Los Angeles (Westlake), California

Velocity Clinical Research, Westlake

Velocity’s Westlake research site was founded as the National Research Institute, a five-site research network in southern California, and acquired by Velocity in 2021. Our Westlake site offers a wide range of expertise including diabetes, NASH, vaccines, psychiatry, women’s health, and pediatric trials. Westlake’s experienced staff maintains high quality standards and enrollment on all their trials.

Located outside of Los Angeles, the Westlake site is easily accessible for patients through public transport. The Westlake team is bilingual allowing the site to recruit a diverse patient population. The local hospital is located next door to the site. With more than 12,000 square-feet of dedicated research space, they can efficiently and effectively conduct multiple concurrent studies.

All trials conducted at the site are performed in accordance with ICH and FDA guidelines, and in compliance with GCP. The Westlake team is committed to being a resource for study participants, to providing the highest quality of patient care with compassion and kindness, and to advancing medicine through research.

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Meet Our Los Angeles (Westlake) Research Team

Velocity Clinical Research, Westlake
2010 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 302, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Phone: (213) 483-1800

Se habla español.

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About Velocity Clinical Research

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200,000+ people have a joined a study at Velocity

Many people enjoy the study experience and have joined several clinical trials at Velocity.

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Velocity has decades of research experience

With sites that were established as long ago as 1986, Velocity has experts who have supported clinical trials for decades.

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Velocity studies are led by healthcare professionals

All clinical trials conducted at Velocity are overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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Our experienced research team in Los Angeles (Westlake)

Every clinical trial is overseen by a Principal Investigator – a physician who is responsible for the rights, safety and welfare of the study participants. All physicians at Velocity are board certified in their specialty area(s) and all research staff is trained in clinical research regulations, including GCP and HIPAA. Our clinical research team in Los Angeles (Westlake) is dedicated to conducting quality research in a professional and caring environment.

  • Mark Leibowitz, MD

    Principal Investigator
    Mark Leibowitz, MD is an experienced and skilled Investigator with approximately 25 years of research experience. Dr. Leibowitz has participated in an estimated 500 studies from Phase I-IV across a variety of different indications. As part of his research portfolio, Dr. Leibowitz has conducted highly complex studies in healthy subjects and diverse patient populations including continuous cerebrospinal fluid studies, First in Human, Single and Multiple Ascending Dose studies, Ethnic bridging programs, QTc studies, as well as, serving as Principal Investigator for many adaptive trial designs. His experience includes leadership roles such as Medical Director for research sites located in California and Texas. In addition, he is currently a contributing member for a Data Safety Monitoring Board.

  • David_Guzman_MD

    David Guzman, MD

    Principal Investigator
    David Guzman, MD is an experienced board-certified Internist who joined Velocity Clinical Research in 2022. He completed his undergraduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and received his medical degree from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center and remained there as an Instructor in Clinical Medicine. Dr. Guzman participated in Community Based Clinical Trials at a federally-qualified health center in Chicago from 1990 to 1993. He is a native Spanish speaker and has served various Latino communities in Chicago, south Florida, and now southern California with a focus on providing both primary care and urgent care.

  • John Nelson, PA-C

    Principal Investigator
    John Nelson, PA-C is a skilled Physician Assistant with over 20 years of medical and clinical research experience in a variety of indications such as Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care, Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Emergency Medicine, and Geriatrics. He obtained his Physician Assistant certification from the USC School of Medicine. John currently serves as a Sub-Investigator for multiple Velocity sites in the LA area and is a member of the California Academy of Physician Assistants.

  • Cheryll Handy, PA-C

    Sub-Investigator
    Cheryll Handy, PA-C is a skilled Physician Assistant with over 27 years of medical and clinical research experience in a variety of indications such as Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Emergency Medicine, Urgent Care, Pediatrics, Endocrinology, Geriatrics and Workman’s Compensation. She obtained her Physician Assistant certification from the Charles R. Drew of Medicine and Science. PA Cheryll currently serves as a Sub-Investigator for Velocity sites in the LA area.

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Why join a clinical trial?

  • Help advance medicine
  • Learn about potential new medicines in development
  • Get study-related medical exams at no cost
  • Receive compensation for participating (available amounts may differ for each study)

After you submit your info, a Velocity staff member will review your info. They will contact you to talk about the study, or others that may be right for you.

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From the leading pharma companies, to the most pioneering biotech startups, Velocity supports those who are exploring new frontiers in human health. Whether you’re ready to conduct a single-site study or a complex, high-volume clinical trial, trust Velocity.

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Without clinical trial participants, it would not be possible to create new medicines, treatments, and cures.

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