Southern Research Institute have reported 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.

Damon Papac has been 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.

Joseph Murphy has been 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.