Office Team

Director

Dr Victor Pantano

Before moving to the Office of Commercialisation in March 2006, Victor was based at the University of Warwick where he led a number of projects associated with technology transfer into the UK automotive industry. Based at the International Automotive Research Centre in the West Midlands, his role involved facilitating the development of industry-based relationships with Centre researchers as an outlet for technology transfer. This included the formation of SME-based technology transfer clusters as a means to enhancing regional development. Prior to this, he completed his industry-based PhD with Ford Motor Company, based in various locations including Australia, India and the US. Victor holds a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) and a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) from the ANU.

Business Development Managers

Life Sciences

Dr Gavin Clydesdale

Gavin has completed a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry and Microbiology), BSc (Hons) (Immunology) and PhD (Immunology) at the University of Tasmania. He then took up a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas which has been ranked among the US top two cancer hospitals since 1990. This was followed by post-doctoral work at CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems as part of the Pest Animal CRC’s program to develop a virally disseminating mouse immunocontraceptive vaccine. He then took up a position with Johnson and Johnson Product Research and Development in Beerse, Belgium before moving to become a project manager at 4AZA Bioscience, a spin-off from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Prior to joining the Office of Commercialisation in October 2006, Gavin was a Senior Scientist in a drug discovery project at Phenomix Australia on the ANU campus. His commercial experience with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies has been focused on target discovery, drug discovery and drug development. He has recently been awarded a Masters of Business Administration from APESMA—University of La Trobe. Gavin brings to the Office of Commercialization nine years of experience in the life science sector in both commercial and academic roles.

Dr Karen Edwards

After completing a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry and Applied Chemistry) at the University of Natal and BSc (Hons) (Chemistry) at the University of Cape Town, Karen worked in analytical and research laboratories before completing a PhD in crystallography at the University of London (1993). This was followed by post-doctoral work at the Research School of Chemistry (ANU) and James Cook University in a number of areas including protein crystallography, protein science, molecular biology and molecular plant systematics. Karen has a broad range of research experience across a wide range of scientific fields and management experience of technologies related to life science research.

Prior to joining the Office of Commercialisation in November 2006, Karen managed the Biomolecular Resource Facility at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (ANU) for 5 years. She is currently completing a Master of Management in Technology, Innovation and Commercialisation through the National Graduate School at Management at the ANU.

Physical Sciences

Dr Tom Hammond

Tom comes to the Office of Commercialisation with academic experience in Zoology and Science Communication, and a career in the craft brewing sector.

After completing a BSc (Hons) in Zoology in 1998, Tom spent some time working in wildlife conservation in Western Australia, before completing a PhD in 2002, focusing on the acoustic behaviour of bushcrickets. An interest turned into a career in the craft brewing industry for several years, before Tom came to the ANU to study a Masters in Science Communication at the ANU. Tom brings a sound technical background, an appreciation of the processes of science communication, and an understanding of the requirements of industry to his role in the Office of Commercialisation.

Dr Sarah Cleary

Sarah has completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) and a PhD (Chemical Engineering and Mathematics and Statistics) from The University of Melbourne. After completing her PhD, she worked on a patent litigation proceeding with the law firm, Allens Arthur Robinson. From this, an interest in Intellectual Property developed and she joined a Patent and Trade Mark Attorney firm in 2003.

Sarah is a qualified Patent and Trade Mark Attorney and has a Masters of Intellectual Property Law. Sarah has a number of years of experience having worked with both Davies Collison Cave Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys in Melbourne and Pizzeys Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys in Brisbane. She has experience in prosecuting applications before the Australian Patent Office, whist also being associated with the prosecution of related applications before overseas patent offices. She has had experience in drafting patent applications, providing patentability, infringement and freedom-to-operate opinions as well as reviewing and being involved in the development IP portfolios.

John Thorne

While originally working as a geologist in the research group of an Australian mineral exploration company, John has worked in research commercialisation for over twenty-three years for CSIRO (twice), ANUtech Pty Ltd, the Grains Research and Development Corporation and, over the past few years, has operated his own commercialisation consultancy business.

John has extensive experience in marketing of a wide range of new research based technologies in Australia and internationally including identification and development of business relationships with new partners, research, development and commercialization planning, winning investment funds and management of commercial research programs.  He has in depth experience in identification, protection and management of intellectual property, transfer of technology from researchers to business in all forms including negotiation and management of license agreements, design, establishment and initial implementation of high tech business units, incorporated and unincorporated joint ventures and start up companies.