Innovation and Commercialization
Commercialization Leadership
Dedric A. Carter, PhD, MBA, serves as Vice President for Commercialization and Translational Advancement at UNC Health, providing system‑wide leadership to move medical research into clinical and commercial use. He advances commercialization strategies across UNC Health and the School of Medicine, builds partnerships with researchers, clinicians, and industry, and supports inventors in bringing innovations to patients.
Carol Lewis, MBA, serves as Vice President of UNC Health Enterprises, where she leads the development of transformative new ideas and businesses. She founded and oversees the UNC Center for Health Innovation, directing innovation across UNC Health and the School of Medicine by cultivating an innovative culture, managing a diverse initiative portfolio, and engaging external partners to advance healthcare delivery.
Commercialization Partnerships
The UNC School of Medicine works closely with campus partners to support investigators at every stage of the innovation process, including:
- UNC Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC): Manages invention disclosures, IP protection, licensing, and industry engagement.
- Innovate Carolina: UNC‑Chapel Hill’s innovation and entrepreneurship hub supporting startups, partnerships, and company formation.
The Carolina Innovation EcoMap provides a centralized, interactive way to discover and navigate innovation and commercialization resources across UNC‑Chapel Hill.
2025 Innovation & Economic Impact Brief
Additional Resources
- Pinnacle Hill is a strategic partnership between UNC‑Chapel Hill and Deerfield Management that provides funding and drug development expertise to help advance promising UNC research discoveries toward clinical translation.
- The Office of Research hosted a webinar featuring Curie.Bio, a partner for academic innovators looking to advance therapeutic discoveries. See the link below to access the recording.