Experts in Preclinical Infectious Disease Research

Daniel Ross, LVT, LATG

Founder, President & CEO

Since 1996, Dan has worked in the field of research and development at both 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 Instructor of Microbiology at Concorde Career College. He received his RLATG certification in 2017.

Samantha Ross, CHRS

Operations Manager

Since 2000, Samantha has been a Certified Human Resource Specialist with 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, Lab Manager

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.

Michaley Vieau, BA

Associate Scientist, IACUC Administrator

Michaley graduated from Albion College in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Her research experience is comprised of work in bioinformatics, microbiology, and organic chemistry. During her undergraduate work she became proficient in many skills such as pipetting, flash chromatography, annotating genes, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Michaley contributes to studies at TransPharm Preclinical Solutions, where she assists with animal care, tissue harvesting, and microbial plating. Additionally, she plays a key role in ensuring the ethical treatment of animals at TransPharm by organizing meetings to discuss policies, protocols, and safety measures.