eLearning Seminar
Discovery Toxicology: An Early Drug Discovery Survival Guide

Speaker Bios

J. Eric McDuffie, PhD

Dr. J. Eric McDuffie currently serves as Senior Scientific Director of Investigative Toxicology at Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. in San Diego, California. Dr. McDuffie has over 25 years of experience in the application of mechanism-based in vitro and in vivo models and related assays as well as expertise in regulatory toxicology to enable early- and late-stage drug candidate development.

He joined Neurocrine in 2021, after a 14-year tenure at Janssen Research & Development, LLC. At Janssen, Dr. McDuffie served as Director of Mechanistic & Investigative Toxicology. Previously (2000 – 2007), he served as Senior Scientist/Manager of the Laboratory Core Group and later the Investigative Pathology and Immunotoxicology groups at Pfizer’s Ann Arbor and Plymouth, Michigan sites, respectively.

Dr. McDuffie earned a PhD degree in Pharmacology from Meharry Medical College and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Michigan Medical School in the Pathology Department. He has given numerous platform presentations, co-authored several peer reviewed manuscripts/posters/book chapters, and edited multiple books.

Ruth A. Roberts, PhD, ATS, FBTS, ERT, FRSB, FRCPath

Professor Ruth A. Roberts is Chair and Director of Drug Discovery at Birmingham University and Cofounder of ApconiX, an integrated toxicology and ion channel research company. Previously, Professor Roberts was Global Head of Regulatory Safety at AstraZeneca (2004–2014). Professor Roberts is former president of several international scientific societies including the BTS and EUROTOX, and is recent past Chair of the HESI Board. She was elected fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists in 2012 and the Royal Society of Biology in 2014. She has received numerous awards including the SOT 2018 Founders Award and the ATS 2022 ‘Millie’ award. Her company ApconiX received the Queen’s award for Enterprise in 2022, the King’s Award for Enterprise 2024 followed by the King’s Award for Innovation, 2025 for work on drug safety and CNS liability. She has >190 publications in peer reviewed journals and is a regular invited speaker on the international stage. Ruth is interested in developing and implementing innovative models in drug discovery and development.

Jean-Pierre Valentin, PhD, HDR, ERT, DSP, FRCPath

Dr. Jean-Pierre Valentin is a scientist with more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry in a variety of scientific and leadership roles. After earning his PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology from the University of Montpellier, France, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF. He began his career at the Pierre Fabre Research Centre, where he contributed to the discovery and progression of three candidate drugs. 

He then joined AstraZeneca, where he established and led the Department of Safety Pharmacology, contributing to the safety evaluation of approximately 200 candidate drugs across a wide range of therapeutic areas, several of which advanced to successful registration. In 2014, he moved to UCB-Biopharma as Senior Director to lead the Investigative Toxicology unit, supporting the company’s portfolio across multiple therapeutic areas and drug modalities, currently acting as Fellow, Strategic Advisor. 

Dr. Valentin is actively engaged in the scientific community. He is a former President of the Safety Pharmacology Society; current co-chair of the HESI Proarrhythmia Subcommittee and Cardiac Steering Team; and serves on the HESI Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. He also chairs the IQ-DruSafe Secondary Pharmacology Working Group and represents EFPIA on the ICH E14/S7B committee. 

He has been involved extensively in training, education, and mentoring through scientific societies, universities, and trade associations. He is the author or co-author of several patents and more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. 

Yvonne Will, PhD, ATS

Dr. Yvonne Will is a distinguished scientific leader with over two decades of experience advancing nonclinical safety, toxicology, and translational models in global pharmaceutical R&D.

As Vice President of Non-Clinical Drug Safety and Toxicology at Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, she guided multiple programs from discovery to IND, Phase 2/3, and NDA, while shaping the long-term global toxicology strategy.

As President of Predictive, Investigative, and Translational Toxicology at Janssen, she built and led global teams of 60+ scientists and drove innovation in computational biology, molecular toxicology, and safety pharmacology. At Pfizer, she spearheaded strategic alliances and groundbreaking platforms such as organ-on-chip microphysiological systems, transforming predictive toxicology and reducing reliance on animal models.

A recognized thought leader, Dr. Will has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, co-edited multiple books on drug safety and toxicology, and served on influential committees including the National Academy of Sciences and the IQ-Consortium. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences and recipient of the Connecticut Women of Innovation Award. Her expertise spans scientific strategy, regulatory submissions, translational innovation, and building high-performing global teams to deliver safer, more effective medicines.