OHSU Innovation and Commercialization Internship
OHSU Innovation and Commercialization interns provide a valuable service by assisting with technology development and the transition of technology from laboratory to market for the benefit of the public. In return, interns gain valuable knowledge and skills that can be applied in a wide range of professions.
The next internship cohort will begin in April 2025. Applications are due Jan. 20, 2025.
Internship program details
Program structure
The OHSU Innovation and Commercialization internship program is an educational experience for individuals interested in technology transfer, business development, and/or patent law. Get real-world experience assisting with innovation development and the transition of technology from laboratory to market. Eligible interns can receive a monthly stipend and/or academic credit for program participation. Please note that this program is primarily remote/virtual, but interns in the Portland metro area may have the opportunity for to attend some in-person meetings.
Required qualifications
- Hold a bachelor’s degree in a life science, physical science, and/or engineering.
- Be pursuing or have received a graduate-level degree in science, medicine, engineering, business, or law OR have at least three years of relevant job experience.
- Have an interest in intellectual property, technology transfer, and/or business development as a career goal.
- Be able to commit to volunteering an average of 8 to 10 hours per week for at least six months time. Intern performance will be assessed every three months. The program length may be extended for interns in good standing, per a formal review process.
To apply
Application packets can be submitted via email to techmgmt@ohsu.edu . Please include the following materials in your application packet:
- Professional resume or curriculum vitae.
- Cover letter that states the applicant’s preferred internship track (Technology Transfer, Business Development, or patent law), what interested them in the program, the applicant’s career aspirations, and what the applicant hopes to achieve by participating in the internship program.
- Letter of recommendation from a recent supervisor or graduate mentor (may be emailed separately by letter writer).
- Letter of permission to participate in the Innovation and Commercialization volunteer internship program from both the applicant’s advisor and program director (only required if applicant is a current staff member, student, or volunteer of OHSU).
Questions? Contact Nicole Garrison, Program Administrator, at garrisni@ohsu.edu.
Tavita Garrett, Ph.D.
Tavita is a postdoctoral fellow in the Sivyer Lab at OHSU. She became interested in how biotechnology is commercialized when researching new fluorescence in situ techniques experiments for her dissertation work. She is interested in learning more about technology development management and academic industry partnerships.
Tavita is following up on her dissertation work, which involved characterizing types of retinal ganglion cells. Retinal ganglion cell axons make up the optic nerve and communicate visual information to the brain. Understanding the basic properties and spatial organization of retinal ganglion cells is critical to understanding how they are disrupted in disease states like glaucoma and developing vision restoration strategies.
In her free time Tavita enjoys playing soccer, skiing, and biking around Portland.
Benjamin Woodruff
Ben is a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology under the mentorship of Alex Nechiporuk, Ph.D., where he studies nervous system development using zebrafish as a model organism. Ben joined the internship in April 2024, both to gain experience in academic/industry partnerships, and to learn about potential career options after graduate school. He has become particularly interested in strategies aimed at helping scientists advance their discoveries into the commercial sector where they can have an impact on public health.
In his free time, Ben loves to explore Portland restaurants, travel to fun places, and nurture his hoard of house plants.
"As a wet lab scientist, I knew nothing about technology commercialization. However, by working on projects that provided valuable returns for the office (not busywork!) I developed and honed my understanding of technology transfer, as well as valuable skill sets. Opportunities to attend meetings discussing topics like legal protection, licensing and marketing strategies, also enabled me to further my understanding of technology commercialization beyond the scope of my projects. In addition to the internships commitment to try and match interns with projects of interest, I can easily say the OHSU Innovation and Commercialization Internship is an invaluable career development experience!"
- Adrienne Wilburn
"I loved my time learning about the licensing of OHSU technologies. While at Technology Transfer, I was given several projects to work on related to a specific technology. I also participated in Technology Transfer meetings and seminars, as well as interacted with Technology Transfer staff and OHSU inventors. The projects gave me an understanding of how new technologies are evaluated and marketed, and working with staff and inventors gave me a feel for the skills needed in tech transfer. I would absolutely recommend interning at Technology Transfer for anyone interested in learning how to apply science, law or business to commercializing academic research."
- Kimberly Griffin, Ph.D.
"The Technology Transfer internship is an enlightening, must have experience for graduate students and postdocs who want to learn about the process of taking scientific discoveries from the bench into the public domain. The opportunity to participate in discussions about intellectual property, technology evaluation, and the process of commercialization, often with members of the biotech community, has expanded my perspective of basic and translational research. The project phase of the internship allowed me to get hands-on experience working with scientists and technology transfer professionals to market new technologies to potential commercial partners that would distribute these products to the community. This internship was one of my most valuable career development experiences."
- Khoa Tran, Ph.D.
Interested in a career with OHSU Innovates?
OHSU Innovates strives to help researchers realize the commercial potential of their discoveries and bring their ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace for public benefit. Explore career opportunities with OHSU Innovates and OHSU below.