Technology Transfer at UCSD
UC San Diego’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO) was established in November 1994 to advance the successful placement of UCSD innovations with commercial partners for development into useful products and to advance the university’s mission. The TTO is responsible for protecting, managing and licensing the intellectual property of UC San Diego, including inventions in the biomedical, life science and physical sciences sectors, copyright-protected materials such as software and images, and tangible research materials.
Click on the names below for Staff biographies.
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Elizabeth Aguayo | Accounting Specialist |
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Grai L. Andreason, PhD, MBA | Senior Licensing Officer Dr. Andreason's work at UCSD's TTO provides an opportunity to knit together academic and private experience that has been developed through diverse training and positions in both sectors. After completing her BA in chemistry at UC San Diego, Grai worked as a research associate in the Department of Neurosciences before returning for graduate studies in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. Her laboratory studies were completed at the Salk Institute, where she worked on regulation of gene expression. In post-doctoral fellowships at the Institut Pasteur and Stanford University Medical Center, she concentrated on cell biology with a focus on the interrelation between cellular structure and function.
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Bill Athing | Manager, Finance & Operations |
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Deborah Barber | Assistant Manager - Finance |
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Marci Bonebright, BS | Administrative Assistant |
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Victoria B. Cajipe, PhD | Senior Licensing Officer Victoria holds a BS degree in physics from the University of the Philippines, a PhD in physics from the University of Pennsylvania and a post-doctoral Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches from the Université de Nantes. Before joining the physical science licensing team at TTO, she cultivated a career in basic research with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in France then moved to California to pursue her interest in technology commercialization within a startup environment. As a CNRS scientist, Victoria worked at the Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel, focusing on advanced materials and the use of x-ray/neutron scattering and related techniques to characterize structures, physical properties and phase transitions in various condensed matter systems. She was also involved in studies of optical force methods for seeding protein crystal growth. During her subsequent employment with NOVA R&D, Inc., a company specializing in detector and imaging electronics, she performed a combination of executive, research, business development and customer relations duties. Victoria has published over 60 scientific articles, participated regularly in conferences on materials science and radiation detection, and established a track record of successful grant applications and profitable small-business operations. |
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Frank Cano | Patent Analyst |
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Esther Cohen, BS | Patent Analyst |
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Skip Cynar, PhD | Licensing Officer Dr. F. J. "Skip" Cynar is a science and marketing professional who promotes science through commercialization and technology transfer. He has a master's degree from the University of Rhode Island, a doctorate degree in biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, and a Professional Certificate in Intellectual Property Law from UC San Diego. Prior to joining UC San Diego's Technology Transfer Office in February 2009, Cynar was a senior writer at UC San Diego's Center for Research in Biological Systems (CRBS) and was responsible for conveying emerging developments at the interface of biomedicine and advanced communication technologies. During the ten years prior to this, Cynar developed, contracted, and managed a portfolio of scientific, technical, and medical information products (journals, monographs, textbooks, and reference works) for Academic Press Publishers (now an imprint of Elsevier Science Publishers). |
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Linda Dechant, BA | Patent Assistant |
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William J. Decker, PhD | Associate Director Bill Decker grew up in Michigan and Virginia. He received his PhD from the University of Virginia in Engineering Physics and his dissertation was entitled "Numerical Studies of Bifurcations and Chaos in Natural Convection." Prior to joining UC San Diego, Bill was employed for five years at a biomedical device start-up, first based in Florida, then in Orange County, CA, where he held positions of increasing responsibility and performed duties that were cross-functional between business and R&D. Bill's work at the company resulted in eight issued U.S. patents, four issued non-U.S. patents, and several patents pending in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Hong-Kong. Over the years, Bill has been an invited guest speaker at meetings sponsored by the American Physical Society, the American Nuclear Society, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the International Society for Analytical Cytology, the Association for Women in Science, and the National Association of College and University Attorneys. |
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Luz Ellis, BA | Accounting Assistant |
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David Gibbons, MBA, PE | Assistant Director- Physical Science Licensing David is starting his 10th year at UCSD, closing over 100+ patent and copyright licenses during that time in the fields of network technology, semiconductors, telecommunications, advanced materials, bio-informatics, software, diagnostic medical devices and opto-electronics. He is also the recipient of the TTO "Licensing Officer Award" for outstanding performance in fiscal years 2005 and 2006. David's completed transactions include foundational technology licenses for over twenty new ventures including Ortiva Wireless (3G content delivery); Blaze DFM (acquired by Tela Innovations); Scoperta Materials (advanced materials); Awarepoint (asset tracking); app2you (Web 2.0 database software); Taaz.com (Web 2.0 consumer products); StatRx (network managed medical equipment); MRV (oceanography instrumentation); EarthRisk (advanced long-range weather forecasting); HiPerWorks (high-resolution display systems); and Linear Signal Systems (RF chip sets). He is a regularly invited speaker and judge in the areas of technology commercialization, venture investment, business plan competitions and routinely teaches upper division and graduate level courses on these topics for the benefit of UCSD and SDSU students. David came to UC San Diego after serving eight years as a Civil Engineer Corps Officer in the U.S. Navy. He is a Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer and holds an MBA degree. On a personal note, David is active in his community, serving as Cub Scout leader, football coach, and volunteer school art instructor. News:
