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Jon Soderstrom, Ph.D.
DirectorJon Soderstrom is a member of Kolltan's Board of Directors. Dr. Soderstrom is currently the Managing Director of the Office of Cooperative Research at Yale University. Since joining the Office of Cooperative Research in 1996, he has participated in the formation of more than 25 new ventures including polyGenomics Inc., Molecular Staging Inc. (acquired by Qiagen), Agilix Labs, Inc., Asilas Genomic Systems Inc., Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASQ: ACHN), PhytoCeutica, Inc., Protometrix Inc. (acquired by Invitrogen Corporation), Iconic Therapeutics, Inc., Applied Spine Technologies Inc., HistoRx, Inc., VaxInnate, Inc. and Affomix Corporation. Collectively, these companies have raised over $350 million in professional venture capital. Prior to joining the Office of Cooperative Research, Dr. Soderstrom was the director of program development for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) after serving for ten years as director of technology licensing for Martin Marietta Energy Systems. While at Martin Marietta Energy Systems, he directed a group of ten professionals responsible for negotiating licenses and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs).
Dr. Soderstrom was a founding board member and past president of the Association of Federal Technology Transfer Executives and founding member of the Licensing Executive Society. Additionally, he was a founding member of the Association of University Technology Managers, as well as its 2008 president, its vice president for public policy and a member of its Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He is frequently asked to lecture and teach seminars on various aspects of the technology transfer process and economic development both within the United States and abroad. He has testified before Congress on technology transfer issues and served as an expert witness in patent infringement litigation. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Dr. Soderstrom was honored as the 87th "Point of Light" by President George H. W. Bush in March of 1990 for his volunteer activities helping to construct and rehabilitate low-income housing in Tennessee. Dr. Soderstrom received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1980 and his B.A. from Hope College in 1976.