Ray Watts, M.D.
Interim CEO, Chair and President of UAB
Forward-Thinking Leadership
Southern Research’s Executive Leadership team brings decades of diverse industry expertise, guiding our scientific vision and operational excellence with strategic insight and professional integrity.
Senior Leadership
Harry C. Ledebur Jr., Ph.D.
Chief Operating Officer
Khalilah Brown, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Alan F. Spear, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Ricardo “Ricky” Brito, J.D.
Chief Administration Officer
Jason Johnson
Chief Information Officer
Oliver Hampton, Ph.D.
Chief Data Officer
April Joice, Ph.D., PMP
Vice President of Operations
Scott Hayes, Ph.D.
Vice President of Commercial Operations
Claire Freitag
Vice President, Quality
David A. Rutledge
Vice President of Finance
Amanda Haley, Ph.D.
Vice President, Environmental Health and Safety
Helena Christine, J.D.
UA System Counsel
Board of Directors
Southern Research’s Board of Directors encompasses distinguished leaders from diverse sectors, including biotechnology, healthcare, education, law, and industry. Together, they ensure our strategic direction remains innovative, ethical, and impactful.
Ruffner Page
President and COO of O’Neal Industries
Clay Ryan
SVP, External Affairs at Alabama Power Company
Lee Styslinger
Chairman and CEO of Altec Inc.
Sid J. Trant
Interim Chancellor of The University of Alabama System
Mike Brock
Partner at Kirkland & Ellis
Neel Varshney, M.D.
Patient Square Capital, Managing Partner
Anupam Agarwal, M.D.
SVP for Medicine and Dean, UAB Heersink School of Medicine
Bobbie Knight
President of Miles College
Christopher Brown, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research at UAB
Jamey McMahon
Chairman of Ligon Capital
Ken Simon
Principal at Ken Simon Law
Regina Benjamin, M.D.
18th U.S. Surgeon General
Scott Phelps
Vice President of the Greene Group
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