I am a Registered Technology Transfer Professional with over 26 years of experience managing commercialization activities in universities. Before these university appointments, I served in research, business development, and company leadership roles in startup businesses, with an emphasis on fundraising and corporate partnership development. My experience in academia and the private sector includes basic research, business development, company formation, licensing and management of university intellectual property, technology-based economic development, and related issues.

Since 2014, I have served as a Specialist Reviewer for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program and previously as a reviewer for the Research Competitiveness Program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

During my university technology transfer career, I have focused on public policy issues: I served on the Executive Committee of the Washington, D.C.-based Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) and made an invited presentation on patent reform matters to the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

At Wake Forest Innovations my goal is to enhance our capacity to add value and impact to Wake Forest research by moving basic research discoveries to partners who will transform these inventions into beneficial products and services, thereby improving quality of life.

Kenneth Russell helps inventors turn their ideas and inventions into licensable medical devices and digital healthcare products. After more than 25 years in the medical devices industry, his expertise aids academic inventors in creating quality devices that are valuable to industry partners by using the resources of Wake Forest School of Medicine to design, test and develop commercially-ready medical devices and digital healthcare products. The guiding principle of his work is improving patient care.

John Druga works with both inventors and industry to usher new medical technologies to the marketplace by matching technologies with the best industry fit. With a background in product development, biomedical engineering and finance, Druga brings a wealth of experience to the commercialization of medical technologies. His natural curiosity drives his understanding of the marketplace and his motivation for helping advance ideas from inventions to innovations.

Osama Zahid partners with Wake Forest Baptist researchers to evaluate the commercialization potential of their innovative technology ideas. Zahid earned a master’s degree in biotechnology and a PhD from Wake Forest University, developing single-molecule diagnostic tools for disease detection. His experience helps him identify with the scientific process of potential inventors while helping them discover their idea’s potential in the marketplace. A natural extrovert, Zahid has a passion not only for seeing science actualized, but also for networking and building relationships with researchers.

Carter Cook serves as Senior Associate General Counsel for Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and assists Wake Forest Innovations in drafting, negotiating, and reviewing legal agreements related to intellectual property. He has practiced transactional law for more than 20 years, helping parties collaborate to reach solutions on a wide range of matters from licensing arrangements to new venture formation.

Philip Brown helps faculty members turn their ideas into functioning medical devices by developing and validating prototypes. His background in biomedical engineering and 3D printing gives him the skills and resources to design and produce quality prototypes quickly and efficiently. Self-described as “extremely curious,” he relishes the opportunity to dive deep into new projects or technologies—from stents and syringes to implants and surgical tools.

Heather DeLoid works with industry partners and researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to coordinate surgical and veterinary clinical support for preclinical studies, often serving as the lead surgeon with a team of veterinary technicians. She pulls from her experiences in preclinical contract research, the medical device industry and clinical veterinary practice to design and perform studies. An outgoing person, DeLoid enjoys interacting with a variety of clinicians, researchers and industry sponsors to build relationships and foster collaboration.