Category: Misc.

Odds & ends

NAI Member Spotlight: A Q&A with faculty driving innovation at Emory OTT

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Faculty research is what drives our work in Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Their discoveries shape every part of our mission, whether it’s filing patents, licensing technologies, or guiding early-stage startups. As a way to honor their accomplishments, OTT nominates outstanding faculty innovators to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), an esteemed organization that recognizes inventors with U.S. patents. In our 40 years of existence, OTT has fostered relationships with faculty members and encouraged academic inventorship. Here, we spoke with several of Emory’s esteemed NAI Fellows and Senior Members about their career as innovators and experiences partnering with OTT. Read More …

The Emory OTT Licensing Internship: Cultivating the Next Generation of Tech Transfer

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

The OTT licensing internship, according to its coordinator Catherine Murari-Kanti, PhD, is about “setting up a pipeline for future licensing associates and the future of tech transfer by making sure we have excellently trained people who can take the reins over the next few years.” The program, aimed at graduate students both within the Emory community and outside of it, offers interns a look at a fulfilling career outside the lab – one that sits at the exciting intersection of science, business, law, and innovation. What to Expect The program commences in the last week of August, where the students Read More …

The 2025 Tech Partnership Forum: Technology, Partnering and Faculty Honors

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Each year, Emory researchers push the boundaries of innovation, developing groundbreaking technologies with the potential to change the world. When these technologies are patented, licensed, and brought to market, it marks a significant milestone in advancing research and real-world impact. On April 17, 2025, Emory OTT hosted the Tech Partnership Forum: Technology, Partnering & Faculty Honors. Since the event’s inception in 2007, it’s changed names and locations, and it’s grown to host more than 150 people. But even as it’s evolved, our annual event has always highlighted exceptional faculty contributions to innovation and commercialization. It was an especially remarkable year, Read More …

Transforming Ideas into Impact: Linda Kesselring’s Legacy in Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

  Linda Kesselring is a seasoned operations leader who has dedicated nearly 30 years to Emory University, with almost two decades as the Operations Director in the Emory Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Throughout her career, she has been a key player in enhancing the office’s strategic direction, focusing on project management, financial oversight, and technology transfer. Linda’s innovative approach has led to significant improvements in operational efficiency and has fostered a culture of excellence within the team. Notably, her efforts have helped position OTT as a leader in the field, enabling impactful collaborations and driving advancements in technology transfer. Read More …

OTTers Reflect on 40 Years of Creating Impact

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) helps researchers and inventors turn their research into reality, and the people behind the scenes make it possible. OTT staff members are a tight-knit team who work tirelessly to commercialize Emory technologies and maximize their impact. Did you know that we call ourselves OTTers (or “otters”)? Our collective nickname, along with our monthly OTTer Award honoring high-performing licensing associates, build a strong sense of camaraderie and drive us to do our best work. To celebrate the outstanding work of OTT employees over our 40 years, we asked a few current OTTers about their experience Read More …

Celebrating 40 Years of Innovation: The Story of Emory OTT

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

The passage of the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980, which allowed universities to take ownership of their inventions made with federally funded research, was a pivotal moment for academic innovation. The shift prompted universities nationwide—including Emory University—to establish technology transfer offices to facilitate this newfound process, and by 1985, Emory had created its Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Over the next four decades, Emory OTT grew into a leader in the field, setting the standard for how universities can transform academic innovation into tangible solutions. As we celebrate 40 years of Emory OTT, let’s take a closer look at its beginnings, Read More …

Happy Holidays! Love, the Algorithm: How Your Browsing History Affects Your Holiday Shopping

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

It’s the season of giving, so it’s time to search the vast expanse of online stores to find the perfect gifts! But browser beware: When you visit a website, you leave behind information about yourself. Those websites you visit may use this data to track your online activity and preferences, which can affect how you experience any given website across the internet. Here are a few ways technology impacts your holiday online shopping. Letters to Santa (…Or Searches on Your Browser) Many businesses try to increase their profit by optimizing their user experience, whether their customers shop online or at Read More …

