SVPR Senior Leadership

Adam Marcus, PhD, is Senior Vice President for Research, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Marcus is also Winship 5K Research Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Marcus previously served as scientific director for 18 years of the Emory Integrated Cell Imaging Core (ICI), a jointly managed shared resource of Winship Cancer Institute and Emory University School of Medicine, and has provided senior leadership oversight of the current  Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) planning process. His current research is focused on cell biology and pharmacology in lung and breast cancer. He is a national leader in understanding how cancer cells invade and metastasize and how to apply this knowledge in developing new therapeutic strategies..

Dr. Marcus received his PhD in Biology from Penn State University and went on to do a post-doctoral fellowship in cancer pharmacology at Emory University in the laboratory of Dr. Paraskevi Giannakakou.

As Vice President for Research Administration, Kim Maune leads research administrative and compliance departments including Environmental Health and Safety, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Institutional Review Board, Research Grants and Contracts, and Sponsored Programs with more than 300 team members providing outstanding services that catalyze research excellence. Daily, Kim and team are responsible for providing the foundation for the research growth that Emory continues to experience while pursuing discovery.

Kim holds a master’s in health administration from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor of Arts from Xavier University. She is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the Society of Research Administration, National Council of University Research Administrators.

Dr. Kimberly Eck joined the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research in August 2020. As the Senior Associate Vice President for Research at Emory University, she is a part of the Research Leadership Team. She leads the Office of Research Development (ORD), Training Grant Support Office (TGSO), a multi-unit competitive intelligence function, and the research impact initiative. She was named a National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP) Fellow in 2024 and was elected to the National Academy of Inventors as an Honorary Member of in 2025.

She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology degree at SUNY University at Albany, her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and Behavioral Science at Saint Louis University, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame.

Tonya is a seasoned professional with diverse business experience and a track record of success, spanning the areas of accounting and finance, strategic planning, human resources, business operations and process improvement. Tonya most recently served as Senior Business Officer for Research at the University of Miami, where she held various leadership roles over the last 16 years. Prior to that, she worked in corporate financial and business operations roles for Cargill, Royal Caribbean, Johnson & Johnson, DHL, and World Fuel Services.

Tonya holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Florida International University. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys music, traveling, and making memories with her family and friends.

Dr. Sherer is the Associate Vice President of Research, and Executive Director for the Office of Technology Transfer at Emory University.  He has worked extensively with researchers to translate their promising scientific and medical discoveries into new products that benefit society.  This crucial activity helps assure that research is translated into practical applications, including new life-saving medical products that benefit the public who helped to fund it.  He has helped pioneer new funding models to support the translation of research and worked globally to identify, test, and implement best practices to increase the impact of academic technology commercialization.  Dr. Sherer has also worked with colleagues to affect federal policy and guidelines that address new intellectual property flowing from federally-funded research.

He held similar roles at Oregon Health & Science University, the University of Oregon, and Washington State University.  He received his PhD in Pharmacology/Toxicology from Washington State University and a BS degree from Oregon State University.  He is a Past President of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), the professional association representing more than 3,000 technology transfer professionals from more than 30 countries.  Dr. Sherer is a Registered Patent Agent (RPA) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  He is also a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP™) and a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP). 

Drew Homa serves as Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President for Research. In this role, he is a member of the Research Leadership team and serves on the SVPR Research Council. Drew oversees events and special projects and coordinates new initiatives. He provides research, leadership, independent analysis, and judgment in prioritizing interests and priorities. In addition, he supervises SVPR and external communications and works with the leadership team to develop strategic multi-year plans for the SVPR offices.

Drew holds a Bachelor of Arts in English & History from the University of Southern California and a Master of Arts in English/Higher Education from Appalachian State University.