02.15.08
Wilson Blaine Knight, Ph.D., a former executive with GlaxoSmithKline, has been named vice president of Southern Research Institute's Drug Discovery Division.
“We are very pleased that Dr. Knight has joined us to lead our very successful drug discovery research program,” said John A. “Jack” Secrist, III, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Southern Research Institute. “His global pharmaceutical industry experience will be extremely valuable to Southern Research as we expand our service offering to clients worldwide. In addition, Dr. Knight’s scientific background is solid, and he has a great appreciation for basic research and how it can be translated into products that prevent and cure diseases.”
Dr. Knight has served in a number of roles at GSK including vice president of non-clinical globalization projects/preclinical development; vice president of strategic alliances; vice president of screening sciences; and vice president of systems research in the discovery research directorate. In the last two roles, he was responsible for leading more than 200 scientific staff members in the U.S., UK, Spain, Italy and Japan in comprehensive compound profiling and integrated lead discovery strategies. While at GSK, Dr. Knight was instrumental in placing several compounds into development, particularly in the oncology therapeutic area.
“We are very pleased that Dr. Knight has joined us to lead our very successful drug discovery research program,” said John A. “Jack” Secrist, III, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Southern Research Institute. “His global pharmaceutical industry experience will be extremely valuable to Southern Research as we expand our service offering to clients worldwide. In addition, Dr. Knight’s scientific background is solid, and he has a great appreciation for basic research and how it can be translated into products that prevent and cure diseases.”
Dr. Knight has served in a number of roles at GSK including vice president of non-clinical globalization projects/preclinical development; vice president of strategic alliances; vice president of screening sciences; and vice president of systems research in the discovery research directorate. In the last two roles, he was responsible for leading more than 200 scientific staff members in the U.S., UK, Spain, Italy and Japan in comprehensive compound profiling and integrated lead discovery strategies. While at GSK, Dr. Knight was instrumental in placing several compounds into development, particularly in the oncology therapeutic area.