(469b) Commercialization of Biomedical Technologies From University Research

Commercialization of technologies derived from university-based research must fit into the larger mission of the university.  As such, technology transfer take many forms from dissemination of results in scientific publications to students working for companies to corporate sponsored- and focused-research to licensing of technologies developed at academic institutions.  All of these activities are required to ensure that research results are making their way to the commercial marketplace for the benefit of society.  The University of Pittsburgh, in close collaboration with its related health system the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) is committed to focusing research and commercial partnerships on areas of unmet clinical need.  The process of commercialization at the University of Pittsburgh will be discussed, with particular focus on medical devices and the relationship of the engineering faculty and faculty in the schools of the health sciences.  Case studies on commercialization will be presented, both licenses to established companies and the creation of spin-off companies.  Finally, new approaches to facilitating collaborative research and translation in medical device development will be discussed.