Experts in Preclinical Infectious Disease Research

 

Daniel Ross, LVT, LATG

Founder, President & CEO

Dan has over 19 years of experience in the field of research and development, having worked at Wayne State University and Pfizer Global Research and Development. His vast experience includes veterinary surgery, model development, and designing/performing PK/PD and efficacy studies. He has served as president of the Michigan AALAS, and has extensive experience running animal research facilities in compliance with the requirements of USDA, AAALAC, and institutional IACUCs. Dan has provided exposure/activity data for preclinical packages on several drug candidates and has experience developing, validating, and optimizing a wide variety of disease models, with different model organisms and microbial pathogens for numerous indications. With his expertise in developing new techniques, Dan has designed and implemented new models to support Phase IV studies and subsequent approval for new indications of marketed drugs.

 

Santiago R. Lopez, PhD, LATG

Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Lopez received his B.S. in Biochemistry from Michigan State University in 2000 and his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan in 2007. Following graduate school, Dr. Lopez continued in a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan. His graduate studies and postdoctoral experience involved characterization of two novel human proteins involved in Herpes Simplex Virus entry. His experience includes membrane protein purification, antibody production, tissue culture, fluorescence microscopy, in vitro and in vivo viral, bacterial and parasite infection models, gene cloning and various molecular biology techniques. Dr. Lopez also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Lansing Community College of Microbiology and Cell Biology. He received his RLATG certification in 2017.

 

Samantha Ross, CHRS

Operations Manager

Samantha is a Certified Human Resource Specialist with 15 years of administrative experience in Research and Development. Her career spans Drug Safety Evaluation, Safety Sciences, and Drug Safety Research and Development. She has extensive experience and knowledge in business operations in the areas of finance, human resources, purchasing, facilities management, and legal activities.

 

 

Marci Peek, MT, LAT

Senior Protocol Specialist

Marci began her Medical Technology career in 1995 working as a general laboratory technician in a hospital. In 1999, she became a study coordinator at the Pfizer Phase I Unit, where she ran first-in-human, bioequivalent, food effect, proof-of-concept, and PK/PD studies. Her expertise includes project management, study scheduling, specimen collection and processing, institutional review board consulting, and protocol editing. She also has  a wealth of drug safety experience, including adverse event reporting to the FDA and other worldwide regulatory agencies for clinical studies and post-marketed drugs. Marci received her RLAT certification in 2012.

 

Brittany Dixon, MS

Scientific Writer

Brittany earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Alma College in 2012 and a Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Pathology from the University of Michigan in 2015. During her graduate education, Brittany served as President of her program’s student council and taught biochemistry to first-year medical students in Ethiopia. She joined the TransPharm team in 2016 and is responsible for writing content for our website and marketing materials.

 

Kyle McCollum, BS, LAT

Associate Scientist

Kyle graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in General Biology and started his career in biological research at TransPharm Preclinical Solutions that same year. As an Associate Scientist, Kyle helps with animal handling and lab duties. Kyle is proficient in laboratory procedures including sample plating and client compound preparation. He also helps with the harvesting of various animal tissues including thigh muscles, lungs, spleens, and kidneys for the purpose of tracking the overall growth, population density, and growth kinetics of the infectious pathogen. He received his RLAT certification in 2017.

 

Jeremy Covell, BA, LAT

Associate Scientist, Biosafety Officer

Jeremy received his B.A. in Biology, with minors in both Chemistry and Psychology, from Albion College in 2011.  While at Albion, he worked for the Biology department tutoring students, assisting with labs, and helping with community programs at the Whitehouse Nature Center. Jeremy also performed research on the use of membrane-supported Palladium nanoparticles for the remediation of trichloroethene under the guidance of Dr. Kevin Metz. He presented his research at Albion College’s annual Elkin Isaac Symposium as well as the American Chemical Society Conference in 2011. After graduation, he worked for a clinical laboratory where he became proficient in the departments of urinalysis, chemistry, and special chemistry. He received his RLAT certification in 2017.

 

Tammy Hopp, LVT

Associate Scientist

Tammy graduated from Baker College in Jackson, MI with an Associate’s degree in Applied Sciences in 2014. Prior to joining our team in 2018, she spent 7 years working in veterinary clinics and hospitals as a licensed veterinary technician. Her duties as an Associate Scientist at TransPharm highlight her expertise in animal handling and husbandry.

 

 

McKenzie Mahlmeister, BS

Associate Scientist

McKenzie Mahlmeister joined TransPharm as an Associate Scientist in the summer of 2021. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Biology in 2016 from the University of Findlay (UF) in Findlay, Ohio. While at UF, she competed on the cross country and track teams. After graduation, McKenzie worked on a farm and at the University of Michigan as an animal care technician. She received her RLAT certification in 2019.

 

 

Jaide Schupbach, BS

Associate Scientist

Jaide Schupbach joined Transpharm as a Scientist in the summer of 2022. She graduated from Western Michigan University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Jaide has worked in the science field since 2010; First as a student tech in the microbiology lab, then as an assistant in Phase 1 clinical trials. After graduation she spent 5 years working in research and has become proficient in histology and flow cytometry immunophenotyping.

 

 

 

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Experts in Preclinical Inflammation Research

Jim Mobley, PhD

Jim received his BS from the University of Illinois and his PhD in Immunology from the University of Iowa. He has more than 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical sector, including developing drugs for asthma and arthritis for Upjohn, Park-Davis, Pfizer, and Lycera. Jim founded Inflammix in 2009.

 

 

Paul Domanski, BS

Paul earned his BS from Michigan Technological University. He has greater than 20 years of experience in antibody research and development, which has resulted in numerous commercial antibody products and patents related to antibody development. Paul joined the Inflammix team in 2020.

 

 

Daniel Bochar, PhD

Dan received his BS from the University of Illinois and his PhD in Biochemistry from Purdue University. He has 15 years of experience as an academic researcher, including a faculty position at the University of Michigan Medical School. Dan has transitioned to the biotechnology sector, directing services and new product development for an international life science and chemical company. Dan joined the Inflammix team in 2020.