Chris Cornelison named interim Associate Vice President for Innovation and Commercialization

KENNESAW, Ga. | September 6, 2023

Kennesaw State University microbiology professor Chris Cornelison will serve as interim Associate Vice President for Innovation and Commercialization, effective September 1.

Cornelison, who for the past three years has served as Director of  Intellectual Property Development , will work closely with Vice President for Research Karin Scarpinato on a variety of Office of Research initiatives, focusing on applied research and venture creation.

Chris Cornelison headshot

“Chris has demonstrated his entrepreneurial expertise through the procurement of several externally funded grants, in addition to the support infrastructure he has built for faculty here at KSU,” Scarpinato said. “Moving forward, he will be instrumental in working to expand our industry relations and commercialization portfolio.”

Cornelison will primarily focus on growing applied research and entrepreneurship across the university, a focus that includes  Hatchbridge , a business incubator that launched earlier this year and assists local entrepreneurs in growing their businesses by offering resources such as guidance, office space and programming.

With many academic units at KSU already engaged in applied research, Cornelison aims to direct talent across both campuses to maximize the university’s impact on the region. Developing collaborations with Hatchbridge, Coles College of Business, Research Development and Strategic Initiatives, University Advancement, Career Planning and Development, and Government Relations will be crucial in the university reaching its full potential as a source for innovative solutions with market potential.

In addition to Intellectual Property Development duties, Cornelison also operates the  BioInnovation Laboratory , which currently has seven active external grants, highlighted by the lab’s work on white-nose syndrome in bats and the development of novel therapeutic interventions.

The lab is also active in  culinary mushroom cultivation , which includes technology that is licensed to MycoLogic, a startup Cornelison founded with postdoctoral researcher Kyle Gabriel that has garnered numerous awards in startup competitions. 

MycoLogic finished first this summer at the Georgia AgTech Summit, and earlier this year, the KSU-based startup was a finalist at the Ag Innovation Challenge sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Cornelison’s entrepreneurial background will be essential in performing the duties of interim Associate Vice President for Innovation and Commercialization.

“As a founder of a startup at KSU, I have learned what it means to be a faculty entrepreneur,” Cornelison said. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support my colleagues in their pursuit of entrepreneurial activities that allow the world to benefit from the great research they are doing.”

Other BioInnovation Laboratory projects include the production of pigments from agricultural and industrial waste materials by using food-grade fungi as biocatalysts, a project that recently received venture development funding and was the research focus of 2023 Birla Carbon Summer Scholar Mark Sheehan.

Cornelison earned his B.S. in microbiology at the University of Georgia in 2009, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in applied and environmental microbiology at Georgia State University in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

It was at Georgia State University while working in the laboratory of Dr. Sidney A. Crow that Cornelison developed an interest in how research intersects with commercialization. 

“I was able to see how to build an applied research portfolio and learned about many of the ways in which research products reach their full potential via commercialization,” Cornelison said. “As a postdoc, I was part of an NSF I-Corps team. This further reinforced my desire to be active in driving academic innovations to market and gave me an appreciation for understanding product-market fit and the needs of customers.”

Cornelison carried those lessons into his role of Director of Intellectual Property Development, where he built KSU’s technology transfer operations from the ground floor by creating the Innovation Launch Pad to train faculty and student inventors in lean startup methodology and customer discovery, established the Innovation Seed Grant Program to support inventors in advancing their innovation during the provisional year, and created the KSU Quick Start Licensing Program to allow faculty to quickly obtain freedom to operate for commercial utilization of their innovations.

“Technology transfer at KSU is far more advanced than it was three years ago, and I am proud of the progress we have made,” Cornelison said.