Trademarked traditions: How IP shapes the holiday season

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Santa and his elves, Rudolph’s red nose, and the melodies of our favorite holiday songs: Many of us cannot imagine the holiday season without the array of familiar symbols we attach to it. However, behind the joy and nostalgia of these seemingly timeless traditions lies the often-overlooked world of intellectual property (IP) law. While these laws ensure creators receive the recognition they deserve for their work, they also play a surprising role in shaping how we share and celebrate the staples of the holiday season. Protecting holiday icons Take Santa, for example. While the character of Santa Claus, with his Read More …

Remaining in research, outside the lab: OTT intern reflects on her journey into tech transfer

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

When I began my PhD in Biomedical Science, I always envisioned myself making new discoveries and making the world a better place. I committed myself to research and I wanted to be a leader in the field.  My doctoral research enhanced my interest in molecular pathways and how deviations in these pathways can lead to various diseases. However, after completing my PhD, I decided to move away from research for a while and transition into academia. Working as an Associate Physiology Professor, I have educated students with various educational backgrounds and helped to enhance their critical thinking skills. While teaching Read More …

New Perspectives: My “invigorating” experience as an OTT intern

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Upon embarking in my graduate studies, I was struck by the vast amount of amazing research that happens on a daily basis. On the other hand, I felt disheartened by the substantial amount of research that failed to make a tangible impact in the “real world.” This realization highlighted the critical importance of effectively commercializing discoveries and optimizing technologies for their practical application. I aspired to pursue a career with a direct, translational impact. To gain a more comprehensive perspective, I joined Emory’s Biotech Consulting Club. Through this club, I discovered its intimate collaboration with Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer Read More …

Emory’s Biotechnology Consulting Club Transforms Lab Innovations into Market Successes

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Many innovators struggle to bring their discoveries to a wider audience. Emory’s Biotechnology Consulting Club (EBCC) steps in to overcome this hurdle by creating a space “where business and science meet.” Making connections inside Emory and out Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) and Biolocity connect start-up enterprises with student-led EBCC teams for semester-long consulting projects. It’s mutually beneficial: Start-up companies increase their chances of getting funding by collaborating with students to perform market analyses, identify competitors, and facilitate overall company growth. Students get to improve their skills and knowledge through contact with experts across various disciplines. Since EBCC was founded in 2019, it has Read More …

Q&A With Annual Celebration 2024 Awardees: Eric Ortlund, PhD

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Eric Ortlund, PhD, is the recipient for Emory OTT’s Deal of the Year Award at the 2024 Annual Celebration of Technology and Innovation. Ortlund and his research team used a structure-guided approach to exploit a newly discovered polar interaction to lock agonists in a consistent orientation. This enabled the discovery of the first low nanomolar LRH-1 agonist. In 2023, Emory University executed an exclusive high net worth license with Allonix Therapeutics for this technology. Can you introduce yourself? My name is Eric Ortlund. I’m a professor of biochemistry in the School of Medicine. I run a research lab here that Read More …

Q&A With Annual Celebration 2024 Awardees: Louise Hecker, PhD

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Louise Hecker, PhD, is the EmpowHER Award recipient at Emory OTT’s 2024 Annual Celebration of Technology and Innovation. Hecker is a prominent researcher in the field of regenerative biology and specializes in pulmonology. Her research primarily focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying lung fibrosis and developing novel therapeutic approaches for treating this debilitating disease. Can you introduce yourself? I’m Louise and I am an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Pulmonary Division. We do a wide range of projects, under a big umbrella. We study aging and injury repair. We’re not trying to necessarily find the fountain of youth Read More …

