MRIGlobal Appoints Robert P. Casillas, Ph.D., as Vice President, Strategic Life Sciences and National Security

Internationally recognized expert in chemical and biological defense will lead initiatives to grow MRIGlobal business, provide global solutions with global impact

KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MRIGlobal, an internationally recognized research and development organization with offices and projects throughout the U.S. and overseas, has named Robert P. Casillas, Ph.D., to a newly created position of Vice President of Strategic Life Sciences and National Security.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110502/DC93401)  

Dr. Casillas will be responsible for developing strategic plans, opportunities, and programs for growing and further strengthening MRIGlobal's markets in Life Sciences and National Security, working with government, industry, and academia.

"The appointment of Dr. Robert Casillas to the MRIGlobal team is a reflection of the Institute's ongoing commitment to life sciences and strategic emphasis in growing one of our key market sectors," said MRIGlobal John S. Stanley, Ph.D., Corporate Vice President of Business Development.   "Dr. Casillas' vast expertise in biochemical research and medical and non-medical defense will be an asset in providing global solutions to challenges facing our world."

Casillas is a biochemical toxicologist and an internationally recognized expert in chemical and biological defense and most recently served as Vice President, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) Business Integration for medical and non-medical defense markets for Battelle's National Security Global Business.  Casillas' career includes serving in the U.S. Army on active duty, and after 19 years, continues to serve as a Research Biochemist in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel, Medical Service Corps.  While on active duty, he served as Chief, Chemical and Biological Collection Systems, Central Measurement and Signature Intelligence Organization, Chief, Chemical Defense Section, 520th Theater Army Medical Laboratory, and as a Senior Researcher at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense.  As a reservist, he has been twice deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In addition, Dr. Casillas is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Recently, Dr. Casillas was named as one of the "Top 200 Most Influential Hispanics in Technology" for 2011 in Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Microbiology and doctoral degree in Biochemistry, from Georgia State University, and also completed a Post-Doctoral fellowship in Molecular Toxicology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry.

About MRIGlobal

MRIGlobal, a not-for-profit research and development organization, delivers global solutions in national security and defense, energy and environment, life and animal sciences, agriculture and food safety, and transportation.   The organization performs scientific research, advanced engineering and program integration & management for clients in government, industry and academia.   Established in 1944 as Midwest Research Institute, MRIGlobal is  based in Kansas City, Mo., operates  in nine states  and Washington, D.C., and manages more than 3,000 employees.

MRIGlobal is one of two partners in the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, which manages and operates the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo., for the U.S. Department of Energy.

For more information, visit www.mriglobal.org.

SOURCE MRIGlobal