Home > Advisory Board > Name Surname
Name Surname
Laura has headed up the HQ of ASTP (the largest trans-European members association for knowledge transfer professionals) since September 2016. Her role there of Chief Executive combines responsibility for setting up and running training events and conferences and together with the Board, enhancing support for those working at the academic/industrial interface. Laura originally qualified as a Scots lawyer, specialising in EU and IP law. Her transition to the world of academic/industrial collaborations started in 1992 when she established the first in-house legal function in a UK university to support the industrial liaison office.
Then followed a career across different UK universities (Dundee then Edinburgh). She moved to The Netherlands in 2006 where she worked until 2016 (Leiden and LUMC) establishing the tech transfer office with responsibility for establishing collaborations, research consortia, managing IP portfolios, setting up spin-outs, training colleagues and delivering broad spectrum support for academic/industrial relationships.
She has been active in many professional organisations which bring together players in this ecosystem, from the Licensing Executives Society and AUTM to ASTP.
