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 an independent consultant specializing in nonclinical drug safety, discovery toxicology, and the strategic application of new approach methodologies (NAMs) to support decision-making and regulatory readiness in drug development. Through her consulting practice, SCIENTIA-Consultants LLC, she advises biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies on predictive safety strategies, mechanistic toxicology, and fit-for-purpose nonclinical programs from early discovery through IND/CTA-enabling stages.

Dr. Will brings more than two decades of experience in global pharmaceutical R&D, having previously held senior leadership roles including Vice President of Nonclinical Drug Safety and Toxicology at Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Global Science and Technology Lead for Drug Safety at Pfizer, and senior positions in predictive and investigative toxicology at Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). Across these roles, she has led multidisciplinary teams, shaped nonclinical safety strategy, and advanced the integration of human-relevant in vitro and mechanistic models into discovery and development workflows.

Her scientific expertise spans mitochondrial toxicity, liver safety, cardiovascular risk assessment, mechanistic toxicology, and the design of tiered screening funnels that integrate NAMs within a regulatory-aligned weight-of-evidence framework. Dr. Will is widely recognized for her thought leadership in modernizing toxicology and bridging the gap between cutting-edge science and regulatory expectations.

Dr. Will is actively engaged in the toxicology community and has served in leadership roles within the Society of Toxicology, including as President of the Drug Discovery Specialty Section. She has contributed extensively to the scientific literature and serves on editorial boards for journals focused on applied and translational toxicology.

She holds a PhD and MS in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Oregon State University and a BS from the University of Bonn.