Kultaran Chohan, PhD

Kultaran Chohan is the Executive Director of Licensing for the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM). He joined the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) in October 2024 and leads the PSOM licensing team, overseeing the commercialization of groundbreaking research and innovative technologies developed by PSOM researchers. His team of licensing professionals manage an extensive portfolio of Penn intellectual property, negotiating high impact licensing agreements, and fostering partnerships with both established companies and startups to translate research discoveries and ideas into new products and services.

Prior to joining PCI, Kultaran served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor with the Office of Technology Licensing at North Carolina State University (NC State), where he oversaw the commercialization of a broad portfolio of technologies. Kultaran brings extensive expertise in early-stage technology commercialization, intellectual property strategy, and complex negotiations.

Kultaran holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from North Carolina State University, an LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Technology Law from Washington University School of Law, and an LL.B. from Punjabi University in India. He is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) and a member of the New York State Bar (non-practicing). Contact Kultaran here.

Benjamin Dibling, PhD

Ben Dibling is Managing Director of the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) at the University of Pennsylvania. Ben leads the PCI team in advancing discoveries and ideas resulting from Penn’s research towards new products, services, and/or businesses to provide benefits back to Penn, its inventors, and society. The PCI team actively facilitates a broad range of technology development connections between Penn and the commercial sector, including technology licenses, R&D alliances, sponsored research, and the formation of new ventures.

Prior to joining PCI and Penn in 2016, Ben was Senior Associate Director of Licensing at UCLA. Ben started his career in technology transfer in 2004 at UChicagoTech, the office of technology and intellectual property at the University of Chicago, and was Program Manager in Oncology at the time he moved to UCLA in 2011.

Ben holds a PhD in Clinical Medicine from the University of Leeds and a B.Med.Sc. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Birmingham. He is licensed to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP). Ben is a member of AUTM, LES and prior chair of the Board of Governors for CLP.

Email Ben.

Robert Ljungberg

Robert supports commercialization processes for Penn researchers within physical sciences and engineering, by providing general guidance and managing business development projects. He has a background in Chemical Engineering and Applied Physics from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Prior to joining PCI, he worked in biotechnology strategy consulting and as a business developer for early-stage startups.

Email Robert.

Stephen McCann

Steve McCann manages the 9th floor at PCI, overseeing operations and ensuring a professional and welcoming experience for visitors.

He holds a degree in Human Development from Penn State and has dedicated nearly 25 years to working at Penn. In his spare time, Steve enjoys exploring new restaurants and has a passion for horror movies.

Email Steve.

Ginola Johnson

Ginola manages all emails received in the PCI Inbox, prepares agenda for weekly PIM meetings, prepares and handles formal documents for all PCI intellectual property. Ginola gained intellectual property experience while working at DuPont Company and a number of law firms and corporations. She enjoys teaching football, reading her Bible and spending time with her family and friends.

Email Ginola.

Brian McBrearty, Esq.

Brian helps to enable research at Penn through review and negotiation of agreements with commercial companies supporting research activities at the University. A transactional attorney with over a decade of contracting experience, Brian works with faculty investigators, research administrators, and various Penn stakeholders and decision makers across the University, as well as with commercial collaborators ranging from one-person startups to global pharma companies. Brian is a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he was managing editor of the Temple Law Review, and received his BA in music from New York University. Brian lives in Philadelphia, regularly records and performs music on his own and with a variety of groups, and hosts a radio show that focuses on improvised music.

Email Brian.

Mackenzie Greenfield

Mackenzie supports the PCI Ventures Team and their portfolio of companies. She graduated from Rider University with her Masters in 2022.

Mackenzie ran cross country and track and field in college and continues her passion for running now by being part of a run club in Philadelphia.

Email Mackenzie.

Talin Bedonian

Talin collaborates with different IT and software vendors to streamline team workflows at PCI. She is also responsible for facilitating data cleanup efforts and automating work processes. Talin holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Drexel University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in data science at the University of Pennsylvania. In her free time, she likes to read, spend time with friends and family, and try new restaurants in Philadelphia.

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Phyllis Simon, Esq.

Phyllis is a patent attorney at the Penn Center for Innovation, where she focuses on supporting and advising PCI and researchers at Penn on patent matters. She is also an Associate General Counsel of the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining Penn in 2023, Phyllis worked in private practice for boutique intellectual property law firms in California and Virginia, including a solo law practice. Her practice included patent preparation and prosecution, patentability analysis, patent infringement analysis, and trademark and domain name protection.

Before entering the field of law, Phyllis worked as a research chemical engineer for Nano-Tex, LLC, where she developed textile finishes and protocols for testing the performance and durability of treated fabrics; and InnoChem, Inc., where she explored novel processes for manufacturing chemicals used in electroplating baths.

Phyllis received her undergraduate degree from California Institute of Technology (B.S., Chemical Engineering), her graduate degree from University of California at Berkeley (M.S., Chemical Engineering), and her law degree from UCLA School of Law (J.D.). She is admitted to practice law in California, has limited admission in Pennsylvania as in-house corporate counsel, and is a registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Outside of work, Phyllis enjoys propagating houseplants, writing with glitter ink, and paddleboarding with her three children.

Email Phyllis.

David Irvin, PhD

David helps manage Penn’s relationship with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. David received his BS in biology from UNC Chapel Hill, followed by his master’s in biochemistry from North Carolina State University, and finally his PhD from UNC Chapel Hill. Subsequently, David did a postdoctoral fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston TX. David’s academic research interests were mouse models of brain tumors, specifically malignant gliomas.

Email David.