Meet the team

  • Dr. Edward Mena

    President, CEO, and principal investigator

    Dr. Mena has over 20 years of experience and is dedicated to further research on all aspects of liver disease, including better ways to diagnose and manage liver damage.

  • Stephanie Tang

    Vice President

    Stephanie is responsible for managing all operational and business development aspects of CLRC. She enjoys working closely with the team to identify new opportunities and trials and to provide the best resources and options for patients with liver disease.

  • Dr. Michel Mendler

    Chief Scientific Officer

    Dr. Michel Henry Mendler is a distinguished hepatologist with over thirty years of experience in clinical research, education, and patient care. As the chief scientific officer, he leads groundbreaking research initiatives focused on liver diseases.

  • Katrina Buxbaum

    NP - SMSN, ANP-C,  Sub-Investigator

    Katrina Buxbaum is a Nurse Practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in adult medicine. As a Sub-Investigator, she focuses on hepatology clinical trials and is dedicated to advancing research that helps patients with liver disease achieve healthier, more fulfilling lives.

  • Iliana Cisneros

    Clinical Operations Manager/Senior Clinical Research Coordinator

  • Coral Hernandez

    Clinical Research Coordinator II

  • Ashley Vuong

    Clinical Research Coordinator I

  • Tinisha McDonald

    Lab Associate

  • Melisa Zuniga Martinez

    Research Assistant

  • Cassandra Valdez

    Clinical Research Coordinator I

Our mission

California Liver Research Center is a non-profit organization focused on the advancement of treatment and management of liver disease. Our commitment is to expand and improve the knowledge of liver diseases and novel therapies, as well as to deliver quality patient care.

Pharmaceutical Companies

  • CLRI is a research facility that conducts clinical trials on liver disease.

  • On site, we have our own laboratory, storage space for frozen samples, centrifugation, and a FibroScan.

  • We pride ourselves in the experience of our professionals and the quality of care offered to our patients.

  • As a single center, the average time to start up a study is shorter, and you will get timely responses to your inquiries.

  • Dr. Edward Mena, a renowned hepatologist in Los Angeles county, is the president and CEO, as well as the principal investigator.

  • We conduct our own investigator’s initiative studies, to address different liver diseases affecting communities in LA.

“Over the course of the study, Dr. Mena and his team have exhibited exemplary collaboration with the sponsor and CRO team. From data management to recruitment, they are diligent, engaging, and proactive”

— Pfizer Newsletter