The Office of Technology Development provides a one-stop shop to advance the development of groundbreaking discoveries by fostering strategic collaborations with industry through licensing, sponsored research and new venture agreements.

Our Business Development Team

The OTD team is an agile group of experienced professionals with diversified foundation in science, business development, intellectual property and contract law. The following are our business development leaders who work closely with Harvard faculty inventors and external entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals.

Isaac T. Kohlberg (isaac_kohlberg@harvard.edu)
Senior Associate Provost and Chief Technology Development Officer

Isaac joined OTD in 2005, as Chief Technology Officer and Senior Associate Provost. Prior to joining Harvard, he served (from 1989 to 2000) as Vice Provost of New York University and Vice Dean for Industrial Liaison and Research Administration at the New York University School of Medicine.  Most recently, Isaac was Chief Executive Officer of the Tel Aviv University Economic Corporation and CEO of RAMOT, its technology transfer organization. Isaac was also CEO of the YEDA Research and Development Company, the technology transfer company of the Weizmann Institute of Science, for eight years. He received his LLB from Tel Aviv University and his MBA from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.

Sharon Bakalash, MD, PhD (sharon_bakalash@harvard.edu)
Business Development Associate (Harvard Medical School Office)

Sharon joined OTD in 2011.  Prior to joining Harvard, Sharon concluded a post doctoral fellowship at the Harvard-affiliated Schepens Eye Research Institute, where she focused her research on stem cell involvement in neuronal degeneration. Previously, she worked as a physician for over 10 years and consulted several biotechnology firms, ranging from early start-ups to well established companies, such as Teva Pharmaceuticals. As a scientist and a physician, Sharon has authored and co-authored more than 12 articles in leading peer-reviewed journals, focusing on neurobiology and immunology. Sharon holds an MD from Ben Gurion University, specializing in ophthalmology, a PhD in Neurobiology from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and a certificate degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University.

Vivian Berlin, PhD (vivian_berlin@harvard.edu)
Director of Business Development (Cambridge Office)

Vivian joined OTD in 2008. Prior to joining Harvard, over the last 17 years, Vivian held positions in research management and business development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Mitotix and GPC Biotech. She has led multiple R&D programs, advanced programs from discovery to late pre-clinical development, and helped to establish proprietary positions in several therapeutic areas. She has also been a strategic consultant to several life science companies and investor groups. Vivian holds an MS from the Harvard School of Public Health, a PhD from Stanford University, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

Laura Brass, PhD, MBA (laura_brass@harvard.edu)
Director of Business Development (Cambridge Office)

Laura joined OTD in 2005. Prior to joining Harvard, Laura worked as a Senior Manager of Business Development at Elixir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company in Cambridge, MA. She has also worked as a Licensing Associate and Project Manager at technology licensing offices for Brigham and Women's Hospital and The University of Chicago, where she was involved with the formation and operations of several biotechnology start-up companies. She has authored and co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals, in addition to several review articles in her field of cell-cell interactions in plant reproduction. Laura holds a BA in Philosophy and a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Anne Craig, JD (anne_craig@harvard.edu)
Director of Intellectual Property (Cambridge and Harvard Medical School Office)

Anne joined OTD in 2006. Prior to joining Harvard, Anne practiced as a patent attorney in private practice for thirteen years and served for seven years as in-house Patent counsel, including a term as Chief Patent Counsel, to small biotechnology start-ups and a large pharmaceutical company. Anne also has four years of business law and litigation experience, including two years as a judicial law clerk in the Massachusetts Trial court system. Anne holds a JD from the New England School of Law, a Masters of Management from Cambridge College, and a BS in Biology from the University of MA, Amherst.

Geoffrey Erickson, PhD (geoffrey_erickson@harvard.edu)
Director of Business Development (Harvard Medical School Office)

Geff joined OTD in 2009. Prior to joining Harvard, Geff was CEO of Humacyte, Inc., a company created from technology out of Duke University and MIT. Prior to his role at Humacyte, he was a venture capitalist with Pappas Ventures, a firm focused on investments in the life science industry. In addition, he worked with Pappas Ventures as a co-founder of CoLucid Pharmaceuticals. Geff received a BSE in engineering from Duke University, an MSE in engineering from Tulane University, and a PhD in biomedical engineering from Duke University.

