Our Team

Heather Cigoi, JD, MBA-HCA is a Research Division Coordinator in the Department of Surgery at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. In this role, she provides project management, operational oversight, and administrative support for research and educational initiatives, including the UH RISES outcomes research program. Heather supports study start-up and regulatory processes, coordinates IRB submissions and departmental review workflows, and assists with research budgeting and resource planning to help ensure projects remain organized, compliant, and on track.

Heather brings extensive experience in clinical research coordination, supporting a wide range of studies from retrospective outcomes research and registry development to quality improvement projects and industry-sponsored clinical trials. She has managed day-to-day clinical trial activities and contributed to study start-up and regulatory submissions, including drafting informed consent documents, supporting participant screening and enrollment, and serving as a key liaison between investigators, study teams, and institutional stakeholders. She also helps ensure clinical studies are conducted in accordance with the protocol, applicable regulations, and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements, while maintaining accurate documentation and supporting data integrity. Heather is CITI certified in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and biomedical human subjects research.

Heather brings a unique interdisciplinary background in healthcare administration and health law, with a Juris Doctor and Certificate in Health Law from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Cleveland State University. Prior to joining University Hospitals, she practiced law and managed complex litigation matters with a focus on healthcare-related issues, regulatory compliance, and medical record review. Heather is committed to advancing clinical research through strong operational support, attention to detail, and collaborative teamwork.

Akul Arora, MD, MBA is a surgical research fellow at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Christopher Towe. He completed medical school and is pursuing a residency in surgery, with a strong academic interest in Cardiothoracic Surgery. His current research focuses on outcomes-based investigations, large database analyses, and quality improvement initiatives across thoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, and surgical oncology.

Under Dr. Towe's guidance, Dr. Arora has authored numerous abstracts and is scheduled to present his work at multiple national conferences. His academic interests include surgical outcomes, perioperative quality improvement, and healthcare operations, with a long-term goal of integrating clinical practice and health system leadership by leveraging both his MD and MBA training.

Outside of medicine, he enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, traveling whenever possible, and staying active through boxing, soccer, and tennis.

Omkar S. Pawar, MSCE, BDS is a Clinical Research Biostatistician in the Department of Surgery at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. He works closely with physician-scientists and surgical trainees to support clinical research through study design, data management, and advanced statistical analysis. His work spans multiple surgical disciplines, including thoracic surgery, surgical oncology, vascular surgery, trauma, and transplant research, with a focus on evaluating surgical outcomes, treatment patterns, and healthcare disparities.

Omkar earned his Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from Kent State University and holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in India. During his graduate training, he developed expertise in large dataset analysis and statistical modeling while contributing to research projects in vascular surgery and surgical oncology. Prior to transitioning to biostatistics and clinical research, he practiced dentistry and held leadership roles in clinical practice, experiences that shaped his interest in evidence-based medicine and population health.

At University Hospitals, Omkar collaborates with investigators across surgical divisions to conduct rigorous analyses of clinical and national database studies, contributing to multiple peer-reviewed publications and ongoing research initiatives. His research interests include surgical outcomes research, minimally invasive surgical techniques, treatment disparities in oncology, and improving evidence-based decision making in surgery through advanced statistical methodology.