Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center
Meet the Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center Team
Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center is made up of a caring, dedicated research team.
Dr. Michael Plopper
Principal investigator
Dr. Plopper, former chief medical officer of Sharp Behavioral Health Services for over 20 years, started Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center, previously named the Clinical Research Program, in 1995. He has served as principal investigator on over 200 psychiatric clinical trials for schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and other central nervous system disorders in adults and children.
Loralie Woods, PhD, RN-BC
Director, Inpatient Operations
Loralie joined Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital in 2003. She began her career as a registered nurse and was later promoted to a clinical lead nurse and then a senior nursing specialist. She previously served as a manager before becoming the director of inpatient operations. Loralie also serves as an adjunct psychiatric-mental health nursing instructor for the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science at the University of San Diego. Her doctorate study focused on opioid use treatment and recovery for women during pregnancy.
Mark Dobrina, BS, LPT, CCRC
Lead clinical trials specialist
Mark joined Sharp's Clinical Research Program, now called Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center, in 2000. Prior to coming to Sharp, he spent four years as a Navy corpsman and the next 10 years working as a licensed psychiatric technician. In 2008, he was named department lead and in 2009 was voted Sharp HealthCare LVN of the Year. He has worked on over 100 psychiatric clinical trials as a recruiter, coordinator and certified rater.
Gillian Stavro, PhD
Clinical psychologist
Gillian joined Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center in 2021. She completed a doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Michigan State University and a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at University of California, Los Angeles. Gillian has been licensed in clinical psychology since 2009. Prior to joining Sharp, she conducted neuropsychological evaluations for patients presenting with a wide range of cognitive disorders and concerns in hospital-based and private practice settings. Gillian has also published and presented research related to cognitive performance and functional outcomes in various neuropsychiatric conditions.
Tonya Bell, RN, BSN
Clinical trials specialist
A native San Diegan, Tonya joined Sharp Mesa Vista in 2010. She has worked as a psychiatric registered nurse for the Chemical Dependency Recovery Program, as well as for mood and thought disorder programs. Prior to joining Sharp Mesa Vista, Tonya spent nearly 10 years as a quality analyst for top-producing pharmaceutical/biotech organizations performing audits, ensuring compliance and providing quality oversight related to manufacturing operations, product marketing and distribution.
Sofia Menendez
Clinical trials specialist
Sofia joined Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center in 2021 as a research assistant. In 2022, she was promoted to a clinical trials specialist. Sofia has a bachelor's degree in psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience from Fairleigh Dickinson University. After graduating from college, Sofia gained experience working in a hospital laboratory as a laboratory registrar. She also has a phlebotomy certification after gaining hands-on work experience with patients.
Maria Nunez, MS
Clinical trials specialist
Maria joined Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center in 2022. She graduated as a medical doctor in the Dominican Republic and completed a master’s degree in nutrition sciences in New Jersey. Maria has over eight years of experience working in the healthcare field. Her research specialties lie in mental health, psychiatric disorders and Alzheimer's disease. As a native Spanish speaker, Maria helps in diversifying Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center’s clinical trial population. In her free time, Maria enjoys listening to live music, hiking and hoop dancing.
Esteban Gonzalez, MS
Clinical trials specialist
Esteban joined Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center in 2022. He has over a decade of experience working in the healthcare industry. He has previously worked as a mental health therapist in psychiatric hospitals, outpatient centers and substance use rehab centers. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling. Esteban is a native San Diegan from the South Bay area.
Eric Trigg
Research assistant
Eric joined Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center in 2021 as a research assistant. He has more than 10 years of experience working in the medical field as a medical assistant, phlebotomist and surgical and ER technician. Eric also is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy from 1992 to 1996.
Monalisa Martinez
Research assistant
Monalisa joined Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center as a research assistant in 2022. She possesses five years of experience working in a hospital. Since joining Sharp, Monalisa attained her Phlebotomy training and certification.