About Us
Emily Hughes, PhD, MBA, CCRP
Manager
Clinical Research and Graduate Medical Education
Dr. Emily Hughes currently serves as the Manager for Clinical Research and a Faculty Advisor for Scholarly Activity and Research for both Family Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency Programs. She has 12 years of research experience working in Academic, Clinical, and Hospital settings. She obtained both her Doctorate in Health Administration and Education and Master’s in Business Administration from William Carey University and her Bachelors Degree in Biological Sciences from University of South Alabama. Dr. Hughes is dedicated to advancing healthcare through innovative research and expanding access to healthcare to underserved and underrepresented populations.
Elena Ervin, CMA, CRC
Clinical Research Coordinator
Elena has worked in the medical field for 11 years and has been a part of the Memorial Health System for almost a year as a Clinical Research Coordinator. Elena spent 9 years as a medical assistant in women’s health before transitioning into clinical research. To pass the time, and what she enjoys most is making delicious food. Elena is driven to help people and to help grow clinical research at Memorial and bring more awareness about research to the public to help patients and better healthcare in the future.
Jennifer Gex
Oncology,
Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
Jennifer Gex is the research nurse for oncology here at Memorial Health System. She is a lifelong resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Jennifer has been a registered nurse since 2008. She has dedicated her entire career to compassionate care of oncology patients and their families. Jennifer started oncology research in 2011. Since then and with the support of the oncology team, hundreds of patients have benefited from the availability of clinical trials at Memorial. Memorial oncology research is working with LSU-NO to provide our patients with the most up to date cancer treatments. Jennifer, with LSU researchers, are piloting a program that has received the attention of the National Cancer Institute in Washington D.C. This program will provide clinical trials to people in rural areas that would otherwise not have the option of trial participation.
Shelly Burton, MSN, RN
Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
Shelly has been a Registered Nurse for 22 years. She graduated from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in 2004 and started her nursing career at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, TN as an Operating Room nurse. Shelly also holds an MSN for Nursing Education. She has held many different roles in nursing including being a circulating nurse for heart transplants and other heart-related procedures, along with many other services in the OR, Operating Room Educator, RN Education Specialist, Infection Prevention, Case Management, and Research Coordinator.
Debbie Clark, CCRC
Clinical Research Coordinator
Debbie Clark is a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) with more than 24 years of experience advancing clinical research across a broad range of therapeutic areas. Early in her career, she was one of only two Certified Clinical Research Coordinators in the State of Mississippi, helping pave the way for excellence in clinical trial coordination.
Throughout her career, Debbie has worked with diverse disease states and has remained committed to ensuring that clinical research is conducted with the highest standards of quality, ethics, and patient care. Her experience spans multiple phases of clinical trials, where she has collaborated with investigators, sponsors, and patients to bring innovative treatments closer to those who need them.
Alexandra Musial
Clinical Research Coordinator
Alexandra currently assists in the daily operations of clinical trials while ensuring exceptional patient safety, regulatory compliance, and data integrity. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from William Carey University. She has developed expertise in patient oversight, protocol execution, clinical documentation, and fostering positive participant experience. She is a former collegiate national champion athlete, bringing discipline, resilience, leadership, and a results-driven mindset to every aspect of clinical research.
Priscilla Isip
Clinical Research Coordinator
For 16 years, Priscilla served as a respected Highly Qualified Teacher of Biological Sciences underpinned by a bachelor’s in Biology and Secondary Education and a Master’s in Science. She hones exceptional skills in complex data communication, regulatory compliance (lab safety, protocols), and effective project management. This teaching experience is powerfully complemented by Priscilla’s time as a former Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), which has instilled unparalleled competence in acute patient observation, urgent decision-making, and maintaining composure under pressure. Now as a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC), Priscilla leverages this unique foundation to ensure the highest standards of protocol adherence, data integrity, and patient safety throughout the research lifecycle.