Exceptional research requires an exceptional team

John G. Sonnenberg, PhD, founded Uptown Research Institute in 2001. He serves as principal investigator on clinical trials and as president of the company. Dr. Sonnenberg’s research interests include schizophrenia, psychedelics, and clinical trials methodology. He serves as a volunteer faculty member at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine and is an Illinois licensed clinical psychologist. He earned his BA and PhD from Northwestern University.

Michael Jutovsky, MD, joined Uptown Research Institute in January 2004, acting as principal and sub-investigator for clinical trials with multiple indications, such as Alzheimer's disease, tardive dyskinesia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Dr. Jutovsky was appointed medical director of Uptown Research Institute in November 2018. He earned his MD from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and was chief resident in the University of Illinois Family Practice Residency Program.

Tapan Parikh, MD, MPH, is a board-certified adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist working as an investigator at Uptown Research Institute. His research interests include clinical pharmacology and trial design. He completed his Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Parikh completed his general psychiatry training at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.

Diane Cohen, JD, returned to Uptown Research Institute in 2017, after a 10-year hiatus, as the chief operating officer. She is tasked with overseeing the site’s day-to-day administrative and operational functions, including project management, marketing, human resources, and finance. She earned her BA degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her JD degree from Loyola University. Diane cultivates a collaborative, high-performance environment at Uptown, driven by her commitment to operational excellence and patient satisfaction.

Stephen J. Schneider, MA, LCPC, joined Uptown Research Institute in March 2017 as the manager of recruitment and regulatory affairs. He is a licensed clinical professional counselor and administers cognitive assessments in clinical trials for schizophrenia. He also monitors dosing sessions for clinical trials for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder using psychedelics. Stephen received his BS degree from Illinois State University and his MA in Counseling from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Gwen Jacobs, RN, MS, joined Uptown Research in March 2001. She is a senior research nurse and leads clinical trials in multiple psychiatric diagnoses. Prior to working at Uptown, she worked at the University of Chicago in neurology and neurosurgery and in the post-surgical cardiothoracic ICU. Gwen’s research interests include the interplay of neurology and psychiatry.

Alecia E. Halstead, MD, MBA, joined Uptown Research Institute in January 2016. She serves as a sub-investigator, rater, and clinical research coordinator on clinical trials for multiple indications including obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obesity. Her research interests include mechanisms of brain function, the mind-body connection, and bringing advanced therapies to market. Dr. Halstead earned her MD from Atlantic University School of Medicine and her MBA in Health Care Management from Davenport University.

Jennifer Rohde, BS, joined Uptown Research Institute in January 2020. She is a clinical research coordinator and leads clinical trials for multiple indications including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. Jennifer is committed to improving patient support and healthcare access while contributing to mental health research designed to improve patients’ lives. Jennifer’s primary research interest is schizophrenia. She received her BS degree from DePaul University.

Melissa Schiffman, MBA, joined Uptown Research Institute in 2013. She is the director of finance and analytics at Uptown. She uses data analytics to help company leadership make more informed decisions regarding risk management and performance optimization. Melissa received her BS in Economics from the University of Iowa and her MBA degree from DePaul University.

Kenneth T. Alferes joined Uptown Research Institute in August 2021. He currently oversees facility operations, manages reception and intake, and assists with patient recruitment and retention. Kenny is committed to improving healthcare access and outcomes for patients with mental health conditions in his Uptown Chicago community.

April Easley joined Uptown Research Institute in December 2022. She is a certified phlebotomist and medical assistant. As unit manager, she completes forms and reports, reviews care plans, and coordinates work schedules for unit staff. April is committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for Uptown staff and patients.

Deborah Jones-Miller joined Uptown Research Institute in January 2025. As a recruitment assistant, she follows up with research study applicants and schedules appointments for eligible patients while ensuring digital records are accurate and up to date. Deborah is committed to maintaining the integrity of clinical research data to advance new therapies for patients struggling with mental health conditions.