NEWS

Baystate Joins MATTO to Promote Technology Transfer

Baystate Health has joined MATTO, the Massachusetts Association of Technology Transfer Offices, an organization that promotes efficient and effective transfer of knowledge and technology developed at academic institutions to companies that will develop and bring novel products to market for the public good. MATTO's membership comprises almost all of the state's research universities and academic medical centers.

To support Baystate investigators who have developed ideas of potential commercial importance, David J. Glass, PhD serves as the Technology Transfer Officer for Baystate Health. In this capacity he facilitates the development of innovative ideas and inventions. This includes the complex processes of determining patentability and also the commercial value of inventions. He also represents the inventors and Baystate Health in the negotiations with commercial entities for licensing rights. Dr. Glass has more than over 15 years experience in the field of technology transfer, including 10 years as associate director in the tech transfer office at Massachusetts General Hospital, and recent work on behalf of several hospitals and universities, including McLean Hospital and the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston and Intermountain HealthCare in Salt Lake City.

Baystate Inventions for Licensing
In the past year several inventions at Baystate have been in development and have made progress toward commercialization. Additional information about these innovations and technologies is available on the web at the: Massachusetts Technology Portal, a joint program of MATTO and the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC); MATTO website; and under Inventions for License in the Research section of the BMC website.

Baystate investigators can contact David Glass at David.Glass@bhs.org for help or questions with developing their ideas.

New Staff Completes IRB Reconfiguration:
Offers More Support for Researchers

To provide greater support for Baystate's investigators and our research program, the IRB has recently added two new staff positions.

IRB Integrity/Education Coordinator: Karen Christianson, RN
Karen’s focus is to provide training in the various aspects of developing and conducting clinical trials in order to ensure adherence to guidelines and conducting ethical studies. She will also facilitate mentoring of PI's, Clinical Research Coordinators, and study coordinators in a practical, collaborative, and supportive manner.

She is working with Corporate Compliance to insure that we meet all institutional and national guidelines for human subjects’ research, including periodic reports to the IRB and Corporate Compliance.

Karen has been with Baystate Medical Center since 1989. She was a staff nurse in the NICU and since 1998 she held the position of Research Nurse Coordinator in Newborn Medicine. A graduate of Hartwick College in August 8, 2008n Nursing Degree; in 2004 she achieved Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) status through SoCRA.

Karen's office is in Porter 3916. She can be reached at 4-5714.

IRB Coordinator: Jennifer Pacheco
Jennifer’s responsibilities will focus on the daily activities of the IRB. She will serve as a resource to investigators, responding to questions about submitting applications for research.

Jennifer is a graduate of Newbury College where she earned her BS in Business Administration with a concentration in management. She also holds an Associate of Science degree in Finance. She comes to us from Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston where she held the position of Research Administrator in the General Clinical Research Center.

Jennifer is located in Porter 3901. She can be reached at 4-3458.