Cincinnati (Springdale), Ohio

Principal Investigator, Medical Director
Matthew Wenker, MD is a board-certified internist with more than a decade of experience in conducting clinical trials. Aside from serving as the Midwest Regional Medical Director and Principal Investigator at Velocity, Dr. Wenker serves as a physician for St. Elizabeth Healthcare, and is a member of the Board of Directors for Caracole, a nonprofit devoted to positively changing lives in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Greater Cincinnati.

Principal Investigator
Douglas K. Logan, MD, is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician with over 40 years of medical experience. He earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine and completed his residency at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, OH.

Dr. Logan dedicated 32 years to primary care before transitioning to clinical research, where he spent eight years as a Principal Investigator at a Phase 1 Clinical Pharmacology Unit. His research focused on early drug development for metabolic diseases like dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes.

In 2021, Dr. Logan joined Velocity Clinical Research as a Principal Investigator. He also provides medical consultancy for The Affinity Center in Cincinnati, a group specializing in ADHD and related disorders’ evaluation and treatment.

Principal Investigator
Charles H. Eger, MD is a board-certified internist who recently retired from practicing medicine for over 35 years to conduct clinical research with Velocity. Joining the team in September 2022, Dr. Eger already has broad expertise in conducting clinical trials, studying vaccines for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combinations, as well as novel treatments for Hypertension and other cardiovascular therapeutic areas. Outside of clinical research, Dr. Eger serves on a volunteer board for Christian Villages Communities, a retirement community in Cincinnati.

Sub Investigator
Debra Schroeck, MS, PA-C, has served as a board-certified physician assistant since 2004. She brings more than a decade of experience in clinical research, with five years focused on psychiatry-specific studies, four years on internal medicine-specific studies, and two years on lipidology studies. Since joining the Springdale, Ohio, team in 2020, she has participated in numerous COVID-19 vaccine research studies, including both mRNA and protein-based vaccine technology platforms that led to Emergency Use Authorizations. Schroeck has also held adjunct faculty positions at National College of Business and Technology and Kettering College and has been a faculty member at the University of Cincinnati. Outside of work, she advocates for twice exceptional children (giftedness plus a diagnosed disability) and actively participates in her local PTO. She also serves as a girls’ Cub Scout den leader. Raised on a farm, Schroeck participated in 4-H from primary school through college. She is bilingual, speaking both English and German.

Clinical Site Director
Gayathri Pulapaka brings over 18 years of experience in clinical research to her role at Velocity Clinical Research. She holds an MBA in Health Care Finance from the University of Cincinnati and a post-master’s certificate in Clinical Research Management from Duke University. Gayathri has held various research management roles at the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, SAIRB (now Advarra), and Medpace, managing both industry and federally funded clinical trials. She is skilled in overseeing the financial, administrative, and operational aspects of research. Gayathri joined Velocity as Clinical Site Director in April 2024.