Maryanne Fenerjian, PhD, JD (maryanne_fenerjian@harvard.edu)
Director of Technology Transfer Policy (Cambridge Office)

Maryanne joined OTD in 1999. Prior to joining Harvard, Maryanne served as a technical specialist for the law firm of Banner & Witcoff, Ltd. She has held postdoctoral fellowships in the Department of Molecular Biology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and in the Department of Biology at Brandeis University. Maryanne holds a JD  from Suffolk University Law School, as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard University, including a PhD in Biology from the Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology (now MCB).

Meghan McCollum Fenno, JD (meghan_fenno@harvard.edu)
Senior Associate Director of Technology Transactions (Cambridge Office)

Meghan joined OTD in 2011. Prior to joining Harvard, she worked for three years as Associate Counsel for the University of Massachusetts system, supporting its technology transfer offices and offices of research. Meghan also worked for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services as an Assistant General Counsel responsible for technology licensing and development agreements related to the healthcare industry. Prior to that, she was an associate in the Business Law Departments of Saul Ewing, LLP, in Philadelphia, and Choate, Hall and Stewart, in Boston, where she was responsible for technology licensing arrangements, private equity and M&A transactions, and general corporate matters. Meghan holds a JD from the Northeastern University School of Law and a BA from Wellesley College.

Alan D. Gordon (alan_gordon@harvard.edu)
Director of Business Development (Cambridge Office)

Alan joined OTD in 2005. Prior to joining Harvard, Alan was a Technology Licensing Officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alan has also served as manager of pre- and post-sales services at WebLine Communications, and his work led to the company's acquisition by Cisco Systems. Alan has also held key technical, sales, and business development roles at several other Boston area start-up companies. Alan holds a degree in Materials Science from MIT.

Maria Grunwald, PhD, MBA (maria_grunwald@harvard.edu)
Director of Business Development (Harvard Medical School Office)

Maria joined OTD in 2012. Prior to joining Harvard, she held business development positions in biopharmaceutical companies and also provided business and corporate development services as a strategic consultant. At Dyax Corp. and Radius Health Inc., Maria completed multiple licensing, co-development and collaboration agreements with corporations and universities, and managed the associated alliances. As a consultant, she has helped companies develop and execute their financing, commercialization and partnering strategies. Maria performed her doctoral studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and obtained a PhD in Neuroscience & Molecular Biology from the University of Cologne. She also holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Julie Hamill, MBA (julie_hamill@harvard.edu)
Alliance Manager (Harvard Medical School Office)

Julie Hamill joined OTD in 2011. Prior to joining Harvard, Julie worked in Boston University's Office of Sponsored Programs. Prior to that she worked at Merck Research Laboratories, Boston, in Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics. Julie holds a BS in Chemistry from Villanova University and an MBA, with a concentration in Health Sector Management, from Boston University.

David Jacobson, PhD, MBA (david_jacobson@harvard.edu)
Associate Director of Business Development (Cambridge Office)

David joined OTD in 2004. Prior to joining Harvard, David was a Business Development Analyst for Cytyc Corporation, a Massachusetts-based diagnostics and medical device company focused on women's health care. David also worked as a Market Research Analyst for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in the therapeutic areas of tissue regeneration, immunomodulation, blood clotting, and oncology. David holds a BA in Chemistry from the University of Virginia, a PhD in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and an MBA from Boston University.

Curtis Keith, PhD (curtis_keith@harvard.edu)
Chief Scientific Officer, Biomedical Accelerator Fund (Cambridge Office)

Curtis joined OTD in 2008. Prior to joining Harvard, Curtis worked at CombinatoRx, Inc., a pioneering company in the emerging field of synergistic combination pharmaceuticals, where he served as co-founder and Senior Vice President, Research. At CombinatoRx, Curtis directed research programs in multiple therapeutic areas, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, osteoarthritis, oncology, metabolic, neurodegenerative and infectious disease, and helped the company to advance a pipeline of several clinical and preclinical drug candidates. Curtis holds an MA in chemistry and a PhD in chemistry and chemical biology from Harvard University.

