Technology & Business Development

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  IP Portfolio Specialist
  Denlyn Atherton
  Denlyn is Senior Patent Administrator and Patent Coordinator at Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development. Since 2011, she has been providing administrative support for all Institute IP portfolios. She has over 10 years experience in technology transfer. She has also worked as Licensing Associate at Montana State University, Bozeman.
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  Director of Technology Commercialization
  Erika Bechtold, Ph.D.
  Erika joined the Harvard University Office of Technology Development in 2018. She works closely with the faculty, staff, and business teams at the Wyss Institute to commercialize their ideas and inventions through strategic partnerships. Erika was previously the Director of Product Planning and Strategy at Sofregen Medical Inc., a Tufts University spin-out developing injectable products...
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  Entrepreneur-in-Residence
  Frank Bobe, M.B.A, Ph.D.
  Frank joined the Wyss Institute in 2014 and is working on start-up opportunities in the biotechnology area. Prior, he held CEO positions in various biotechnology companies, including Seres Health, a human microbiome company founded by Flagship Ventures, SpringLeaf Therapeutics, a drug – device combination product company spun out of MIT and BioAxone Therapeutic, Inc., a...
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  Senior Associate Director of Intellectual Property
  Jay Culverwell, J.D.
  Jay joined the Harvard Office of Technology Development in 2016, and he manages the intellectual property portfolio for the Wyss Institute at Harvard. Jay engages with faculty, management, and the business development team to develop strategic patent positions and translate emerging technologies. Prior to joining Harvard, Jay was a partner in the Boston office of...
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  Director of Platform Development
  Robert Cunningham
  Bob is responsible for implementing the Institute’s technology-translation strategy for the Adaptive Material Technologies Platform. Having led business development efforts for a venture-financed microfluidics company, Bob also lends his microfluidics expertise to the Biomimetic Microsystems platform. He brings expertise in product development, grant and venture capital financing, and business development in numerous medical device and...
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  Technology Translation Director
  Angelika Fretzen, Ph.D., M.B.A.
  Angelika is the Institute’s Technology Translation Director, applying her technology and entrepreneurial business development experience to steer the Institute’s technology translation engine in diverse areas of research and technology development and to integrate the Institute’s business development and technology commercialization efforts. She earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and...
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  Senior Associate Director of Technology Transactions
  Kat Holliday, J.D.
  Kat is Senior Associate Director of Technology Transactions at Harvard’s Office of Technology Development, embedded within the Wyss Institute. Kat assists the Wyss Institute with the negotiation of technology transactions.  Kat has twenty years’ experience representing venture capital firms and emerging technology companies in financings, recapitalizations, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property contractual matters.  Prior...
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  Business Development Lead
  Jessica McDonough, Ph.D.
  Jessica joined the Wyss Institute in 2014. Prior to joining the Wyss, Jessica worked at Decision Resources as a Principal consultant. She worked with top pharmaceutical and biotech companies on over fifty engagements including topics such as therapeutic area landscapes, opportunity assessments, and valuations focusing on both the major and emerging markets. Jessica holds a...
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  Associate Director of IP
  Vani Velamoor, Ph.D.
  Vani joined the Harvard University Office of Technology Development in 2019. She works with the members of the Advanced Technology team, Intellectual Property, and Business professionals at the Wyss Institute in devising strategies to patent and protect innovative bio-inspired inventions stemming from the Institute. She provides ongoing service and education to the Wyss faculty and...