CLEVELAND, Ohio — KJK is proud to announce that partner Ted Theofrastous has been formally appointed to co-lead the Fusion certificate program at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The appointment deepens Theofrastous’ 26-year history of teaching at the university, where he also serves as a Practitioner-in-Residence at the School of Law and as an adjunct professor at the School of Engineering. His new appointment creates a closer institutional relationship between KJK, the School of Medicine, and the National Center for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM) at CWRU.
The appointment comes at a time of significant investment in Cleveland’s advanced life sciences industry. The Cleveland Innovation District, a $565 million public-private initiative launched in January 2021, is designed to accelerate job creation and research commercialization in healthcare and the life sciences. JobsOhio committed $110 million to the effort alongside $155 million from the Ohio Development Services Agency and $300 million from Cleveland Clinic. The initiative brings together Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth, Case Western Reserve University, and Cleveland State University, with a goal of creating more than 20,000 jobs over ten years and generating $3 billion in economic impact. Regenerative medicine is a key element of the emerging industry this investment is designed to support.
The NCRM, a consortium powered by CWRU, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and MetroHealth, accelerates the translation of discoveries in stem cell research, cellular therapeutics, and tissue engineering into real-world therapies. Founded in 2003 with a $19.4 million award from the State of Ohio, the center has built on more than 30 years of adult stem cell research in Northeast Ohio and has helped advance dozens of cell-based therapies into clinical trials.
Fusion is an interdisciplinary graduate certificate program open to students in law, science, business, and engineering. The program brings professional students together to develop the skills necessary to assess, value, and commercialize complex, high-value technologies. Fusion coursework is now a prerequisite to the School of Medicine’s Master of Science in Regenerative Medicine and Entrepreneurship (RGME) program and is designed to prepare students to operate at the intersection of innovation, regulation, and commercialization, with a subject-matter focus on regenerative medicine technologies.
“Regenerative medicine has been an emerging phenomenon for over twenty years in Cleveland, which is a nationally and globally known hub for scientific innovation in this field,” said Theofrastous. “The Fusion program’s focus on this nascent therapeutic field is aimed at creating expert-level skills for emerging professionals who will work in and grow this industry. Through programs like Fusion, we are connecting academic research to the commercial and regulatory pathways that bring new therapies to patients and creating new high-paying careers in the region.”
KJK’s involvement in the Fusion program reflects the firm’s commitment to supporting the research and innovation community by working alongside institutions, innovators, founders and investors as they navigate investment strategies, startup formation, commercialization pathways, and regulatory considerations. In its support of the next chapter of CWRU’s first formal interdisciplinary graduate training program training, KJK is helping prepare graduate students to work in emerging industries by connecting academic innovation to the real-world skills necessary to create new industrial potential in life sciences and other distinctive technology-driven sectors.
As Chair of KJK’s IP, Technology & New Ventures practice, Theofrastous’ appointment highlights KJK’s continued focus on interdisciplinary education and its role in supporting research-driven industries as they move from concept to commercialization.
About KJK
With offices in Cleveland and Columbus, KJK serves companies of all sizes and sectors, including Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofits, mid-market companies, small businesses, startups, and other entrepreneurs. We are a full-service law firm built for business and beyond. Our robust practice areas serve clients locally and nationally, with the combined experience of our skilled team of 50+ attorneys. For more information, visit kjk.com.