Shawn M. Cazzell, DPM, FAPWCA, FAPWH

Chief Medical Officer, Division of Chronic Wound and Podiatric Research

Dr. Cazzell is a highly-trained foot and ankle surgeon who specializes in diabetic limb salvage procedures and advanced wound healing/tissue repair. He has been the Principal Investigator (PI) for 40+ clinical research trials on a range of phases (Phase I – Phase IV) and his consistently high enrollment, quality data, and passion for patient care has earned him and LPP, Inc. top accolades in the research industry. Dr. Cazzell’s main areas of interest are advanced wound care, limb preservation and traumatic lower extremity reconstruction. He is a Fellow of the American Professional Wound Care Association and Member of the Academy of Physicians in Wound Healing. Dr. Cazzell is currently the National Investigator for a leading cell regeneration company.

Maria W. McKnight, NP

Maria McKnight holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) and a Master’s of Science in Nursing (NP) from California State University, Fresno. She is board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Maria’s clinical focuses are on vascular pathology and chronic wound management. She is actively involved as a Sub-Investigator for clinical research trials.


Meet Our Administrative & Research Team

Vanessa Cazzell, PhD

Vanessa is President of LPP and earned her Doctorate in Organizational Communication and Leadership. Her background includes developing and implementing training curricula for both public and private sector businesses. She has been a speaker at prestigious conferences including the National Communication Association (NCA) and the International Communication Association (ICA). Dr. Cazzell’s research publications can be found in highly regarded, peer-reviewed journals, such as Small Group Research and Communication Research. Some of her current projects involve topics which include the gender-linked language in anonymous computer-mediated communication, strategies and outcomes of constructive criticisms in managerial roles, the examination of various leadership and its impacts on job satisfaction, and the effects of leadership style and sex-type ratings on communication satisfaction in healthcare settings. Vanessa is GCP, NIH, and IATA certified and has years of regulatory experience in the clinical trials industry.

Destiny Stegall, BS, CCRC

Destiny is a Lead Certified Clinical Research Coordinator who has been actively involved in over 30 clinical research trials ranging from Phase I – Phase IV. She is also currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Health. Destiny is highly experienced in patient screening, case report forms (CRFs), adherence to Sponsors’ protocols and LPP’s SOPs, regulatory documents, data entry into various EDC systems, shipping biological materials, informed consent processes, scheduling and follow up, supplies inventory and ordering, and patient education. Not only is Destiny a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, but she also possesses the following certifications: Human Participants Protection Education for Research Subjects, Shipping of Diagnostic Specimens and Dry Ice, and ICH Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Trial Sites.

Anton Sweet

Anton is a Clinical Research Coordinator for LPP. He has extensive experience with coordinating patient intake, assisting in office-based vascular procedures, removing and applying wound dressings, Doppler waveform/ABI/Nicolet studies, reviewing medical records to determine patient eligibility, maintaining complete and accurate records, obtaining informed consents, educating patients on study protocols, and updating inventory/supplies lists. Anton has a Certificate of Completion in ICH Good Clinical Practice for Clinical Trial Sites and is also certified in Human Participants Protection Education for Research Subjects.

Noe Guerrero, CPT

Noe is a Research Assistant and Certified Phlebotomy Technician. He has extensive experience in maintaining laboratory equipment, medical supplies inventory, patient eligibility, maintaining complete and accurate records, obtaining informed consents as per LPP’s SOPs, applying wound care dressings and dispensing Investigational Products (IPs) as delegated, and educating patients on study protocols. Aside from being a CPT, Noe is also certified in Human Participants Protection Education for Research Subjects, Good Clinical Practices, and Shipping of Diagnostic Specimens and Dry Ice. He also possesses his BLS certification.

An estimated 550 million people will be diagnosed worldwide by 2030.
Diabetes is a worldwide catastrophe currently affecting approximately 29 million people in the United States.
An individual suffering from diabetes has a 1-in-4 chance of developing a wound over the course of their lifetime.
Greater than 50% of all wounds become infected and approximately 20% of all infected wounds of the lower extremity lead to amputation.
There are currently 6.5 million patients in the United States who require wound care on a regular basis.