McQuilling leads the energy and environment research team, focusing on energy transition, energy storage testing and other environmental challenges. She has nearly 10 years of research experience in air quality, energy and agricultural topics, and her scientific record includes peer-reviewed publications and presentations on a wide range of topics. McQuilling joined Southern Research in 2016, where she oversaw the operation and commissioning of two energy storage systems. Her current focus includes proposals to improve air quality monitoring in underserved communities, ensure rural communities are included in electrification efforts, and prepare Alabama’s workforce to meet demands from the energy storage and electric vehicle sectors. McQuilling received a doctorate and a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from North Carolina State University.

Curtis leads the maintenance and housekeeping teams at Southern Research. He has over 20 years of experience in facilities management and is committed to providing exceptional customer service while supporting the functional needs of Southern Research. Curtis is also involved in the implementation of the Master Campus Plan and upkeep and improvement of existing spaces. He is skilled in delivering projects on time and within budget. Curtis is a native of Birmingham and is currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration. He has been with Southern Research for 13 years. In his personal time, he enjoys volunteering in the audio and media departments at his church.

Bao is a research scientist in the Chemistry Department at Southern Research. His main research interests are ADME, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, and bioanalytical chemistry.

Bao received a doctorate in chemistry from Rutgers University, after which he completed a two-year, post-doctoral study at Pfizer Inc. (formerly Parke-Davis). Before joining Southern Research in 2014, he held research & development positions at several pharmaceutical companies, including Wyeth, Cumbre, and Pharmasset, where he contributed to the discovery/development of Sofosbuvir (PSI-7977) and several other compounds that went into clinical trials.

Erik is a human cell physiologist and pathophysiologist by training. In this new role, Erik has one foot back in academia working with UAB and SR on basic science projects focused on the early stages of drug discovery and the other foot in applied science commercialization of these projects into new ventures seeded by strong therapeutic assets and technologies. Erik has devoted equal portions of his 35-year career to basic and applied science in academia and in applied and translational science in the life sciences and biotechnology industry. He trained at Dartmouth and Johns Hopkins in diseased versus normal human cell signaling with a focus on ion channel and receptor channel function. Erik is excited to be back in early-stage life sciences and biotechnology activities.

Erin Luea is the Senior Scientist in the Toxicology Department. She brings more than 13 years of drug development experience in the execution, design, conduction, project management and reporting of regulated toxicology studies in support of IND applications for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Luea’s experience includes in vivo toxicology studies, safety pharmacology, safety pharmacology, and pharmacokinetic assessments in multiple species. She has detailed knowledge of FDA and OECD guidances that pertain to the design and conduct of general and specialized toxicology studies. Her areas of expertise include the safety assessment of oncolytic therapeutics and viral vectors. Luea also has more than 11 years of project team experience and has managed many outsourced bioanalytical, pharmacokinetic, and GLP toxicology studies. She has been on the project teams for more than 20 IND submissions for regulatory approval and has successfully fielded investigator questions during the approval process.

Koide joined Southern Research’s infectious disease program in 2007. He has 18 years of experience in research and program leadership, and he specializes in animal studies to evaluate novel vaccines and therapeutics for emerging infectious diseases including dengue, Zika, and yellow fever. In his previous experience, he worked at Nabi Pharmaceuticals, where he was involved in the research and development of a vaccine for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). He previously worked Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he worked on studies related to newly developed cancer vaccines and also was involved in more than 10 phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials. He is currently directing multiple dengue and Zika vaccine pre-clinical and clinical programs for commercial and government clients. His most recent research interests focus on the animal model development for Zika virus infection. Koide received his master’s degree in immunology and microbiology at the New York Medical College.

Toomey serves as the attending veterinarian and the manager of animal care and research. He has regulatory oversight for all animals at Southern Research, including management of the animal program and maintenance of animal facilities. He is responsible for ensuring compliance with USDA Animal Welfare Regulations, Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, as well as maintaining the organization’s accreditation through the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International. He has played a role in a wide variety of research studies using animals, and is eligible to sit for board examinations in Laboratory Animal Medicine. Prior to joining Southern Research, Toomey managed colonies of breeding nonhuman primates and maintained CDC quarantine practices for nonhuman primates being brought into the U.S. In addition, he worked in a private veterinary private practice. Toomey graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in animal science and received a doctorate from LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

As the chief information officer at Southern Research, Johnson leads a team of dedicated professionals intent on providing Southern Research with world-class technology solutions, with a focus on innovation, agility and cost-efficiency. He is also on the information technology leadership team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he serves faculty, researchers, staff and students. He also holds a non-tenure track appointment as a professor at UAB. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from University of Alabama and a master’s in management information systems from UAB. He is an active member of the Alabama Chief Information Officers Association.

Jay H. Russell, Ph.D. brings more than 10 years of molecular platform and drug development experience ranging from biotech to large pharma companies. His scientific passions are directed towards the development and incorporation of molecular platforms enabling drug discovery and development. His primary focus has been developing novel platforms using molecular biology and protein engineering tools to enable biologic drug discovery. As a molecular biologist, he has led teams in the directed evolution of enzymes and antibodies, improving API production through biocataylsis and enhancing biophysical properties of biologic therapeutics.Dr. Russell’s work in these areas has led to multiple publications and patents. He received a B.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from The Pennsylvania State University.