UAB Synopsis, Vol. 24, No. 18, May 16, 2005
Translating promising technologies to the marketplace
Since becoming chief executive officer of UAB's Research Foundation last June, William S. "Sandy" White has expanded the foundation's professional staff and implemented new processes and procedures designed to streamline invention disclosure and technology transfer. The ultimate goal is to expedite translation of promising discoveries made by UAB scientists from the laboratory to the marketplace, improving the health and lives of the public.
The Research Foundation's rapid expansion is an integral part of a coordinated effort by university administration to assure UAB is positioned to meet its objective of ranking among the top 10 institutions in National Institutes of Health research funding, White says. "That commitment to growth played a key role in my decision to join UAB, as did the university's internationally recognized quality of research.
"Now that essential new staff and procedures are in place, I'm starting to focus on establishing a more comprehensive dialogue with faculty, informing them of the foundation's expanded resources so they can play a more active role in the technology-transfer process," he says. "This office has a number of functions; some are visible, but much of our work takes place behind the scenes. Each grant that comes to UAB has intellectual property rights and 'technology-transfer' wrapped around it, and where required, we are directly involved in assisting faculty with the often complex processes. If faculty need to transfer critical research material from one institution to another, we are part of the team assuring this is legally managed."
Tapping Potential
White points to biotechnology as a field with dramatic growth potential. "The science of biotechnology is only about 20 years old, and I think the next 10 years will bring an explosion of technologies that have emerged from 2 decades of accumulating knowledge. UAB is a biotechnology powerhouse with world-class research under way in a multitude of areas, including, but certainly not limited to, basic molecular biology, immunology, and oncology. Biomedical engineering is another UAB area of research holding much future promise."
Since its inception in 1986, the UAB Research Foundation has generated $21 million in revenue for the university, returning more than $16 million to inventors and academic departments. The foundation has produced 33 start-up companies based on UAB technologies, completed 300 option and licensing agreements, and negotiated $19.5 million in research agreements.
"From a revenue generation standpoint, which provides direct economic benefits to the university and the entire region, fiscal year 2005 is already guaranteed to be by far one of the best in UAB's history," White says. "I'm excited that we have already been able to close multiple million-dollar deals since I joined the organization. This has only been possible with support from the faculty and other elements of university administration, including the UAB legal department."
UAB Research Foundation's current professional staff includes Director of Technology Transfer Leona Fitzmaurice, PhD, who has more than 10 years of direct major university technology-transfer experience, Senior Licensing Associate Alane Barnes, JD, Licensing Associates Emily Duff and George Megaw, PhD, and Program Manager Debbie Bidanset, PhD.
"Breakthroughs in medicine and bio-technology represent years and sometimes decades of research," White says. "By licensing that technology, the Research Foundation interfaces with industry to facilitate translation of the world-class work done at UAB into products that improve health care and create revenue and jobs that flow back to the university, helping continue the process of scientific discovery and medical advancement."
For more informaton, contact White at 934-9911.