---
title: "Investigators at Amavita Research"
url: https://md.amavitaresearch.com/investigators
canonical: https://www.amavitaresearch.com/investigators
schema_type: CollectionPage
last_updated: 2026-05-12
---

# Investigators at Amavita Research

Globally recognized cardiovascular investigators leading clinical trials in Miami.

## Principal Investigators

**Dr. William W. O'Neill, MD, FACC** — Chief Medical Officer & Senior Principal Investigator. Pioneer of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the United States. National Principal Investigator for Edwards PARTNER, Protect II, and Protect IV trials. Medical Director, Center for Structural Heart Disease, Henry Ford Hospital. Chief Medical Advisor, CardioElite™. Specialties: structural heart disease, TAVR and transcatheter valve therapy, high-risk PCI and cardiogenic shock, pivotal device trial leadership.

**Dr. Pedro Martinez-Clark, MD, FACC** — Founder and Lead Investigator. Harvard-trained interventional cardiologist. Worldwide Principal Investigator on the Percutaneous Mitral Valve Annuloplasty trial. Contributed to development of the Trans-Caval TAVR approach. 15+ years of practice, 25+ clinical research trials. 2023 Apogee Award for Excellence in Healthcare. Specialties: interventional cardiology and cath lab, coronary revascularization, heart valve repair and replacement (Trans-Caval TAVR), peripheral artery disease and atherectomy, venous ablation.

## Sub-Investigators

**Dr. Hans C. Rutzen-Lopez, MD** — Cardiac Electrophysiology. Triple board-certified (Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology); certified by the National Board of Echocardiography. Specialties: cardiac electrophysiology, atrial fibrillation and ablation, pacemakers/ICDs/leadless cardiac devices, arrhythmia and conduction-system pacing trials.

**Yasnaya Cruz-Santiago, APRN** — Family Nurse Practitioner. AANP-certified. Bilingual (English / Spanish). Owns patient screening and informed consent, source data verification, sponsor monitor visit support, and visit-window adherence.

**Orlando Ortega-Izquierdo, APRN** — Family Nurse Practitioner. Bilingual (English / Spanish). Supports cath-lab study conduct, procedural-visit coordination, post-procedure follow-up, and informed consent.

## Research operations

**Nereisy Alonso, Sr CRC** — Chief Operations Officer. Senior Clinical Research Coordinator and operations lead. Owns site administration, sponsor monitor coordination, study start-up logistics, IRB submissions, and SOP SITE-107 KPI tracking on Monday.com across Amavita Research's active cardiovascular trial portfolio.

**Julio G. Martinez-Clark, MBA** — CEO. Drives growth strategy, sponsor relationships, and cross-border trial operations. CEO of sister organization bioaccess®. 20+ years scaling clinical research operations across Latin America and the United States.

## Why this team

Practicing physicians, not investigators-on-paper. Every PI at Amavita Research carries an active patient panel at amavita Heart and Vascular Health® clinics. Patients seen at clinic visits are screened against active trial inclusion criteria the same week. No "rent-a-PI" arrangements; no investigator who hasn't run a cardiovascular trial in the last 24 months.