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Eric Gosink, PhD | Senior Licensing Officer Dr. Eric Gosink joined the Technology Transfer Office as a Senior Licensing Officer in 2011 and has a broad biotechnology background that spans both research and commercialization. After obtaining a BA in biochemistry from UC San Diego and working as a research associate at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, he earned a PhD in physiology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Eric pursued five years of postdoctoral research at both the University of Wisconsin and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital studying cellular and molecular biology processes of receptor regulation and DNA repair mechanisms. While at St. Jude, he transitioned to a career in technology transfer which later led to seven years of work at the University of Utah where he participated in the rapid growth of its commercialization activity. At both institutions, Eric obtained increasing business responsibilities in licensing, marketing, patent management, and business outreach. Prior to his return to UCSD, he held a two-year position in corporate development at Life Technologies where he licensed traditional lab reagents and launched a new bioproduction program. Eric's work at UCSD continues his role in advancing life science research where he is proud to serve a community like San Diego, known for its strong and dynamic support of biotechnology development. |
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Sylvia He, PhD, MBA | Technology Marketing Analyst Sylvia He received a BS in Molecular Biology from the University of Arizona. After working as a research assistant in The Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich, Germany, Sylvia attended the PhD program in virology at Harvard Medical School and studied chromatin remodeling. In post-doctoral fellowship at Tufts University, she studied pharmacogenomic using biochemical means. Subsequently Sylvia worked at Shire Pharmaceuticals as a research scientist on drug delivery. After finishing her MBA at The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego, Sylvia joined the TTO as the Technology Marketing Analyst. |
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Don Kakuda, PhD | Licensing Officer Don Kakuda has both business and research experience within the life science sector. Prior to joining the UC San Diego Technology Transfer Office, Don worked in technology transfer at UniQuest Pty Ltd in Australia. He worked in positions including: Manager of Innovation and Commercial Development for the Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty, Commercialization Manager in the Life Science Team and Transaction and Operations Team, and member of the Patent Review Committee. Don was also a board member for start-up companies including: Vaxxas Pty Ltd, Dendright Pty Ltd (Chair), Progel Pty Ltd (Chair) and Bio Energy Solutions Pty Ltd. Don gained project development experience working with start-up companies including: ForBio Research Pty Ltd, Neurotide Pty Ltd and VasCam Pty Ltd. Don's intellectual property experience includes working as a registered Australian and New Zealand patent and trademark attorney at Fisher Adams Kelly in Australia. Don was awarded a PhD from UC San Diego's Biomedical Sciences Program and completed an undergraduate degree in Biology at UC Santa Barbara. Don was a post-doctorate fellow at UC San Diego and at The University of Queensland, Australia. |
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Doriot Lair, MBA | Manager, Disclosure and Material Transfer In her position as Manager, Disclosure and Material Transfer, Doriot Lair has oversight of the intellectual-property disclosure process at UC San Diego (UCSD), including the responsibility for Bayh-Dole federal reporting and veterans affairs compliance. Additionally, Lair negotiates Material Transfer Agreements for the outbound transfer of UCSD-developed research material, and most Inter-Institutional Agreements for the management of commercialization and patent prosecution of jointly owned inventions. Before joining the UC San Diego Technology Transfer Office in 2002, Lair worked in the non-profit sector, including performance and presenting arts. She holds an AB degree from Smith College, where she was an Ada Comstock Scholar, and holds an MBA degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. |
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Denise Lew, PhD | Senior Licensing Officer Prior to joining UC San Diego Technology Transfer Office, Dr. Denise Lew held research positions for 10 years at several San Diego biotech companies. As a scientist, Denise's areas of expertise are molecular biology, gene therapy and animal models of cancer and infectious disease. At TTO she is a senior licensing officer with responsibility for the inventions originating from faculty involved in life sciences research. Denise earned her BA degree in biology in Dallas, and worked for several years at the Stanford University Department of Biochemistry. After obtaining her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, she was awarded an NIH fellowship to pursue her postdoctoral training at the Salk Institute in La Jolla. |
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Janis Links | Disclosure Specialist |
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Mona McGorvin, BA | Contract Compliance Specialist |
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Dominic F. Montisano, PhD | Senior Licensing Officer Dr. Montisano is a senior licensing officer with responsibility for the inventions originating from faculty research in life sciences. Prior to joining UC San Diego TTO in March 2006, he held several positions in biotechnology companies in San Diego for 12 years. He was a Scientific Business Analyst for Chiron Technologies Center for Gene Therapy and later became an Associate Director for Intellectual Property at Idun Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for managing the company's patent portfolio and all company agreements. Dr. Montisano received a BA degree in Biology from the University of California, San Diego and an MA and PhD in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He performed 16 years of bench research in cell and molecular biology including post-doctoral research at UCLA in the Department of Pathology and as an Assistant Research Biochemist position at the UCSD Medical Center in the divisions of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Pulmonary, and Dermatology. Dr. Montisano is also a registered patent agent with the United States Patent & Trademark Office. |
