The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) is pleased to announce that James Parrett has joined the organization as a Technology Manager at its Memphis office.
At UTRF, James will be involved in all aspects of the technology transfer process, including building relationships with research groups across the University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus to identify new intellectual property (IP) and performing comprehensive evaluations of inventions, such as determinations of patentability, commercial potential, and path-to-market. He will also manage patent preparation and prosecution; develop and deploy marketing efforts to attract licensees; negotiate commercialization agreements; and oversee active licenses to ensure licensee compliance. In his role, he will be responsible for promoting and supporting faculty and student entrepreneurship.
James is a chemist, pharmacist, and attorney who previously worked as the Manager for Pharmaceutical Development and Intellectual Property at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. Originally from Virginia, James obtained his Bachelor of Science from James Madison University and his law degree from the College of William & Mary. After graduating from law school, he worked in pharmaceutical patent litigation, where he represented several large pharmaceutical companies. In 2012, he returned to school at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, where he received a Master of Science in Pharmacy Administration and his PharmD.
“I am really excited about the opportunity to be at UTRF,” James said. “I am excited about the culture at UTRF and the opportunities at the Health Science Center.”
Outside of work, James enjoys cooking and is a self-described long-time basset hound owner, having raised four basset hounds: Kinsey, named after the researcher Dr. Alfred Charles Kinsey; Enzo; Charlotte; and most recently a red-and-white puppy called Archie after the Archie Comics. Before the pandemic, James enjoyed attending concerts and exploring his local food scene. Living in Memphis, he looks forward to exploring the city’s famous barbecue scene. His wife is a professor at the University of Mississippi.
“We are very excited to welcome James to the UTRF team,” said Richard Magid, vice president of UTRF. “With his extensive background and enthusiasm for his work, James is an ideal fit to support UTRF’s mission of promoting UT’s entrepreneurial culture across the state.”