Q&A with Annual Celebration 2024 Awardees: Santiago Arconada Alvarez

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Santiago Arconada Alvarez is one of five members of the team receiving the Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Award (IDEAward). Their technology, Low English Proficiency Nurse Communication Tool, is an application that revolutionizes how nurses communicate with patients who have limited English language proficiency and their caregivers. This novel mobile app enables the clinical team to communicate using common phrases in the patient’s language, images, and real-time translation. Can you introduce yourself? I am Santiago Arconada Alvarez and I’m a product development team lead working on medical apps for clinical research. Currently, I co-lead a group called the AppHatchery at Emory Read More …

Q&A with Annual Celebration 2024 Awardees: Erica Evans

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Erica Evans is one of six team members receiving the 2023 Corporate Partnership Award. Partnering with Honeywell, Evans and team are developing multiple diagnostics for sickle cell disease via a multi-pronged, multi-year partnership. Can you introduce yourself? I’m Erica and I’m a research assistant at Dr. Vivien Sheehan’s lab. I’ve been working on the microfluidics projects with her and Dr. Wilbur Lam at Georgia Tech. For about two years, we’d had a prototype for a sickle cell disease, red blood cell adhesion device. My main priority was to get that device to a state where we could reliably distinguish between Read More …

Q&A with Annual Celebration 2024 Awardees: David Myers, PhD

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

David Myers, PhD, is one of three team members to receive the 2023 Innovation of the Year award. The technology, A Bio-Inspired Skin Interface Method for Continuous Access to Blood for Measurement and Therapy, is a wearable, continuous blood collection device that can monitor blood-based biomarkers with reduced risk of blood clots. Can you introduce yourself? I’m David Myers. I’m an assistant professor in biomedical engineering. I studied mechanical engineering for my PhD, and then trained in hematology for my postdoc. What initially drew you to your field? I love seeing things move and how stuff works. Can you tell Read More …

The role of technology in holiday light shows

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

What is the holiday season without its lights? The tradition of holiday lights – specifically in Christmas trees – was made popular by the 1848 issue of The Illustrated London News. The image of the candle-illuminated tree at Windsor Castle was published, inspiring the public and popularizing the idea of decorated Christmas trees. The British royal family was headed by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, both of whom had German heritage. The tradition of decorating Christmas trees is German, and the two introduced that tradition to Windsor Castle, the British public, and the rest of the world. From fire to Read More …

The pros and cons of wearable devices in clinical trials

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

The use of wearable devices has skyrocketed over the past few years, with approximately 21% of U.S. adults reporting the use of a smartwatch or wearable fitness tracker. Many of those people use the wearable devices, including clip-on devices, belts, or patches, to track their own health metrics and stay on top of their wellness goals. Powered by microprocessors and sensors, wearables are capable of receiving, analyzing, recording, and communicating data such as one’s heart rate, oxygen saturation, sleep patterns, workouts, and even electrocardiograms. And thanks to rapidly developing technology, advances in 5G or AI have been incorporated into wearable Read More …

EEVM: Emory club fosters student-led innovation and entrepreneurship

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Entrepreneurship has become increasingly influential on college campuses, capturing the imagination of visionary students who seek autonomy, financial security, and the power to drive social change. Even for those not pursuing a business degree, learning about entrepreneurship can foster innovative thinking, research skills, and collaboration abilities. Emory University, in particular, has cultivated a vibrant community that supports both individual innovators and organizations striving to leave their mark on society. Among them, Emory Entrepreneurship & Venture Management (EEVM) stands as one of the biggest players in promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship. EEVM is dedicated to lowering the boundary for building businesses Read More …

contractConnect: Submit your agreements online

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Save time and paper: With Emory contractConnect, you can now submit your Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) or Data Transfer/Use Agreement (DUA/DTA) online! Emory personnel no longer must download, fill out, scan, and send PDFs. Instead, you can submit your MTAs and DUAs directly via the forms found on Emory contractConnect. Automatically and seamlessly upload any number of supporting documents, save your submission as a draft to come back to, and get all the signatures you need on this user-friendly portal. All questions from the previous PDF version of the questionnaires are found on the system, and records are automatically created Read More …