Erik Halvorsen, Ph.D.
Executive Director of TIDO; Managing Partner, Technology Development Fund
erik.halvorsen@childrens.harvard.edu
(617) 919-3026
Erik Halvorsen became the Director of TIDO at Boston Children's Hospital in September of 2007. He oversees and manages the Technology and Innovation Development Office (TIDO) responsible for translating Children's renowned laboratory and clinical research into devices, therapeutics, diagnostics, and informatics products that can benefit patients around the world. With approximately $225 million in annual sponsored research funding and more than 800,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space, Boston Children's Hospital is home to the world's largest and most active research enterprise at a pediatric center, disclosing more than 145 inventions per year to TIDO.
Over the course of 2008 and 2009, Erik restructured the office’s resources and expertise to maximally support the hospital’s research and advance the stage of development of its innovations. The result was a shift away from the “tech transfer” model and towards a product development model through the creation of a Business Development function and Technology Development Fund. These additional resources along with the Patents & Licensing Group and Clinical Trials Office all effectively support the translation of research and innovation at Boston Children's Hospital into new products that can benefit our patients and the public.
Prior to joining Boston Children's Hospital, Erik was the Director of Business Development at Harvard University's Office of Technology Development. He joined Harvard in 2002 where he was primarily responsible for the patenting and licensing of technology arising from the departments of Molecular & Cellular Biology and Chemistry & Chemical Biology including early stage therapeutics, stem cells, targets and drug discovery technology. In 2006, Erik also became the first Director of Business Development for the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI). There he developed a comprehensive stem cell intellectual property (IP) policy, ratified and enacted by HSCI affiliated institutions, which allowed for centralization of stem cell IP and returned a portion of license revenue to fund additional stem cell research.
Prior to joining Harvard, Erik worked at the University of Virginia (UVA) Patent Foundation and the UVA Patent Foundation for-profit subsidiary, Spinner Technologies Inc. There he worked as a case manager starting up companies with faculty members around university technologies. His Ph.D. in Neuropharmacology focused on elucidating apoptotic and anti-apoptotic intracellular signaling pathways activated in Parkinson's disease and identifying potential therapeutic targets to slow or inhibit neuronal cell death and has authored and co-authored several peer reviewed papers. Erik also holds an M.S. from the Medical College of Virginia and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Jane Amara, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Licensing and Operations
jane.amara@childrens.harvard.edu
(617) 919-3014
Jane joined the Technology & Innovation Development Office at Boston Children's in October of 2012. As associate director, she is responsible for managing the daily operations of TIDO, working closely with the others in the office to support our collaborative strategic goals. Prior to joining TIDO, Jane worked in venture capital, overseeing investments into university spin-out companies in the UK. Before that, she worked in biotech business development, including five years identifying, evaluating, and executing transactions at Biogen Idec. Her industry experience also includes research and project management responsibilities at start-up and established companies, including Genzyme and ARIAD Pharmaceuticals.
Jane earned a B.A. in Biology from the University of California, San Diego, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Yale University. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Harvey F. Lodish at the Whitehead Institute.