Team Group: Senior Consultant

Dr. Nieves possesses 20 of experience performing materials R&D, computational modeling and environmental and health-related international consulting. He has utilized high resolution microscopy, spectroscopy, failure analysis and engineering simulation to develop radiation detectors, light harvesting materials, mechanical testing devices and bio-mimetic skeletal prostheses. He has used finite element analysis (FEA) to model aerospace structural performance and electron microscopy to diagnose mechanical failure in biomedical devices. As International Computer Simulation to the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) in Malawi, Ian revised models predicting climate change impacts on water and energy use, malaria transmission, economic development and ecological diversity in Southeast Africa, and extensively amended Malawi’s Second National Communication of Climate Change to the United Nations. As consultant to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the World Health Organization, (WHO), he revised the Human Resources for Health Strategic Work Plan for the Asia Pacific Region and Staff Development and Learning (SDL) materials, respectively.

Isabelle is a life science partnering executive with over 20 years of combined licensing experience in industry and academia. She is has a robust track record of success in all aspects of identifying, evaluating, structuring, negotiating, and managing preclinical and clinical drug development and commercialization deals. Dr. Gorrillot’s career focused on entrepreneurship and she has extensive experience in successfully creating and growing start-up biotechnology companies. An immunologist trained at the Pasteur Institute (France) Isabelle’s scientific interests naturally tend to focus on the immune components of cancer, neurodegeneration, rare diseases, as well as on immune diseases (autoimmune, inflammatory, allergy). Isabelle has completed the USPTO bar exam preparatory course, a number of graduate courses in marketing, strategy and management at Stanford and UC Berkeley, and is a CFA candidate. Dr. Gorrillot gained peer recognition as an innovator and expert of the university-industry interface, and was a Trustee of the 3,000 member Licensing Executives Society USA-Canada. She is also a member of AACR, ASCO, and AAAS. Isabelle is an avid horseback rider and former professional skier.

After serving 30 years in industrial research and technical management positions in various polymer industries, Paula Watt joined the University of Akron as the Director of Outreach for the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering where she works closely with faculty and graduate students to drive technology transfer and entrepreneurial endeavors. Her areas of technical expertise include advanced materials, polymers, rubbers, plastics, composites, coatings, manufacturing processes, devices, biomedical technologies, green chemistry and nanotechnology. She have extensive managerial experience in technology transfer, IP management, economic development, manufacturing, quality, chemistry, engineering, product realization, and Lean/Six Sigma best practices. .Paula as authored numerous technical publications including two book chapters. She has prepared winning grant proposals, including SBIRs, and has been Principle Investigator for multiple industry/university collaborations. Paula served as the Industrial Advisory Board Chair for Kent State Ashtabula’s Technology Department, as Chairman of the Industrial board of EPIC’s Composites Center of Excellence and sits on the Polymer Ohio Board of Directors. She also served on the ACMA Educational and Biocomposites sub-committees, as a Business Mentor for a UA I-corp sites team, on NSF SBIR proposal review committees and she has been an adjunct professor at Kent State University.