Southern Research Hires Two New Directors in Drug Development Division

Damon Papac to Lead Bioanalytical Sciences; Joseph Murphy to lead Cancer Therapeutics and Immunology

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 26, 2011  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Southern Research Institute today announced that Damon Papac, Ph.D., and Joseph Murphy, Ph.D. have joined the Birmingham, Ala.-based not-for-profit research organization to lead two key departments within its Drug Development Division, a technology group that primarily provides contract preclinical drug development services for the pharmaceutical industry and government clients.

"Southern Research continues to position itself strategically to meet the demands of our clients, and contribute meaningfully to the development and commercialization of drugs and therapies for patients around the globe," said Andrew D. Penman, Ph.D., vice president of the Drug Development Division.  "Adding experience and knowledge with scientists like Damon and Joe is critical to the future success of our preclinical development team."

Damon Papac, Ph.D., named director of Bioanalytical Sciences, came to Southern Research from Myrexis/Myriad Pharmaceuticals in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he had been director of Discovery ADME. He holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Chemistry from San Diego State University, and earned his Doctorate in Pharmacology at the Medical University of South Carolina.  

He served his post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He has held bioanalytical ADME, mass spectroscopy, pharmacokinetic and pharmaceutic positions for more than 17 years. Papac has written and/or contributed to more than 40 scientific abstracts, journal articles and book chapters.  He served on the editorial board for Analytical Biochemistry, and was an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of American Society of Mass Spectrometry, Analytical Chemistry, and the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.  He is a member of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists.

Joseph Murphy, Ph.D., named director of Cancer Therapeutics and Immunology, joins Southern Research from Trinity College, University of Dublin in Ireland, where he was a Lecturer and Senior Research Scientist. Murphy has more than 20 years' experience in biological research in both academia and the biotechnology industry.

Previously, he served as Founder/Managing Director of Emmerex Limited, a company focused on developing an immune-based therapy for cancer. He holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mathematics, Experimental Physics, and Biology from the National University of Ireland-Maynooth. He earned his Doctorate of Philosophy from the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Salford, United Kingdom. Murphy conducted post-doctoral work at INSERM U331, the Institute Pasteur de Lyon in France and Stanford University. He has written and/or contributed to more than 100 scientific abstracts and articles. He has served as a reviewer for Clinical Medicine/Oncology, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Clinical Medicine/Cardiology, International Journal of Cancer, and the Journal of Medical Genetics and Genomics.

ABOUT SOUTHERN RESEARCH
Southern Research Institute, founded in 1941, is an independent non-profit organization conducting basic and applied research and development.  More than 530 employees support commercial and government clients and partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, defense, aerospace, environmental and energy sectors through technology out-licensing, sponsored research, and strategic collaborations.  Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., Southern Research has facilities in Wilsonville, Ala., Frederick, Md., and Durham, NC, and offices in Huntsville, Ala., New Orleans, La., and Washington, DC.

CONTACT: Rhonda Jung
[email protected]
205-581-2317

SOURCE Southern Research Institute