Eric Peterson, Ph.D., Named President of BioVentures LLC

By David Robinson

BioVentures, founded in 1994, is the technology licensing office and business incubator at UAMS, supporting the promotion, commercialization and development of biomedical technology and new inventions.

“Dr. Peterson has been a capable leader who applied his specific expertise in technology development to promote additional success for BioVentures,” said Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., UAMS provost, chief strategy officer and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “By supporting our community of researchers, he has strengthened their ability to protect intellectual property while enabling commercialization that benefits their work, our institution and the state.”

Peterson, who was previously named executive vice president of BioVentures in 2022, also serves as an associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. He is the chair of the UAMS Patent and Copyright Committee, a position he has held since February 2021. Since joining UAMS in 2014, he has worked extensively to streamline processes for technology transfer and commercialization.

“I am excited to continue working alongside our talented BioVentures team and UAMS researchers to advance innovation and the incredible potential of UAMS research to make a tangible impact on health care and economic development,” Peterson said. “Together, we will strive to bring groundbreaking discoveries to market, benefiting our institution, the state of Arkansas and beyond. I am grateful for the trust placed in me and look forward to building on the strong foundation that has been established since BioVentures’ inception.”

Peterson’s primary research focuses on the design of antibody nanotechnology and gene therapy technologies that could reduce or block the rewarding effects of methamphetamine use disorder. He is listed as an inventor on three patents for his contributions to immunotherapies for drug use disorder treatment.

For more information about BioVentures and its role in supporting research and innovation at UAMS, visit bioventures.tech.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.

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