Grace Leung, PhD (grace_leung@harvard.edu)
Business Development Associate (Cambridge Office)

Grace joined OTD in 2007. Prior to joining Harvard, she was an intern at the Office of Technology Licensing at Brandeis University. Grace holds a BSc and a MPhil in Biology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and a PhD in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from the Tufts University Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.

Sam Liss, MBA (sam_liss@harvard.edu)
Director of Business Development (Cambridge Office)

Sam joined OTD in 2010. Prior to Harvard, Sam negotiated M&A transactions, representing small, privately-held technology and services businesses. Previously, he served in a variety of business development, marketing and sales roles at two venture capital-backed startups and was Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Dialogic Corporation, which was later acquired by Intel. He was also a management consultant at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, advising clients in the software, semiconductor and electronics sectors. Sam holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BS in electrical engineering from Syracuse University.

Adam McNulty, MBA (adam_mcnulty@harvard.edu)
Associate Director of Business Development (Harvard Medical School Office)

Adam joined OTD in 2007. Prior to joining Harvard, Adam worked at Interleukin Genetics, Inc. in business development and at Northeastern University’s Office of Technology Transfer. Adam holds a BS in Biology from Trinity College and an MBA from Northeastern University.

Alexis Moran, PhD (alexis_moran@harvard.edu)
Business Development Associate (Harvard Medical School Office)

Alexis joined OTD in 2009. Prior to joining Harvard, Alexis was a healthcare consultant at Back Bay Strategies. At Back Bay, Alexis synthesized product development and commercialization strategies for clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical research industries. Alexis holds a BS in biochemistry from Bucknell University, a PhD in Neuroscience from University of Maryland School of Medicine, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Brandeis University.

Debra Peattie, PhD, MBA (debra_peattie@harvard.edu)
Director of Business Development (Cambridge Office)

Debra joined OTD in 2011. Prior to joining Harvard, Debra spent over fifteen years as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist in the life sciences. She has held positions bridging research management and strategic business development at Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Valeo Medical, RCT BioVentures NE and MPM Capital. Before entering the private sector, Debra was a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, where she held a faculty position created by The John D & Catherine T MacArthur Foundation to stimulate novel approaches in life science research. She has raised funds from venture capital groups, corporate investors, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations and has completed multiple transactions with independent inventors, universities and privately held companies to finance early-stage life science companies. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Michal Preminger, PhD, MBA (michal_preminger@harvard.edu)
Executive Director of OTD's Harvard Medical School Office

Michal joined OTD in 2005. Prior to joining Harvard, she held a number of business development and technology development positions at Compugen, most recently as Vice President of Protein Therapeutics, responsible for the business management of the company's emerging drug discovery pipeline. Previously, Michal held several marketing and business development in the hi-tech industry, among others for Lucent Technologies. Michal also co-founded Anima Cell Metrology, a biotechnology startup focused on the real-time identification of proteins as they are synthesized in living cells. Michal holds an undergraduate degree in Medicine from the Hebrew University School of Medicine, a PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science, and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

Cris Rothfuss, JD (cris_rothfuss@harvard.edu)
Director of Technology Transactions (Cambridge Office)

Cris joined OTD in 2006. Prior to joining Harvard, she served for four and a half years as the Director of Intellectual Property and Corporate Counsel for Control Delivery Systems, Inc., a drug delivery research and development company that was acquired by pSivida Limited in October 2005.  Prior to that, she worked as a litigation associate for approximately seven years at the law firms of Ivey, Barnum & O’Mara, LLC, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Bernstein, Cushner & Kimmell, P.C., in Boston.  Cris holds a JD from the University of Connecticut and a BA from Yale University.

Mick Sawka, MBA (mick_sawka@harvard.edu)
Director of Business Development (Cambridge Office)

Mick joined OTD in 2012. Prior to joining Harvard, Mick led global business units and R&D organizations at 3M, Cabot, and Microbia, with full P&L and IP portfolio responsibilities. Most recently he was the President and CEO of Qteros, an industrial biotechnology startup. In these roles, Mick commercialized numerous products and processes and negotiated joint development agreements, strategic partnerships and acquisitions in the chemicals, energy, electronics, and materials industries. Mick holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, an MS in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and an MBA in International Management from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota.

