SGS North America Staff

Dr. Lily Jiang joined SGS Clinical Studies, Inc. in 2012 after 15 years of research experience studying cell signaling transduction in the areas of immunology and cancer biology. She earned her PhD in biology at the California Institute of Technology and has served as a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Her work has been awarded several NIH and SBIR grants and has resulted in several US patents and publications in top peer-reviewed journals.
At SGS Clinical Studies, Inc., Dr. Jiang has served as Principal Investigator on numerous pharmaceutical and cosmetic trials. As the company’s Chief Investigator, she oversees a group of MD/PhD investigators, provides technical insights, and supports both internal and external efforts to continue the development of novel technologies and methodologies for evaluating treatment-related changes in the skin. Dr. Jiang continues to publish and present her work at professional society and international conferences.

Mark Stephens, M.D specializes in cataract and refractive surgery using the most advanced techniques and technologies available to give patients a surgical alternative to glasses and contacts. He also specializes in glaucoma treatment using laser and microinvasive procedures. In addition, Dr. Stephens has experience with early detection and intervention of diabetic retinopathy and other diabetic eye diseases.

Dr. Stephens received his medical training at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He completed his ophthalmology residency at the Medical College of Georgia, where he was named Chief Resident his final year. He’s a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, the Texas Medical Association and the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Stephens practices at KE Dallas Eye Care.  He has served as Principal Investigator and Study Physician on numerous trials.

Nancy D. Rodgers, PhD, serves as the Operations Director of SGS Clinical Studies, Inc. Prior to joining SGS Clinical Studies, Inc., Dr. Rodgers spent 15 years at Henkel Consumer Goods, where most recently, she led product development and claim substantiation for multiple global brands.  She also developed novel methods for testing germ kill of antimicrobial hand products and served as sub-investigator on Phase I studies for an Investigational New Drug (IND).  Dr. Rodgers holds a BS in biochemistry from Bucknell University and a PhD in biochemistry from Rutgers University, where her research focused on gene expression, specifically mRNA stability.

Dr. Yano received his MD and PhD in Dermatology from Tokyo University. Prior to joining 701 Research, he practiced Dermatology at the Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Yano serves as an Investigator and the Medical Director for 701 Research located in Japan. View list of publications prior to joining Stephens.

Dr. Nik joined the SGS site in Union, NJ site in 2020 as Principal Investigator where he oversees cosmetic trials and heads the Sunscreen Department. He earned his MD at Isfahan University of Medical Science, Iran and earned a degree in clinical genetics at the University of Leuven, in Belgium, which led to a Ph.D. in molecular cancer genetics and fibrotic responses. Dr. Nik completed two fellowships for 5 years at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, focusing on skin research.

As an assistant professor in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Toronto and the Burn center in Toronto, Dr. Nik’s research focused on the on inflammatory skin diseases, burns and skin erythema. His numerous publications include book chapters and research articles in top peer-reviewed journals. He has presented his work as invited speakers in several international medical meetings. Dr. Nik served in several committees of medical societies, including American Burn Association, was the chair and the organizer of the 24th Connective Tissue Conference 2018 in Toronto, served as a voting member in the Institutional review board (IRB) and served in the editorial board of several peer-reviewed medical journals.

Michael Jascur has been working at the SGS site in Union, NJ since 1986. Michael started in the Sunscreen Department as a technician. Over the years, he has learned all aspects of the companies testing procedures. Michael has performed the responsibilities of the Manager of Operations since 2001. Prior to 2001, Michael served as the Assistant Clinic Manager as well as being an integral part of the Quality Assurance Unit since 1992. Michael still has QA responsibilities as he oversees all phases of the testing conducted at SGS in Union, NJ along with many administrative responsibilities.

Susan Lauck is the Quality Assurance Manager at SGS in Union, NJ. She has worked at the site in Union, NJ since 1987 when she began working as a technician in the Sunscreen Department and has been the Quality Assurance Manager since 1998. Susan oversees all phases of the testing conducted at SGS in Union, NJ.