Rate My Professor Tomas Ribeiro

Tomas Cruz Pires Ribeiro is the Business Development Manager for Human Health and Well-being, and International Aid and Development, as well as a registered Trans-Tasman Patent Attorney in the University of Otago's Research and Enterprise division. Holding a Master's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology, he assesses and protects intellectual property developed by university staff and students, while building partnerships with industry end-users to advance research commercialization. Since joining Otago Innovation Ltd (now integrated into Research and Enterprise) in April 2017, Ribeiro has guided researchers through complex patent processes, emphasizing early consultation before public disclosures such as journal publications, conference presentations, or media engagements to preserve IP rights.

Ribeiro's extensive career in intellectual property dates back to 1999, starting as a patent examiner at the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand and advancing to Assistant Commissioner of Patents at the Ministry of Economic Development. He has worked in large and small pharmaceutical companies in England and Scotland, assessed investment opportunities for Scottish Enterprise, and practiced at one of New Zealand's largest IP law firms in Auckland. Key contributions at Otago include securing US Patent No. US10,494,344; the 'holy grail' drug delivery invention by Professor John Reynolds, involving detailed negotiations including a Zoom call with the US Patent Office examiner; and a US patent for quantum radio technology. He judged the 2019 Proof of Concept competition, won by an IUD device, and authored a university opinion piece debunking eight common patent myths, covering topics like territorial protection, disclosure risks, inventorship versus authorship, costs, and simultaneous patenting and publishing. His efforts enhance the university's impact by enabling the translation of biomedical and health innovations into investable opportunities.