Today on Tech Transfer IP, Lisa has the pleasure of speaking with Michael Perham. Mike is the Director of Innovations and External Relations at the Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia. At Janelia, Mike leads the Department of Innovation Management and oversees external relations and library services. He handles technology management, IP protection, licensing, and decimation for Janelia with a unique attention to open science initiatives. 

Mike shares what led him to tech transfer, his position at Janelia, how Janelia got started, and what they want to accomplish. Mike talks about their fifteen-year research models, how their support teams are used, and the advantages they provide. Mike also discusses products the support team has designed.

Listen, as Mike speaks about how his office is structured, product development and dissemination, and his goal of having anyone doing experiments to be able to use the instruments invented at Janelia. He also shares how many invention disclosures and revenue-generating licenses his office receives each year.

Mike discusses his offices' biggest successes, the biggest challenges, and what they do for women entrepreneurs and inventors at Janelia. He shares his involvement with AUTM and LES and the benefit he believes these organizations provide tech transfer offices, and what he would wish for if he had three things wishes for his office.

In This Episode:

• [02:39] Welcome to the show, Mike!
• [02:55] Mike shares his background, which led him to tech transfer.
• [06:34] Mike speaks about getting the position at Janelia.
• [08:16] Listen as Mike discusses Janelia, what it's about, and how it started.
• [11:07] Janelia was modeled after similar facilities at the University of Cambridge and Bell Labs.
• [14:11] Neuroscience and advanced imaging are areas that Janelia was focused on.
• [16:21] A key ingredient of Janelia are the people that are recruited.
• [18:15] Mike speaks about their fifteen-year research models.
• [21:12] How are your support teams used, and what advantages do they provide to Janelia?
• [23:36] Mike talks about the microscopes the support team designed.
• [26:27] Mike shares how his office is structured.
• [29:03] He enjoys being at Janelia because his office is involved with so many things that he never gets bored.
• [31:14] Mike speaks about product development practices and dissemination at Janelia.
• [33:40] Mike discusses wanting to have the experiments using the instrument that was invented at Janelia.
• [36:56] How many invention disclosures does your office receive each year?
• [38:17] Mike shares how many revenue-generating licenses they get each year.
• [40:25] Mike speaks about a success his office has had called GCaMP.
• [42:22] He discusses some other successes his office has had.
• [46:22] What are some of your office's biggest challenges?
• [50:05] Mike talks about what his office does for women entrepreneurs and innovators.
• [53:35] Mike shares his involvement with AUTM and LES and how they benefit tech transfer.
• [56:42] Listen as Mike discusses credentialing and whether he believes it makes a difference.
• [59:54] If you could have three wishes for your office, what would they be?
• [1:02:53] Thank you for being on the show!

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