Staffing
Associate Vice President: Charles F. Nawrot, Ph.D.
(706) 721-9822
As the Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer & Economic Development, Dr. Nawrot has overall responsibility for patenting and licensing MCG intellectual property, and marketing and managing the business incubator on campus.
Dr. Nawrot received his PhD from Northwestern University. He has been a faculty member of the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin. He has also worked with the tech transfer office at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Nawrot also has significant industry experience, having worked at established and successful large companies like Baxter and Centocor. Dr. Nawrot has direct entrepreneurial experience as the founder and CEO of Tektagen, Inc., and most recently, Theracyte, Inc. Theracyte, based in Irvine, CA, developed treatments for chronic diseases that utilize the company’s proprietary medical device in combination with Human therapeutic cells. With experience in academia, industry, venture capital, entrepreneurship and tech transfer, he is a valuable resource for our inventors.
Interim Director: Abhijit Afzalpurkar, Ph.D., MBA
(706) 721-1376
Dr. Abhijit Afzalpurkar (Abhi) has responsibility for the Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development at MCG. He is in charge of prior art reviews, marketing, licensing, and overall management of the intellectual property portfolio at MCG. Abhi has oversight function on the patent filings handled through various law firms, for the actions of the U.S. Patent and Trademark office relative to MCG filings, and for the administration of biological materials and protected intellectual property as they are commercialized. He also provides support for entrepreneurial ventures in the Life Sciences Business Development Center and works with the Vice President of Research on special projects relating to campus-wide research initiatives.
Abhi did his doctoral work in immunology at the National Institute of Immunology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and has done postdoctoral fellowships at the Harvard Medical School (MGH) in Boston and the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics at MCG. He has ten years of experience in academic research along with an MBA degree from the Augusta State University. He has also worked with MCG’s core laboratories and networked extensively with faculty researchers. With experience in academia, research administration and tech transfer, he is a valuable resource for our inventors.
Technology Transfer Associate: Jennifer Valadi, JD
(706) 721-0153
Ms. Valadi engages in disclosure solicitation, technology evaluation and recommends a tech-transfer path for new inventions. She focuses her energy on soliciting and reviewing invention disclosures, prior art searches, patentability evaluations and patent prosecution. She also handles the administration of biological materials and oversees a variety of research agreements. Jennifer holds a B.A. degree in Anthropology from Agnes Scott College in Atlanta and a JD from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Prior to joining the OTTED, she worked with Chambless, Higdon, Richardson, Katz & Griggs, a law firm in Macon, Georgia where she assisted with civil litigation, conducted extensive legal research, and drafted briefs and other pleadings. She has worked in a number of law offices, and developed a broad knowledge of research and legal skills.
Technology Transfer Associate: To be filled
Administrative Specialist:
Laura L. Blaney
(706) 721-9822
Ms. Laura Blaney handles all of the office administration and finances, and works closely with all of the professional staff involved in patents, core labs, and the business incubator. She is responsible for updating the invention/patent database, tracking disclosure processing, and paying legal firm invoices. She also manages office correspondence, arranges meetings and travel, and assists faculty or community and corporate leaders needing access to MCG and the tech transfer office. Laura has several years of experience in accounts payable/receivable, legal office management, and office administration in both the business world and in healthcare facilities.
Former Associate Vice President (2001-2007)
Dr. Michael Gabridge, now retired, was responsible for the design and implementation of the first dedicated tech transfer program at MCG..
Dr. Gabridge holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Michigan, and has 30 years of experience in academic research and business. He has authored more than 70 scientific publications and holds four patents of his own. A former medical school professor (University of Illinois) and entrepreneur (Bionique Laboratories, Inc.), he previously directed tech transfer programs at the University of Florida and the University of Colorado.
As the Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer & Economic Development, Dr. Gabridge had overall responsibility for patenting and licensing MCG intellectual property, coordinating the core laboratories, and marketing and managing the business incubator on campus. He also was the founding Director of the statewide Life Sciences Innovation Center at MCG. Dr. Gabridge now consults for MCG and other institutions on intellectual property and business incubation projects.