Thomas O'Brien, PhD

Thomas C. O'Brien, PhD

Thomas C. O'Brien recently retired from a position as Business Program Manager in DuPont Ventures, and, with Strategic Business Units (SBU) and DuPont Growth Platforms. He led equity investment in external start-ups and the subsequent licensing-in of their technology to accelerate new business development in SBUs. Previously he was with DuPont’s New Business Development group with responsibility for leading external venture teams at business schools and internal new business growth teams in the identification and prioritization of new business opportunities for corporate sponsorship. Concurrently, he developed futures and ideation processes that were integrated into corporate business growth and renewal processes. With New Business Development, Dr. O’Brien also started new business ventures, provided new business leadership for DuPont's Fine and Custom Chemicals Venture, and directed the Microfabrication/ Minichemical Systems Development Program. Earlier with DuPont's Development Division, Dr. O'Brien was the Strategist with responsibilities for market and technology opportunity assessments, business development, equity options investments, and technology transfer and out-licensing.

Prior to joining DuPont in 1983, he was a senior technology analyst in the Department of Commerce and developed the strategy for NIST's participation in biotechnology. Dr. O'Brien served as a COMSCI Fellow with the House Science, Research and Technology Subcommittee in the 96th Congress chaired by the late George Brown (D-California) with responsibilities for biotechnology, industrial innovation, and industry-university-government relations.

At the National Institutes of Health for over a decade, he held senior health science leadership positions at the National Eye Institute and National Institute for Dental Research and virology research and vaccine regulatory testing positions at the Bureau of Biologics.

Dr. O'Brien is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an elected member of AAAS’ Industrial Science and Technology Section Committee. He served on the Governor's Commission on Science and Technology for both New Jersey and Delaware. He holds an AB in Biology and MS and PhD degrees in Microbiology from the Catholic University of America. Dr. O’Brien is the author of over 50 publications and reports.

"We are already looking into using them again."

- President at a biotechnology company.

An independent third party conducted a quality survey for DNA Bridges,Inc. The third party, in association with Dunn and Bradstreet, interviewed several clients. All clients stated that the costs met expectations and projects were competed on time.