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.
Velocity Clinical Research, Westlake
2010 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 302, Los Angeles, CA 90057
Phone: (213) 483-1800
Email: info@velocityclinical.com
Find a Clinical Trial in Los Angeles (Westlake)
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Our experienced research team in Los Angeles (Westlake)
The Velocity Los Angeles (Westlake) team of physician investigators and clinical research professionals are experienced clinical researchers. All physicians are board certified in their specialty area(s) and all research staff is trained in clinical research regulations, including GCP and HIPAA. Training records and certifications are maintained. Our clinical team is dedicated to conducting quality research in a professional and caring environment and strives on collecting quality data.
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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. -
Principal Investigator
Juan Pablo Frías, MD, a native of Chile, completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida and received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. After serving 5 years as a General Medical Officer in the US Navy, he completed his training in Internal Medicine at Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee, and his Fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Frías has held leadership positions in Clinical and Medical Affairs at Eli Lilly, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson, where he served as Chief Medical Officer and Global Vice President of Clinical and Medical Affairs, Diabetes Care. Dr. Frías has held academic positions at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, where he is currently on the clinical faculty. He is also active in the non-profit organization Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), where he lectures at the organization’s Latino Initiative patient conferences and provides continuing medical education for healthcare providers. Dr. Frías has been involved in diabetes and metabolism-related research for over 15 years and has authored numerous publications in this field. -
Principal Investigator
Maricor Grio, MD is a clinical research physician with over 15 years of experience. She is a board certified Pediatric Nephrologist and General Pediatrician and graduated from the University of Miami School of Medicine with her medical degree. She is also a NIH Scholar with a Master’s in clinical research design and statistical analysis. Besides Principal Investigator, some of her previous titles include Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Nephrologist, Medical Director, and Urgent Care Physician. Dr. Grio is passionate about leadership and investigator roles in clinical trials, especially in nephrology, inflammation, pediatrics and medical devices. Her therapeutic experience also includes Endocrinology, Ophthalmology, and Dermatology in adult patients. -
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. -
Site Manager
Mike Delgado is a highly qualified Clinical Research professional with over 12 years of experience in the research field. His experience ranges from study coordination to site management across all phases of research. Mike has worked across a spectrum of indications including Metabolic Disease, Women’s Health, CNS and many other therapeutic areas. His current position as Site Director includes a hands-on approach to study coordination, staff mentorship, leadership and training. He is a certified Medical Assistant.
Los Angeles (Westlake) facility features
The Velocity Clinical Research, Westlake facility is designed for the ease and comfort of study participants and to allow optimal efficiencies in performing clinical trials. Features at this site include:
- Private examination/consultation rooms
- Comfortable patient reception areas
- Facilities for extended-stay pharmacokinetic studies
- Parking
- Nursing station
- Secure monitoring rooms or workstations with phone & high-speed internet access
- Multiple individual & secure workstations for research staff
- Regulatory document processing area
- Electronic data capture (EDC) capabilities
- Secure record storage
- CLIA certified research laboratory or clinical laboratory with CLIA waiver
- Ambient and refrigerated centrifuge
- Secured & temperature controlled investigational product storage with pharmaceutical refrigerator & freezer
- Freezers equipped for laboratory specimens at -20 & -70 degrees Celsius
- Backup generator/power source in the event of site power loss
- Standard medical equipment, including ECG and Holter machines, digital and analog scales




