Mark Rohrbaugh

Dr. Mark Rohrbaugh is the Special Advisor for Technology Transfer to the NIH Deputy Director for Intramural Research. In this role, he analyzes the interrelationships of research programs with technology transfer, intellectual property, innovation policy, and partnerships and proposes new strategies and programs, especially as it relates to technology transfer programs and policy support for the Immediate Office of the Director NIH. He serves on the National Science and Technology Council Technology Committee, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Innovation Council, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Lab-to-Market Committee, and the Interagency Working Group on Technology Transfer. Mark has represented the HHS at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Health Organization (WHO). His analyses of NIH funded inventions brought to market as drug and biologics by the private sector have been published in Stevens et al., NEJM 364: 535-541 (2011) and Chatterjee and Rohrbaugh, Nature Biotech. 32: 52-58 (2014).

Mark served as Director of the NIH Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) from 2001 to 2013. OTT managed the patenting and commercial licensing of inventions made by NIH, FDA, and CDC intramural scientists and served as the lead office within the HHS for technology transfer policy. Licensee companies have brought 27 FDA approved products and more than 100 in vitro diagnostics to market. In 2013, OTT licensees reported a combined total of $7B in sales of licensed products. With respect to policy, Mark led intellectual property implementation for embryonic stem cells, pandemic flu, low-income country access, and use of the government’s march-in authority.

From 1994 to 2001, Mark also served as Director, Office of Technology Development, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH. Prior to joining the NIH, he conducted molecular and cell biology research at the University of Minnesota and two start-up biotechnology companies.