Pierce Schiller (pierce_schiller@harvard.edu)
Business Development Associate (Cambridge Office)

Pierce joined OTD in 2010. Prior to joining Harvard, Pierce was a founding member of Trophos Energy, a pioneering startup in the emerging field of Microbial Fuel Cells. Following this work, he was a research assistant in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Girguis of Harvard University. Pierce has worked as an advisor with Trans American Investments LLC, a small investment firm, and has started a number of technology-oriented companies, including Arguo Biotech. Pierce holds a BS in Bioengineering from Binghamton University.

Efrat Shalom-Berensohn, LL.M (efrat_berensohn@harvard.edu)
Associate Director of Technology Transactions (Cambridge and Harvard Medical School Office)

Efrat joined OTD in 2007. Prior to joining Harvard, she worked as in-house counsel at Epix Pharmaceutical Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics. Previous to that she worked as in-house counsel at Petrolgas Group, one of the leading investment and holding companies in Israel, specializing in energy, real estate and investments worldwide. She holds an LL.M from Boston University, an LL.B cum laude from the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel and a B.A. in Sociology & Communications from Haifa University.

Elizabeth Dana Smith, JD (elizabeth_d_smith@harvard.edu)
Senior Associate Director of Technology Transactions (Cambridge Office)

Elizabeth joined OTD in 2011. Prior to joining Harvard, she worked for three years as an associate in the Licensing Group of the Business Law Department at Edwards, Angell, Palmer and Dodge. In addition, Elizabeth worked in the office of Corporate Sponsored Research and Licensing at Partners Healthcare and as in-house counsel for a Cambridge biotech company. Her practice is focused on Intellectual Property-based transactions, which include licensing, R&D collaborations, strategic partnerships, co-promote agreements and cross-border transactions. Elizabeth holds a JD from Suffolk Law School and a BA in History from Tulane University.

Jane Staunton, PhD (jane_staunton@harvard.edu)
Senior Associate Director of Corporate Alliances (Harvard Medical School Office)

Jane joined OTD in 2011. Prior to joining Harvard, she worked at CombinatoRx, Inc, where she directed drug discovery programs and research collaborations across multiple therapeutic areas, including Neurodegenerative Disease and Cystic Fibrosis. She has also worked as an independent consultant for early stage discovery programs, and as a scientist at the Whitehead Center for Genome Research. Jane holds BS degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, and a PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Harvard University. She did postdoctoral research at the Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin.

Our Administrative Team

Denlyn Atherton (denlyn_atherton@harvard.edu)
IP Portfolio Specialist
617-495-3067

Sara Bird (sara_bird@harvard.edu)
Senior Operations Coordinator (Harvard Medical School Office)
617-432-0920

Melissa Dacey (melissa_dacey@harvard.edu)
MTA Coordinator
617-495-7533

Melissa Defay (melissa_defay@harvard.edu)
Financial Administrator (AP)
617-496-0477

Cory Griffin (cory_griffin@harvard.edu)
Sponsored Research Coordinator (Cambridge Office)
617-384-4744

Sarah James (sarah_james@harvard.edu)
Executive Assistant to Isaac T. Kohlberg
617-384-7441

Elizabeth Kohn (elizabeth_kohn@harvard.edu)
MTA Coordinator
617-432-1744

Janet Maher (janet_maher@harvard.edu)
Assistant Director of Intellectual Property
617-432-0923

David B. Pruskin (david_pruskin@harvard.edu)
Associate Director of Operations and Administration
617-496-3829

Melissa Schifino (melissa_schifino@harvard.edu)
Patent Coordinator
617-496-2516

Leota Smith(leota_smith@harvard.edu)
Financial Coordinator (AR) (Cambridge Office)
617-496-0475

Leah Tenney (leah_tenney@harvard.edu)
Associate, Technology Transactions
617-384-5264

Robert Valenti (robert_valenti@harvard.edu)
Operations Coordinator (Cambridge Office)
617-495-3067

Jack Welsh (john_welsh@harvard.edu)
Senior Patent Administrator
617-432-0454