Technology Transfer at the University of Mississippi with Allyson Best

Today on Tech Transfer IP, Lisa has the pleasure of speaking with Allyson Best. Allyson is the Director of Technology Commercialization at the University of Mississippi. Allyson received her Bachelor of Science in marketing from Clemson University and MBA in Pharmaceutical Marketing and Development from The University of Mississippi.

Allyson's journey to Tech Transfer started as a project coordinator in the School of Pharmacy, writing technical dossiers for technology that was up for patenting and licensing. Her journey continues today as she has served as Director for the last three years.

Allyson shares how she ended up in Oxford and what it was like to be a part of building a Tech Transfer office from scratch. She speaks about how her office is structured, what Insight Park is, and what she believes is most important in managing innovations to have the greatest opportunity for success. Allyson also talks about their innovation partners and the role they have played in Tech Transfer at Ole Miss.

Listen as Allyson discusses some of her office's biggest challenges and how partnering with companies like Startup Genome is beneficial to small offices like hers. Allyson says that if she had three wishes for her office, they would be; helping patients with the announcement that one or all of their biomedical innovations have launched, building and managing a viable proof-of-concept fund for their researchers, and getting back to see the team in person.

In This Episode:

• [03:38] Welcome to the show, Allyson!
• [01:55] Allyson shares how she ended up in Oxford and what it was like to be part of building the office from scratch.
• [03:30] Allyson speaks about how her office is structured.
• [04:55] Allyson explains what Insight Park is and how long it has been around.
• [06:44] Can you share some technologies you have on the market and some innovations in development?
• [08:59] Allyson shares what she believes is most important in managing innovations to have the greatest opportunity for success.
• [11:48] Allyson talks about the innovation partners and the role they have played in Tech Transfer at Ole Miss.
• [14:02] Allyson speaks about meeting with economic development officials and how that gets the conversations going.
• [15:52] What are some of your office's biggest challenges?
• [17:16] Allyson shares partnering with a company called Startup Genome.
• [19:04] She discusses the virtual biomedical accelerator that they have in Mississippi.
• [20:08] Allyson talks about what three wishes she would wish for if she has a Genie in a bottle.
• [23:32] Thank you for being on the show!

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