Three experts with experience in the areas of intellectual property, licensing technology, and research and development will be making presentations on Prince Edward Island in coming weeks as part of the Innovation PEI Premiers Speakers Series.
The Centre for Health and Biotechnology Management Research and Three Oaks Innovation Inc. has announced that it will bring Dr. Peter Smith of Millennium Pharmaceuticals to UPEI June 18. On July 8, two more speakers will come to the Island – Dan Darnley, Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Officer for Millennium Pharmaceuticals, and Dr. Jonathan O’Brien, Partner at the business law firm Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn (HMSC) LLP, Michigan.
Dr. Juergen Krause, Director of the Centre for Health and Biotechnology Management Research (CHBMR) and Associate Professor at UPEI’s School of Business, was awarded funding to organize and promote these lectures aimed at enhancing knowledge in bioscience and forging international relationships for Island companies.
Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Allan Campbell said these speakers were a perfect fit for the Premiers Speakers Series which is designed to assist local business leaders and researchers to gain knowledge, insight and ideas through international organizations.
“I am pleased to assist Dr. Krause in his efforts to move the Province’s Innovation agenda forward,” said Minister Campbell. “The Premier’s Speaker Series is a perfect example of how the Provincial government and our educational institutions can work together to assist the bioscience cluster.”
Dr. Peter Smith – Dr. Smith is the Senior Vice President of Non-Clinical Development Services. Dr. Smith joined Millennium in 2001 as Senior Vice President of Drug Safety & Disposition and Comparative Medicine and today oversees all non-clinical discovery and development efforts in the areas of Drug Safety and Disposition as well as Pharmaceutical Sciences. During his career, Dr. Smith held senior positions with a number of pharmaceutical companies and was featured in the July/August 2009 issue of PharmaVOICE as one of the magazine’s Top 100, an annual feature ranking the 100 most inspiring individuals in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in the USA.
Dr. Smith’s background in pharmaceutical development will provide valuable insight and information for researchers to implement modern approaches and strategies that efficiently promote drug candidates and fulfill registration requests from health authorities on safety and non-clinical issues. Researchers in human and animal drug delivery programs will be given the opportunity to talk with Dr. Smith directly and learn first hand strategies that have made Dr. Smith one of the most inspiring individuals in the pharmaceutical industry.
Dan Darnley – Mr. Darnley establishes and directs Millennium’s intellectual property strategy and is an expert in Intellectual Property (IP) protection and the surrounding issues of IP portfolio management. He has over 20 years of intellectual property law and licensing experience and is a member of the Managing Directors committee for the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Dr. Jonathan O’Brien – Dr. Jonathan O’Brien chairs the Intellectual Property and Technology Practice Group of the firm’s Corporate and Securities Department at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn. He is a patent attorney specializing in life science and chemical patent procurement and enforcement. He counsels a wide range of domestic and international clients regarding licensing and world-wide patent procurement strategies and provides opinions regarding non-infringement and the validity of patents.
Mr. Darnley and Dr. O’Brien will discuss the legal issues related to licensing university technology from the perspective of a large corporation and its legal counsel. Mr. Darnley and Dr. O'Brien bring vital knowledge and advice on the topic of IP protection and highlight why university projects may or may not be licensed. The combined experience of these experts provides an important perspective and unique opportunity for our researchers to engage in one-on-one discussions.
“I look forward to having these highly qualified and experienced individuals on PEI,” said Minister Campbell. “I hope to see a strong turnout by local companies so they can take advantage of the knowledge and skills of these individuals.”
For more information or to register, please visit the Centre for Health and Biotech Management Research website, www.chbmr.ca