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Jane Moores, PhD | Assistant Vice Chancellor Dr. Jane Moores is Assistant Vice Chancellor – Technology Transfer at the University of California, San Diego. The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) is responsible for protecting, managing and licensing UCSD's intellectual property, including inventions in the biomedical, life science and physical sciences sectors, copyright-protected materials such as software and images, and tangible research materials. Dr. Moores is also involved in establishing relationships with local, national and international business and academic communities. Before joining the TTO in 1999 as a Senior Licensing Officer, Dr. Moores spent 12 years at Stratagene, a San Diego company that supplied biological reagents and instruments to the research community. During her time at Stratagene, Dr. Moores worked in product research and development, and also in several aspects of business development. Dr. Moores holds BSc and PhD degrees in microbiology from University College, London. She performed post-doctoral research at UC San Diego in the Chemistry Department, where she was involved in cloning bacterial genes, and in the School of Medicine, where she contributed to the development of retroviral vectors for gene therapy. |
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Rose M. Murphy, MBA | Senior Licensing Officer Rose joined TTO in 2006 as a Senior Licensing Officer and has responsibility for life science inventions. Prior to joining the office, Rose held diversified positions in a number of companies. She was formerly the Director of Business Development at TriLInk BioTechnologies where she managed all licensing and IP matters as well as product management for the Chemistry Division. As a Business Development Manager at Beckman Coulter, she was responsible for in-licensing of technologies for the Immunomics business unit. She is also a former member of TTO as the Marketing and Compliance Manager. As a research scientist at Integrated DNA Technologies, Syntro Corporation and the Biotechnology Division of Amoco Corporation, she conducted research focusing on molecular diagnostics, recombinant vaccines, and secondary metabolite production in algae and plants. Rose has a BS in Chemistry/Biochemistry from Benedictine University and an MBA in Finance from San Diego State University. |
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Shihong Nicolaou, PhD | Intellectual Property Manager |
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Candida Quaranta, BS | Executive Assistant |
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Gwen Sands, BA | Policy and Information Analyst
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Jessica Serrata | Senior Compliance Analyst |
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Donna Shaw, PhD, CLP | Assistant Director - Life Science Licensing Dr. Shaw has had substantial experience in the pharmaceutical industry and has held positions in large pharma, mid-sized and start-up companies. Prior to joining TTO, Dr. Shaw held the position of Director of Business Development for Attenuon, LLC, a pharmaceutical start-up located in Sorrento Valley focusing on discovery and development of new antiangiogenic agents for oncology. Prior to that, she was the Director of Business Development at IDEC Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for the creation and implementation of a new, in-house contract manufacturing business, a promotional marketing campaign, and developing potential out-sourcing clients. In large pharma, Dr. Shaw spent 15 years at Abbott Laboratories, a $3 billion global diversified health care company. At Abbott, she held the position of Director, Technology Assessment, Corporate Licensing and Strategic Planning, and was primarily responsible for the assessment, acquisition, and licensing of pharmaceutical and health care technology opportunities. She was an active participant in Technology Transfer Conferences and also was on the board of TTC. Dr. Shaw also held positions in the Pharmaceutical Products Division including Research Information Scientist, Operations Manager for the Thrombolytic Venture, and Senior Project Manager, Research Management and Development where she was responsible for the planning, prioritizing and managing the development of new pharmaceutical products for world wide marketing. Some of the ethical pharmaceutical products that Dr. Shaw had responsibility for include Hytrin®, Cefmenoxime, Abbokinase®, Depakote®, Calcijex®, Zemplar®, and Lupron®. Dr. Shaw holds a MS and PhD in Microbiology/Immunology from the University of Illinois College of Medicine; did postdoctoral research in the Division of Biological and Medical Research, Argonne National Laboratory; holds a degree from Blackstone School of Law; and has earned a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) designation which recognizes intellectual property professionals who have demonstrated dedication to higher standards of practice within the licensing industry. |
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Wendy Shih, PhD | Licensing Officer Wendy Shih assumed the responsibilities of a Licensing Officer in 2008 and manages a portfolio of bioengineering innovations. Prior to her current position, she marketed life and physical sciences technologies for six years. Wendy received her PhD from UC San Diego in immunology/genetics and completed her fellowship training through the Clinical Immunology Laboratory Director Training Program at UC Los Angeles Medical Center. After completing her fellowship, Wendy lead the R&D team responsible for immunology and related diagnostic testing at BioScience Laboratories (now Quest Diagnostics). She has extensive biotech industry experience, including: technology licensing, research and product development management, facilitation and adaptation of technology transferred from academia, innovations scouting, and alliance formation between industries and industries/academia. Her corporate background includes positions at Hybritech, Ligand, and BRI with increasing responsibilities in the areas of clinical diagnostic tests, monoclonal antibody technology, diagnostic device, molecular biology tests, high-throughput drug screening assays, and genetic testing. Wendy also spent a year serving as a tobacco cessation counselor. |
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Rebecca Velie, MBA | Patent Specialist |
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Jen Williams, BA | Patent Specialist |
