Technology Transfer Centre staff
Head of Technology Transfer
Christian Ziar
Christian leads the Technology Transfer team as well as managing the University’s Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio. Acting as an interface between inventors, the TTC’s technology commercialisation activities and external legal counsel he also leads on the IP due diligence process to assess novelty and inventiveness of new technologies disclosed via the invention disclosure process. Christian’s background includes ten years at a firm of IP attorneys and three years working for a semiconductor licensing company in Cambridge.
- Email:
- cfz1@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Phone:
- +44 (0)1334 46 7340
Head of Commercialisation
Stuart Duncan
Stuart joined the TTC in October 2019 and focuses on the commercialisation and exploitation of the University’s Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio. Prior to this, he was the primary point of contact for all Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation activities within the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh for 7 years, focusing on creating multi-disciplinary opportunities for enduring long term collaborative and strategic partnerships with industry. His career also includes a spell in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Pharma and the Foreign Office. Stuart studied Chemistry at St Andrews, holds an MBA from Durham, and is a committee member at PraxisAuril, a world-leading professional association for Knowledge Exchange practitioners.
- Email:
- sd1@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Phone:
- +44 (0)1334 46 4047
Innovation & Commercialisation Manager
Adam Heikal
Adam joined the TTC in September 2021 and supports the Head of Commercialisation in the commercialisation and exploitation of University IP. Previously, he was a Business Development Manager at the University, with a focus on industry engagement and collaboration. Prior to joining St Andrews, he spent 10 years as an industry-facing research fellow working in the UK, New Zealand, and Norway. This led him to work closely with technology transfer teams and accelerator engines, as well as establishing collaborations with industry, including the pharmaceutical sector. His PhD was in multidrug resistance in cancer, and he has peer reviewed publications in the fields of antimicrobial resistance and drug discovery.
- Email:
- afh21@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Phone:
- +44 (0)1334 46 2224
Intellectual Property Manager
Simon Hogan
Simon joined the TTC in April 2022 and manages the University’s Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio, reporting to the Head of Technology Transfer. He liaises with inventors and external patent attorneys to identify and protect the University’s IP. Previously, he had worked in the Patents Team at a multinational law firm. Simon has an MSc in Management of Intellectual Property and a Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual Property Law from Queen Mary, University of London. He also has an MChem degree and PhD from the University of St Andrews, the latter being in computational chemistry. The title of his thesis is “The Role of Halogen Bonding in Biomolecules”. He is an author on peer reviewed academic journal articles relating to the subject matter of his PhD and undergraduate research projects.
- Email:
- sh594@st-andrews.ac.uk
IP assistant
Rachel Scott
Rachel joined the TTC in 2014 from SRUC in Cupar where she worked in student funding for six years. Rachel focuses on maintaining the TTC’s IP and finance databases. She also leads on the administration of TTC finances including raising invoices and processing disbursements. Rachel leads on a number of ongoing transformation projects within the team and is responsible for general enquiries. If you aren’t sure who to contact or have got an out of office response to an important email, please contact Rachel who will be delighted to assist.
- Email:
- rs229@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Phone:
- +44 (0)1334 46 2163