Clinilabs, a global, full-service contract research organization based in Eatontown, New Jersey, and dedicated exclusively to central nervous system drug, device, and technology development, has announced two medical leadership appointments: Bob Dagher, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer, and Waqar Ahmed Siddiqui, M.D., as Principal Investigator of the company’s Eatontown Clinical Research Unit. Together, the two physicians will support the design, development, and execution of clinical programs for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sponsors advancing therapies for psychiatric, neurological, substance use, and rare CNS disorders.
Clinilabs Chief Operating Officer Eileen McAuley said the appointments strengthen the company’s ability to guide sponsors through increasingly complex development programs, noting that Dagher and Siddiqui bring highly complementary experience spanning every stage of clinical development, from strategic drug development and regulatory leadership to hands-on clinical research and patient care.
About Bob Dagher, M.D.
As Chief Medical Officer, Bob Dagher, M.D., will provide strategic and medical leadership across Clinilabs’ full portfolio of clinical programs, guiding sponsors through the design, implementation, and execution of trials spanning psychiatric, neurological, substance-use, sleep, and rare CNS disorders. He’ll also lead the build-out of the company’s medical and scientific leadership team as Clinilabs expands its sponsor engagement and CRO capabilities.
Dagher brings more than 20 years of executive leadership spanning clinical development, medical affairs, and regulatory strategy across neuropsychiatry, neuroimmunology, and rare diseases. He has served as Chief Medical Officer for four biotechnology companies, leading development programs from first-in-human studies through Phase 3 trials and BLA submissions across mood disorders, psychotic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and rare CNS disorders. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, where he led clinical development strategy for the company’s neurodegenerative pipeline, including a Special Protocol Assessment negotiated with FDA for its late-stage ALS program. Earlier, he held CMO roles at Enveric Biosciences, where he oversaw a multi-asset neuropsychiatry pipeline including psychedelic and psilocybin-inspired therapies, WCG–MedAvante-ProPhase, where he led a global organization of more than 230 clinical scientists supporting over 120 concurrent neuropsychiatry trials, and Cadent Therapeutics, where he directed CNS pipeline strategy in schizophrenia cognition and movement disorders.
Earlier in his career, Dagher held senior medical roles at Covance, Dyax, Sanofi Genzyme, and GSK, contributing to the clinical development and regulatory submissions of therapies including Lemtrada for multiple sclerosis and Wellbutrin XL for seasonal affective disorder, and founded and led Plaza Psychology & Psychiatry, a multidisciplinary clinical practice serving more than 1,000 patients annually. He holds an M.D. from Boston University School of Medicine, along with additional medical training from St. Joseph University and Bordeaux University in France.
About Waqar Siddiqui, M.D.
As Principal Investigator, Waqar Siddiqui M.D., will lead the execution of research projects at Clinilabs’ Eatontown Clinical Research Unit, bringing a psychiatrist’s clinical judgment directly into the design and conduct of CNS trials for sponsors advancing new therapies.
Siddiqui joins Clinilabs following a 25-year career in clinical and academic psychiatry spanning child, adolescent, adult, addiction, geriatric, and consultation-liaison psychiatry, complemented by an extensive clinical research background. He has led numerous clinical trials evaluating therapies for psychiatric, neurological, and musculoskeletal disorders while overseeing major behavioral health organizations. Most recently, he served as Clinical Director at South Beach Psychiatric Center, overseeing inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services, ACT teams, addiction treatment programs, and partial hospitalization programs across Brooklyn while serving on the faculty of New York University. He also served as Principal Investigator at Evolution Research Group, where he worked on clinical studies exploring potential treatments for autism spectrum disorder, dementia, depression, schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, and bipolar disorder.
Siddiqui previously served as Medical Director of Child Psychiatry at Hoboken University Medical Center for 13 years and later as Chairman of the university’s Department of Psychiatry, and spent two decades as Medical Director of Behavioral Health at JFK Medical Center in New Jersey, overseeing outpatient psychiatric services and the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Department. He has maintained a solo private practice in Staten Island, New York, since 1999, and was named a Top Doctor by New Jersey Choice Magazine in 2025. He holds an MBBS from Dow Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan.
Announcing his new role on LinkedIn, Siddiqui said: “I am very pleased to announce that I have joined Clinilabs, a CRO for CNS studies, as a Psychiatry Research Physician and Principal Investigator as of this past June 2026, and I’m looking forward to a long-term partnership with the organization in our mutual research goals and ambitions.”
About Clinilabs
Clinilabs is a global, full-service contract research organization dedicated exclusively to CNS drug, device, and technology development. The company combines deep scientific expertise, proven processes, advanced technology, and a global footprint across North America, Europe, and beyond to manage Phase 1-4 trials that accelerate treatments for psychiatric, neurological, and substance use disorders, as well as rare and ultra-rare CNS diseases. Headquartered in Eatontown, New Jersey, Clinilabs positions itself as a preferred CNS-focused CRO partner, helping sponsors navigate development from first-in-human studies through regulatory approval.
