PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Brown University tapped Katherine Gordon to lead and broaden the University’s role in developing, transferring and commercializing technologies. Clyde Briant, vice president for research at Brown, announced that Gordon, a former director of business development at Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development, is the new managing director of Brown’s Technology Ventures Office, formerly known as Brown Technology Partnerships.

“The Technology Ventures Office is the crucial link between Brown faculty and external partners,” Briant said. “The office is charged with working with the financial community, entrepreneurs, companies and Brown’s partner hospitals to develop and deliver innovative products to the marketplace. Katherine Gordon brings vision and knowledge of best practices to the important work of translating Brown’s research into products that can benefit society, the Rhode Island economy, and the University.”

The investment in TVO is Brown’s latest step in expanding resources to help faculty in the commercialization process. It follows the springtime launch of the Rhode Island Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a cooperative effort between Providence, the state, Brown University, business and economic development officials. RI-CIE supplies expertise to the state’s college and university faculties, as well as to researchers and entrepreneurs who want to launch new companies in Rhode Island, focused on high technology, life sciences, design or other knowledge economy businesses.

Katherine Gordon

Gordon comes to Brown from Harvard University’s Office of Technology Development, where she served as a director of business development for the last five years. She oversaw development and commercialization of new technologies from a number of areas at Harvard Medical School and Dental School and had responsibility for establishing and negotiating licensing relationships, comprehensive research alliances, and start-up companies.

Earlier in her career, Gordon consulted at early stage biomedical companies on strategic planning, operations/management, and fund raising. She founded and ran Apollo BioPharmaceutics, a biotechnology company that developed neuroprotective compounds for Alzheimer’s disease and ophthalmic indications. She began her career at Genzyme Corp.

Gordon earned her Ph.D. at Wesleyan University and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University. “The vibrancy of Brown’s research community provides many avenues for product development,” Gordon said. “It’s a privilege to work on ways to turn Brown research into solutions for real-world problems.”