14 December 2005
A Monash University pharmacy graduate, who pioneered drug delivery to patients with epilepsy and AIDS, has received an inaugural US award for leadership in technology transfer.
Professor Valentino J. Stella, Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Kansas, received the Kansas University Technology Transfer Leadership Award at a ceremony in the US.
Professor Stella graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) from the Victorian College of Pharmacy in 1968. He completed a doctorate in analytical pharmaceutical chemistry at Kansas University in 1971. In 1997 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws and Letters (LLD), from Monash University.
The Kansas University Technology Transfer Leadership Award was presented to Professor Stella in recognition of his dedication to the commercialisation and dissemination of technology for the benefit of society. His influence as an educator and mentor extends around the world, with more than 170 former graduate students now working in 15 countries.
Professor Stella's research centres on the application of physical and organic chemistry to the study of factors affecting drug delivery. He is known for his work in improving drug stability and solubility especially as these relate to anticancer and antiAIDS drugs.
His award, an inscribed medallion featuring Kansas University's Dyche Hall, was presented by Kansas University's Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Professor David Shulenburger as part of a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the federal Bayh-Dole Act.
That legislation, co-sponsored by former Kansas Senator Robert J. Dole, shifted ownership and control of patents stemming from federally funded research to the institution that performed the research.
Previously, federal agencies retained patent rights, resulting in few commercial applications. Passage of the Bayh-Dole Act led to a major expansion of technology transfer and licensing efforts at Kansas and other US universities.
For more information, contact Ms Robyn Anns, Media Communications, Monash University on +61 3 9905 9317 or 0417 568 781; or Ms Elizabeth Welch on +61 3 9903 9087.
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