Melissa is the Deputy Managing Director at PCI. Prior to joining PCI in 2016, Melissa spent 3.5 years at The Ohio State University’s Technology Commercialization Office overseeing the commercialization of a broad portfolio of life science technologies. Melissa received her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine and also held a Postdoctoral Research position at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
Tracy joined PCI in 2018 as a technology licensing officer. She works with faculty in the School of Arts and Sciences and School of Applied Sciences and Engineering to protect and commercialize their technologies. She strategizes on IP protection and leads discussion with potential industry partners for collaboration and licensing opportunities.
Prior to joining Penn, Tracy was a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University where she designed and synthesized molecular machines in the lab of Fraser Stoddart, 2016 Nobel Laureate in chemistry. At Northwestern, she was also an intern at the Innovation and New Ventures office (INVO) where she conducted patentability analysis and market research on new inventions.
Tracy received a PhD in organic chemistry from Columbia University and a BS in chemistry from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. She has authored 11 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Josh Jeanson serves as the Senior Associate Director for the Physical Science team where he is primarily responsible for innovations resulting from the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Arts & Sciences, the Wharton School, and the Weitzman School of Design.
Josh Jeanson has built a career identifying, protecting, and commercializing intellectual property created in academic research labs. Josh has led numerous licensing negotiations for university owned technologies. The breadth of these negotiations has been with large engineering companies, high-profile startup companies, and niche cottage-industry opportunities. In addition to traditional licensing, Josh has worked closely with thought leaders on conceiving and launching unique technologies in underdeveloped fields or emerging market spaces.
Josh has supported several high growth new ventures from his Penn portfolio, including Vivodyne, AlphaThera, Neuralert, and Agni Semi. In his previous role at UVA Licensing & Ventures Group he supported the initial commercial efforts of Mission Secure, Laser Thermal Analysis, MadiDrop, and VLNComm. Prior to Penn, Josh helped found InfiniSat – a new venture in the 10-100kg small satellite space; and Sano Chemicals – a clinical stage anti-infectives company.
Josh received a BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Mississippi, is a graduate of the Law School of the University of Mississippi, and received an MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Mississippi State University. Josh also holds a small satellite system design certificate from the University of Surrey. Josh has been asked to participate in the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program as a grant review panelist with expertise in technology translation and commercialization plan reviews.
Dr. Pamela Beatrice is a Director, Physical Sciences and Engineering Licensing team, and supports innovation developed by the faculty and other researchers in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Arts & Sciences, the Wharton School, and the Weitzman School of Design. She has a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Penn, and has previously worked on ceramic materials at Corning, and as a scientific liaison for the US Army in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology. She especially enjoys travel and theater.
Mary provides high-level administrative and operational assistance in support of the efforts of the Licensing Officers who work with researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM). Not sure who to talk to about your work? Ask her!
When she’s not doing her part to help Penn technologies reach the public, Mary is in search of the best burger and fries that Philadelphia has to offer.
Jessica is the Associate Director of the PSOM Licensing Team.
Lina is currently the Senior Associate Director of Licensing for the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM). In addition to leading the PSOM licensing team, she also manages an extensive portfolio of intellectual property generated by the PSOM researchers and leads the drafting, negotiation and execution of various contracts with companies of all sizes. Previously Lina served in similar roles at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Tufts University. Lina received an M.S. from the Kazan National Research Technological University in Kazan, Russia, an M.S. from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Wake Forest University.
