Dr Fang Huang awarded LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship
The Fellowship trains people to pursue a career that supports the translation of academic research, insights and inventions into new products and services.
Dr Fang Huang, Business Development Manager from University of Birmingham Enterprise
Dr Fang Huang, a Business Development Manager from University of Birmingham Enterprise, has been awarded a prestigious Fellowship by LifeArc, one of the UK’s leading not-for-profit self-funded medical research charities.
LifeArc is dedicated to turning promising scientific discoveries into real outcomes for patients. Through investments, research funding awards, partnerships, shared expertise and several fellowships, the organisation helps researchers to overcome some of the barriers they face when developing new tests and treatments, so that they can reach patients more quickly.
The LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship is vital to this mission because it trains people with a background in life sciences to pursue a career that supports the translation of academic research, insights and inventions into new products and services that benefit society.
People who work in this challenging sector need skills in business, intellectual property law, and a high level of understanding of what are often highly technical areas of academic research. To meet the demands of the job they also need to have excellent communications skills and be networked with similar professionals across the world.
The LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship combines formal training with networking, mentoring and practical experience in the field, and aims to create a pipeline of trained technology transfer professionals who will work with scientists to bring medical innovations to market.
Dr Huang, who trained as a molecular biologist and geneticist at Shandong University in China and Leiden University in the Netherlands, joined University of Birmingham Enterprise, the technology transfer company for the University of Birmingham in 2023 after working as a translational research scientist at the University of Liverpool.
She will now join a cohort of scientists from across Europe on the LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation programme, which is run in partnership with AUTM, the global non-profit leader in efforts to educate, promote and inspire professionals to support the development of academic research that changes the world and drives innovation forward.
Dr Huang said: I am deeply honoured to be awarded the prestigious fellowship from LifeArc. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the selection committee for their recognition, to my line manager, my colleagues, and my company for their support and guidance during my application. This fellowship is a precious opportunity for me to further my work as a technology transfer professional. I look forward to starting a new learning journey with many like-minded people.
Dr Anji Miller, who leads the LifeArc Fellowship programmes, adds: “The LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation programme helps to ensure that future scientific discoveries reach patients quickly and improve lives. Our fellows receive world class training, mentoring and access to resources. As trained technology transfer professionals, they will go on to help transfer promising science from the laboratory bench to the patient. We are pleased to welcome Dr Huang and our other successful LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation 2024 fellows to the programme, and we look forward to supporting them on the next step of their career.”
Notes for editors
Notes for editors
For media information contact Ruth Ashton, University of Birmingham Enterprise, email: r.c.ashton@bham.ac.uk
About the University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, and its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from nearly 150 countries.
University of Birmingham Enterprise helps researchers turn their ideas into new services, products and enterprises that meet real-world needs. We also provide incubation, and support innovators and entrepreneurs with mentoring, advice, and training, manage the University’s Academic Consultancy Service, and University of Birmingham Enterprise Operating Divisions. Follow us on LinkedIn and X.
About LifeArc
LifeArc is a self-funded, not-for-profit medical research organisation and charity. We take science ideas out of the lab and help turn them into medical breakthroughs that can be life-changing for patients. We have been doing this for more than 25 years and our work has resulted in five licensed medicines, including cancer drug pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), lecanemab for Alzheimer’s (Leqembi), and a diagnostic for antibiotic resistance. Our teams are experts in drug and diagnostics discovery, technology transfer, and intellectual property. Our work is in translational science – bridging the gap between academic research and clinical development, providing funding, research and expert knowledge, all with a clear and unwavering commitment to having a positive impact on patient lives.
LifeArc is a company limited by guarantee (registered in England and Wales under no. 2698321) and a charity (registered in England and Wales under no. 1015243 and in Scotland under no. SC037861).
Find out more about our work on www.lifearc.org or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
About the fellowship
The LifeArc Knowledge Transfer Innovation Fellowship (formerly, the Life arc AUTM Fellowships) is a training programme designed equip academic life scientists, at the graduate or post-doctoral level, with the skills and knowledge to transition into careers in technology transfer. The curriculum combines formal training with networking, mentoring and practical experience in the field. The programme is delivered by LifeArc in collaboration with key partners, AUTM and ASTP.
Since its launch in 2017, this unique fellowship has trained and supported more than 72 fellows from 11 different European countries to transition into careers supporting the innovation sector. This year the fellowship cohort will comprise 17 fellows from 6 countries.
About AUTM
AUTM is the non-profit leader in efforts to educate, promote and inspire professionals to support the development of academic research that changes the world and drives innovation forward. Its community is comprised of more than 3,000 members who work in more than 800 universities, research centres, hospitals, businesses and government organisations around the globe.