TUII Team Member
Claiborne “Clay” Christian, PhD
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIALIZATION
Biography
Clay is an integral part of the launch team for the Tulane University Innovation Institute (TUII). His involvement with the Institute predates its official launch, as he was instrumental in assisting with its conceptualization and conducting necessary groundwork research on the university’s innovation pipeline. As the Director of Commercialization, Intelligence, and Assessment for the TUII, Clay is part of the Institute’s leadership team. He is responsible for interfacing with faculty and trainees to get their research into the innovation funnel, assisting with technology assessment, and building teams around promising technologies for programs such as I-Corps. His deep scientific knowledge, experience at the interface of research and the corporate world, and experiences at Tulane and in New Orleans make him a valuable addition to the TUII team.
Clay’s previous role was as the Director of Business Development in the Tulane University Research Business Development (RBD) Office, where he assisted in establishing and facilitating collaborations involving research at Tulane and industry, venture capital, and other external partners. Clay’s work during the COVID-19 crisis on The COVID-19 Digest digital publication and other accomplishments led to his being awarded The President’s Award for Excellence, one of Tulane’s most prestigious faculty/staff awards, in the Summer of 2020.
Clay received his BA in Classics from Hendrix College and his PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Tulane University School of Medicine. Following the completion of his PhD, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. While a life sciences and biomedical generalist, he has deep expertise in Oncology and Infectious Diseases. Clay is currently active in AUTM and has presented and moderated at multiple academic and professional conferences. As an independent consultant, he has also evaluated nearly 200 early-stage university projects/technologies for commercialization potential. These skills and experiences make Clay an ideal team member to help launch the Tulane University Innovation Institute.
