club Drive, Suite 201 Gurnee, IL 60031
  • 911 N. Elm St, Suite 102, Hinsdale, IL 60521
  • 10370 Haligus Road Ste. 103, Building 2, Huntley, IL 60142
  • 1426 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607
  • 9125 S. Pulaski Evergreen Park, IL 60805
NANI Research INDIANA Locations:
  • 7836 W Jefferson Blvd, Ste 101, Fort Wayne IN 46804
  • 5510 South East Street, Suite H, Indianapolis, IN 46227
All Research Sites Include:
  • On-site CLIA waiver for processing lab specimens
  • Locked cabinet/room for ambient medication
  • Calibrated min/max alarm notification thermometers
  • Standard refrigerator
  • -20 degree freezer with calibrated min/max 24 hour-alarm notification thermometer
  • Calibrated centrifuge
  • Dedicated fax lines with email notification
  • EKG machines with printed interpretation
  • Calibrated Adult Scale and Stadiometer
  • High capacity copier
  • High Speed internet access for study staff and CRAs


Who can I contact with questions about clinical research?

NANI Research Email Us
Phone: (331) 216-1115, Director of Research.