Our Team

Seerat currently works as a Loan Syndications analyst at CIBC U.S. Her team is responsible for syndicating credit facilities in the traditional and overall middle market and commercial real estate industries. Till date, her team has syndicated over 300 transactions and has consistently ranked in the top 3 as a top syndicated in each of the past 5 years. Prior to joining Loan Syndications, Seerat completed the Commercial Banking Training Program and interned in Specialized and Financial Institutions groups at CIBC U.S. Seerat graduated from DePaul University in June of 2021 with a major in Finance and double minored in Economics and Industrial Organizational Psychology. She also graduated as a Distinguished Keeley Scholar from the Keeley Academy Program designed for students aiming to pursue careers in high finance sectors. In addition, she proudly served as the founder and treasurer of DePaul Females in Finance, where she mentored over 70 students at DePaul and built a strong portfolio of sponsors in the Chicagoland area to promote diversity and inclusion in the finance industry. Seerat hopes to do the same with Sikhs in Clinical Research to help diverse populations attain opportunities for strong career path options. As a brand ambassador for Sikhs in Clinical Research, Seerat is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the field of clinical research by raising awareness of Clinical Research careers and growth opportunities among the Sikh community. As a Sikh, she brings a unique perspective and cultural background to the table. From conceptualizing and executing SICR events that foster education and awareness about the clinical research field to utilizing effective marketing strategies to reach a wider audience, and to establishing a strong community outreach program that builds relationships and fosters engagement, Seerat is committed to ensuring that Sikhs in Clinical Research achieves its goals and objectives.

Ekta started her career as a researcher at world-renowned universities- Bournemouth University in the UK and the University of Arizona in the US as a volunteer working in collaboration with a stellar team of doctors, research scientists, and bio-engineers. She later pursued her career as a lead coordinator and development specialist at multiple research sites in the US. Over the years she has worked in different capacities, including building study pipelines for the sites, boosting patient enrollment through refined strategies, and managing day-to-day operations of clinical trials. Her expertise also extends to contributing to the design of advertising material and having to work with different IRBs for approvals and maintain high-quality standards. She has significant exposure to several aspects of clinical trials, including supporting physicians to build research arms in their practice, training research coordinators, recruiting research staff, cross-functional research knowledge, and execution success. Her significant exposure to different aspects of clinical trials, along with related regulatory functions, data management, cross-functional research knowledge, and execution successes, equipped her with the creative abilities to grow and led to the formation of New Life Clinical Research (NLCR) and Sikhs in Clinical Research (SICR). She is very passionate about research and her goal is to excel and help others excel in research. Ekta also works as a Manager for an SMO and provides oversight for SWOG/Alliance/ECOG-ACRIN/NCI and pharma trials in community hospitals for compliance and quality assurance. These community hospitals serve the low-income diverse minority patient population. As a part of her routine job, she would face multilevel interventions to address barriers and improve clinical trial access and accrual. She reflects on how important it is to expand access to interpreter/translation services, address logistical barriers in low-resource settings, and how health beliefs, cultural differences, patient comprehension, education, communication, current circumstances, and perceptions of clinical research influence clinical trial participation decisions among diverse populations. Ekta is married with two kids, a girl and, a boy. She is residing in Chicago (Illinois) with her husband and kids, and spends her time gardening, singing (spiritual) with string instruments, and cooking. She wants to empower her community to break into clinical research careers thereby helping bring diversity to the research industry. With SICR, her goal is to play her part in improving access to clinical trial opportunities for both the patients and the workforce with the goal of reducing disparities and enhancing equity among diverse communities.

Dr. Anand is a specialist in autoimmune conditions who completed his undergraduate work in Chemistry at the University of Iowa and in Physical Therapy at the University of Oklahoma. During his time at these academic centers, he was involved in various research projects and completed his honors research in Inorganic Chemistry. Following his undergraduate studies, he practiced as a licensed physical therapist for four years in the Chicago area where he also was involved in studies for collecting patient data and contributed to some publications. His desire to help others led him to grow further and he enrolled in a medical school where he earned his medical degree in 2004. He completed a residency program in Internal Medicine at Michigan State University affiliated program and Rheumatology fellowship training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Division of Allergy-Immunology and Rheumatology. En route, he was exposed to many research opportunities. Now, as a board-certified Rheumatologist, he is committed to helping patients living with arthritic disorders and autoimmune diseases. Besides he also serves as an investigator on various clinical research studies at his current workplace Ortho Illinois. Dr. Anand supports the mission of Sikhs in Clinical Research and will be volunteering his time at SICR to help bring awareness in the community about clinical research.

Aman Khera, a global regulatory affairs leader (Worldwide Clinical Trials) and strategist has 25 years of experience in the clinical research industry. She is a recognized expert, providing global strategic direction in regulatory affairs. She has led a wide variety of regulatory projects providing regulatory strategy and development services in many therapeutic indications. She is passionate about helping sponsors develop comprehensive regulatory strategies and has worked with a number of agencies across the world. She is well respected and recognized for her track record in anticipating and addressing inevitable regulatory challenges in the development journey. Her insight has changed the way people think about regulatory affairs and has resulted in fewer late-stage surprises, smoother trials, and optimal outcomes for the development of new therapies. She is committed to #diversity and #inclusion in clinical research and advises in the industry on how best to action into practical strategies. She serves on the emTRUTH advisory board, bringing a unique perspective on how regulations, ethics, and compliance interplay within blockchain for healthcare. She is also a 2021 PharmaVoice 100 honoree, recognized as one of the most influential and inspiring people in the life sciences industry. She volunteers her time with organizations such as DIA, TOPRA - The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs, and Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS). She also serves as a Guest speaker for the Clinical Research Training program with New Life Clinical Research.