Houston (October 8, 2019) — Texas Heart Institute is proud to announce Robert McNeil as the Administrative Director of the Basic Research Labs (BRL). In this new role, McNeil will provide leadership on lab safety and security, research compliance, administrative improvements, and implementation of new systems and policies, and oversee research finances, coordination of grants, and charitable funding.

 

McNeil joined THI in January 2017 as the Manager of the Basic Research Laboratories to serve in the role of senior administrator for several research departments and personnel. He oversaw budgets, purchasing, spending, and safety support.

 

”Robert is a seasoned and experiencedresearch professional who is passionate about introducing new ideas and processes that will benefit both investigators and patients,” said Emerson Perin, MD, PhD, Medical Director of the Texas Heart Institute.

 

McNeil brings over 25 years of experience to the Institute and has an impressive track record in research operations and management.

 

Before coming to the Texas Heart Institute, McNeil was a Business Manager at Baylor College of Medicine. There, he supported clinical research operations and was responsible for contract and budget development and negotiation, grant preparation and submissions, pre-and post-award financial accounting, regulatory compliance, clinical trial management, protocol development, education and guidance of investigators, development of SOPs, and research personnel management.

 

As a Clinical Research Manager in the Blue Bird Circle Clinical Research Center at Texas Children’s Hospital, McNeil developed a clinical research program that completed several pivotal trials of transformative drug therapies for devastating childhood neurological disorders. He directed all aspects of this enterprise, which consisted of several clinical research professionals, 75+ active study protocols, and more than $3 million in sponsored clinical research funding.

 

He also managed high-profile industry-sponsored trials of new treatments for epilepsy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and multiple sclerosis during his career.

 

Since his arrival at the Texas Heart Institute, McNeil has worked closely with the Vice President for Research in the Office of Research Administration to prepare grant and contract submissions, oversee research operations and proposals, and provide support for the financial software systems. McNeil has introduced several growth initiatives, including improving research operations, developing new systems and processes for purchasing and reporting, developing a lab safety training program, and initiating lab and office space renovations.

 

”Robert has a strong background in cardiology and neurology basic science research,” says Darren Woodside, PhD, Texas Heart Institute Vice President for Research. “His technical knowledge of various experimental techniques and his sound, scientific understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying human physiology and disease are among the many reasons he is ideal for directing our basic science research teams.”

 

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About Texas Heart Institute

The Texas Heart Institute (THI), founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative and progressive programs in research, education and improved patient care. More information about THI (@Texas_Heart) is available at www.texasheart.org.

 

Media Contacts:

Texas Heart Institute
Keri Sprung
Office: 832-355-9591