Wistar Institute, the oldest independent biomedical research institute in the country, has added an executive director for technology transfer.
Heather Steinman previously worked at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was director of the Penn Center for Innovation at the Perelman School of Medicine Office.
Steinman, whose title also includes vice president of business development, will direct the implementation of an intellectual property strategy and technology commercialization such as licensing, start-ups, and collaborative research and development partnerships.
Market Trends to Watch for Health Systems and Their Specialty Pharmacies
The future looks bright for the integrated specialty pharmacy model – for health systems, providers, and most importantly, for patients.
Her responsibilities also include initiating strategic partnerships with industry, nonprofit and local academic institutions, advancing the institute’s pipeline of biomedical research discoveries across small molecule and biological therapeutics for melanoma, ovarian cancer, oncology, immuno-oncology, and novel vaccine platforms, according to a statement from Wistar.
Even without a tech transfer director, the institute’s licensing revenue record is not too shabby. In a 2013 survey of hospitals generating the most licensing revenue by the Association of University Technology Transfer Managers, Wistar ranked fifth with $17.76 million for fiscal year 2012. In FY2010, it ranked eighth with $13 million.
Update: Heather Steinman’s name was misspelled and has since been corrected.