Our Team

CEO and Principal Investigator

Dr. Gonzalo Laje is a distinguished psychiatrist, clinical researcher, and healthcare leader with over 25 years of expertise in psychopharmacology and psychiatric genetics. Board-certified in both General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. Laje maintains an active clinical practice across age groups and is widely recognized for his work in the diagnosis and treatment of complex, treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. 

Dr. Laje spent nearly a decade at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he focused on pharmacogenetics, neuroimaging, clinical trials, genetic disorders (rare disorders), and novel psychiatric interventions. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters and is a co-inventor on two patents. His work has been featured in major media outlets, including The New York Times. 

COO and Clinical Rater

Ester Salmán, MPH is Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Centurion Neuroscience Research, where she leads clinical operations, research execution, and quality systems for neuroscience studies. Centurion is a private clinical research clinic built on the measurement-based care model of Washington Behavioral Medicine Associates (WBMA).

With over 25 years of experience in neuroscience and psychiatric clinical research, Ms. Salmán has led Phase I–IV CNS programs across biopharmaceutical, academic, public health, and private research settings. She is widely recognized for her expertise in psychometrics and clinical rating methodology, including rater training, diagnostic accuracy, and endpoint reliability.

Prior to Centurion, she served as Vice President of Clinical Research at Vistagen Therapeutics and held senior leadership roles at NYC Health + Hospitals and the NYS Psychiatric Institute–Columbia University. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and holds a Master of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

VP, Geriatric Medicine and Clinical Rater

Dr. Rene P. Laje holds a Ph.D. in Social Work from Fordham University and an M.A. in Gerontology from the University of Northern Colorado. She began her research career at the New York State Psychiatric Institute / Columbia University, where she served as a Clinical Trials Manager in the Smoking Cessation Clinic. In this role, she oversaw clinical research operations, coordinated multi-site studies, and co-authored peer-reviewed publications on smoking cessation and relapse prevention. Dr. Laje held positions as Director of Social Work and Research Associate at the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington under Jiska Cohen-Mansfield, as well as at the New York City Department for the Aging. 

She has written and presented extensively on aging, Alzheimer's, caregiving, and behavioral health, with a research portfolio that spans clinical trials, applied gerontological studies, and translational behavioral research. 

Sub-Investigator  and Clinical Rater

Olesea Beyer is a solution-focused clinical research nurse practitioner who contributes over ten years of diverse healthcare experience, particularly in acute and outpatient behavioral health and the neurosciences field. As a Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), she holds national certifications in critical care, stroke care, and emergency neurological life support. This specialized background ensures clinical acuity and rapid, sensible assessment capabilities, which are critical for maintaining participant safety and adhering to complex neurological and psychiatric protocols, especially in trials involving psychotropics. Her extensive experience in various behavioral health settings provides a deep understanding of the patient population, supporting accurate screening and diagnostic assessments. Olesea is committed to rigorous study oversight, utilizing her GCP training to ensure precise medication administration, protocol adherence, and high-quality data collection. 

Sub-Investigator  and Clinical Rater

Carrie Colson, PMHNP-BC, is a highly skilled and dedicated Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner serving as a Co-Investigator for clinical research. With a degree from Frostburg State University and over two decades of experience in healthcare, she contributes extensive clinical authority in case management and psychiatric medication management across the lifespan of children, teens, and adults. In her Co-Investigator role, Carrie is instrumental in upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and scientific rigor for all studies. She collaborates closely with the Principal Investigator (PI) on protocol oversight, ensuring strict adherence to complex investigational drug and protocol-required procedures. Carrie utilizes her comprehensive expertise to conduct thorough psychiatric evaluations for study eligibility and diligently monitors the safety and well-being of all participants, directly managing adverse event reporting and ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies. She is driven by a commitment to a patient-centered approach, furthering the site's goal of advancing effective, safe, evidence-based care.

Lead Clinical Research Nurse 

William Gorman is an experienced mental health and critical care professional whose diverse clinical background is highly valuable to a clinical research site. His extensive experience includes working at prominent Maryland Hospitals such as the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Greater Baltimore Medical Center, and the LifeBridge Health system. This foundation has provided him with expertise across multiple specialties, including the Neurobehavioral Unit, ICU, Dialysis, and Oncology.

His broad critical care skills are further reinforced by his certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), demonstrating his capability in managing complex medical scenarios that may arise during clinical trials. William is committed to providing excellent care to research participants by successfully ensuring precise medication administration and delivering individualized support and comprehensive patient monitoring essential for study integrity.

Research Administrator

Walter Mattos, Jr. is a Research Administrator with extensive experience in healthcare operations and mental health practice management. With more than a decade in healthcare, including seven years focused on psychiatric and behavioral health settings, he brings strong operational leadership and organizational expertise to support the efficient conduct of clinical research.

As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Walter applies data-driven strategies to optimize research operations, improve workflows, and support efficient study execution. He oversees key operational aspects of study start-up and site management, including coordination of clinical trial agreements, study budgets, and sponsor communications, while helping strengthen participant recruitment and retention processes.

Fluent in both English and Spanish, Walter facilitates communication with diverse patient and research populations. His collaborative and solutions-oriented approach helps ensure strong operational infrastructure, regulatory readiness, and a positive experience for research participants and study partners.

Clinical Research Coordinator

Shang Ardalan, is a Clinical Research Coordinator at Centurion Neuroscience Research who brings a strong medical and clinical foundation to her work in psychiatric research and patient care. She earned her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sulaimani and has experience across psychiatric clinical research, neuromodulation services, and outpatient behavioral health. At Centurion, she supports study coordination activities such as participant recruitment, informed consent, regulatory documentation, and data quality review, while also assisting with TMS and Spravato© treatment sessions through patient monitoring, vital sign assessment, and safety observation. Her background in psychometric assessments and behavioral health settings reinforces the thoughtful, patient-centered approach she brings to the Centurion team.

Research Associate

Julio Estrada is a Research Associate and Data Entry Specialist with over 10 years of experience in healthcare office environments. Fluent in Spanish and English, he efficiently manages patient data, study documentation, and administrative tasks, ensuring accuracy and smooth operations.

With extensive training in computer engineering and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, Julio brings strong technical skills and process-improvement expertise to optimize data management and office workflows. His professionalism, attention to detail, and adaptability make him a valued team member.