Technology Commercialization Team

Matthew McFarland, RPh, PhD, Director, Office of Technology Commercialization, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Matthew joined Nationwide Children’s as the director of the Office of Technology Commercialization in the spring of 2012.  As director, he works closely with Nationwide Children’s faculty and staff to identify intellectual property with commercial potential and to facilitate the transfer of new technologies to outside partners, ultimately for the benefit and enhancement of pediatric care.  He has a diverse background in technology transfer, technology valuation and licensing, academic research and pharmacy practice.

Prior to joining Nationwide Children’s, Dr. McFarland was the associate director of commercialization, innovation strategy manager and technology manager in the Office of Technology Commercialization at the Purdue Research Foundation.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from Ohio Northern University and his PhD in medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology from Purdue University. He also completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in translational genetics and pharmacogenomics of neuropsychiatric disorders at the Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University Medical School.
 
Dr. McFarland has authored several articles for peer-reviewed journals including Molecular Pharmacology, Journal of Biological Chemistry and Medical Innovation & Business. He also has received the Jenkins/Knevel Award for Excellence in Research and the Albert and Anna Kienley Award for Excellence in Teaching from the School of Pharmacy at Purdue University.

Matthew.McFarland@NationwideChildrens.org

Margaret Barkett, PhD, Senior Licensing Associate, Office of Technology Commercialization, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Margaret joined The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as a licensing associate in February 2010. She earned her PhD degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from Boston University, where she continued her training as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research in cell death biology spanned different areas including cancer biology and development. Prior to joining The Research Institute, she completed a one-year technology licensing internship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology focusing on medical devices and biotechnology.

Margaret.Barkett@NationwideChildrens.org

Chalonda R. Handy, PhD, Licensing Associate, Office of Technology Commercialization, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Chalonda joined The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as a licensing associate in July 2012.  She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Tougaloo College, a small liberal arts school in Mississippi.  She earned a PhD in Integrated Biomedical Science with a minor in Neuroscience from The Ohio State University and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in Neurosurgery at Emory University.  While at Emory, she also completed a one year internship in technology transfer.  To further her understanding of technology commercialization, she functioned in a junior licensing capacity at Ohio State just prior to joining Nationwide Children’s.
 
Chalonda has a very diverse technical background and has investigated a number of neurological disorders.  She has authored several peer-reviewed articles including publications in PNAS, Molecular Therapy and Science Translational Medicine.  Chalonda has also successfully written SBIR/STTR grants that were funded by the NIH.

Chalonda.Handy@NationwideChildrens.org

Supatra S. Davis, Business Compliance and Intellectual Property Coordinator, Office of Technology Commercialization, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Supatra joined The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in August 2008. She is responsible for coordinating financial matters for the office; overseeing business, licensing and regulatory compliance; managing TDF-funded projects; and coordinating events, from faculty forums to technology showcases and more.

Financial coordination includes accounts payable, accounts receivable, royalty reimbursements/distributions, cost center information, fiscal tracking, and budget and expenditure reports. As compliance coordinator, Supatra monitors and oversees documentation of licensee compliance in regards to reporting, payment, and milestone achievements. She also prepares relevant reports on business licensing metrics and acts as a liaison with outside counsel members and third-party service providers. She is responsible for invention reporting and regulatory compliance for all federal and non-federal funding agencies in support of The Research Institute. Supatra also serves as a Notary Public for the State of Ohio.

Supatra.Davis@NationwideChildrens.org