— By David Roberts

Source: https://research.kennesaw.edu/roc/stories/cornelison_avp_innovation_commercialization.php

BIO Statement on the Section 232 Pharmaceutical Proclamation

April 4, 2026
April 2, 2026- WASHINGTON, D.C. – John F. Crowley, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) , released the following statement on Section 232 Pharmaceutical Proclamation. “A thriving American biotechnology ecosystem is essential to growing the U.S. economy, strengthening national security, and improving the health and well‑being of everyday Americans. While we appreciate the Administration’s recognition of the need for tariff exemptions for certain critical biotech products, the reality is that any tariffs on America’s medicines will raise costs, impede domestic manufacturing, and delay the development of new treatments - all while doing nothing to enhance our national security. “U.S. biotech companies have been eager to expand investments here at home, but tariffs, along with an uncertain policy environment and efforts to force “most‑favored nation” schemes, work directly against that goal. The risks are especially acute for small and mid‑size biotech companies, which develop more than half of all FDA‑approved medicines yet often lack the capital to build dedicated manufacturing facilities as they weather an industry defined by high costs, long development timelines, and significant risk. “The fact is: tariffs divert scarce resources away from research and development, weaken American biotech against China’s rising industry, and ultimately, harm health and economic wellbeing of Americans. “We stand ready to work with the Administration on a long‑term strategy that encourages biotechnology investment, reduces the time, cost, and uncertainty of developing new medicines, expands U.S. biomanufacturing capacity, and ensures American innovation is fairly valued overseas. Tariffs and MFN are not the answer." Source - https://www.bio.org/press-release/bio-statement-section-232-pharmaceutical-proclamation

Georgia Life Sciences Announces 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge Winner

April 1, 2026
Atlanta, GA (April 1, 2026) – Georgia Life Sciences (GLS) is proud to announce that Saisurya Lakkimsetti, a junior at Lakeside High School in Columbia County, has been named the winner of the 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge. The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge took place, as part of the statewide Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. Forty-seven students from across Georgia competed for this year’s title and cash prize. Jaehyeon Lee, an 11th-grade student from Walton High School, was named runner-up in this year’s competition. The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge recognizes outstanding high school students who are conducting innovative biotechnology research with real-world applications. This year’s top projects, presented in the Global Healthcare Challenge track, demonstrated exceptional scientific rigor and forward-thinking potential in addressing critical healthcare challenges. Saisurya’s research focuses on identifying potential inhibitors for Endocan, a protein known to play a role in glioblastoma tumor growth. Using advanced computational modeling techniques—including AlphaFold and molecular docking tools—she screened thousands of small molecules to identify compounds that may block tumor-promoting signaling pathways. Her work identified several promising candidates that could serve as a foundation for future drug development targeting glioblastoma. Jaehyeon’s project investigates how varying glucose concentrations affect regeneration in planaria, modeling impaired wound healing in diabetic conditions. By testing graded glucose environments and measuring regeneration indicators such as growth and differentiation, Jaehyeon demonstrated that lower glucose levels enhance regeneration while higher levels inhibit healing. The study establishes a model to better understand hyperglycemia’s impact on diabetic wound healing. “The work by these students is a powerful example of the innovation and determination we see in Georgia’s next generation of life sciences leaders,” said Maria Thacker Goethe, President and CEO of Georgia Life Sciences. “The BioGENEius Challenge is critical because it provides students with a platform to apply cutting-edge science to real-world problems, while also strengthening the future workforce that will drive breakthroughs in healthcare, biotechnology, and beyond.” The Georgia BioGENEius Challenge is part of Georgia Life Sciences’ broader commitment to advancing workforce development and fostering innovation across the state’s rapidly growing life sciences ecosystem. Judging the 2026 Georgia BioGENEius Challenge: Ian Biggs; Ralph Cordell, CDC; Alex Harvey, ViaMune; Jamie Graham, Smith Gambrell Russell; and Evan Scullin, LuminiSci.

Georgia Life Science's Feature in Very First Atlanta Edition of Inside Medicine

March 24, 2026
Georgia Life Sciences is thrilled to be featured in the very first Atlanta edition of Inside Medicine . This inaugural issue represents something truly special. Atlanta’s healthcare and life sciences community is driven by innovation, collaboration, and outstanding leadership—and we’re honored to be part of this exciting launch. Also in the issue, GLS's Kennedy Dumas is featured, sharing her journey on how observation and research evolved into a powerful practice of journaling. As the founder of Stationery Black, she creates notebooks designed to showcase, uplift, and inspire people of color. Read the full article here.
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