Who We Are

Meet the UC Davis NAM Testing leadership and steering committee guiding verification, validation, repurposing, and co-development services.

Meet the leadership behind NAM testing at UC Davis. Under the direction of Simon Atkinson, PhD, Vice Chancellor for Research, and guided by a Steering Committee of distinguished researchers, our team advances the verification, repurposing, and co-development of New Approach Methodologies for the benefit of the wider scientific community.

Director — NAMs Testing Center

Simon Atkinson, PhD

Vice Chancellor for Research, UC Davis

Dr. Atkinson oversees UC Davis’s entire research portfolio and external partnerships as Vice Chancellor for Research, bringing deep executive experience from previous roles at the University of Kansas and Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. A proven academic leader with a strong background in systemwide innovation, commercialization, and institutional compliance, he is also an accomplished molecular cell biologist and entrepreneur. Dr. Atkinson holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge and completed postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University.

Steering Committee

The NAMs Testing Center Steering Committee oversees the administration and management of the Center, coordinates and supervises testing protocols and procedures, and provides guidance and direction for Center activities and services.

Kent Lloyd, DVM, PhD - Professor, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, UC Davis

Dr. Lloyd leads the UC Davis Mouse Biology Program and the Integrated Phenotype Center. He manages several high-profile, NIH-funded projects, including the Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Center (MMRRC), the Informatics Coordination and Service Center (ICSC), the Knockout Mouse Phenotype Project (KOMP2-DTCC), and the Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC) Live Center at UC Davis. He also serves as the Associate Director for Shared Resources at the Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is an expert in the application of mouse genetics for translational research. Dr. Lloyd holds a veterinary medical degree from UC Davis and a doctorate in physiology from UCLA.

Kim Barrett, PhD - Vice Dean for Research, Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Membrane Biology, School of Medicine, UC Davis

Dr. Barrett heads the School of Medicine’s scientific enterprise as Vice Dean for Research. She oversees and builds large-scale partnerships essential to the success of new research methodologies. An internationally renowned scholar in gastrointestinal physiology, Dr. Barrett fosters the growth of complex medical innovations. She earned both a doctorate in biological chemistry and a bachelor’s degree from University College London.

Karen Bales, PhD - Professor, Department of Psychology and Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, College of Biological Sciences, UC Davis

Dr. Bales oversees NIH-supported programs that connect foundational science with the advancement of human health. Her expertise in comparative biology and behavioral models provides a crucial framework for the analysis of complex biological systems. She holds a doctorate in biology from the University of Maryland.

Lisa Miller, PhD - Professor, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis

Dr. Miller heads environmental health initiatives as Associate Director of Research at the National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI). She directs advanced modeling platforms essential to the success of new respiratory methodologies. An internationally renowned scholar in respiratory immunology, Dr. Miller fosters complex innovations in pediatric lung health. She earned both a doctorate in comparative pathology and a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis.