BioVentures is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Peterson, Ph.D., as president of BioVentures LLC.
Peterson has served as interim president since March 2024 and previously served as executive vice president since April 2022. He is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UAMS College of Medicine with a longstanding commitment to innovation.
Peterson said he was honored to accept the role of president.
“I am excited to continue working alongside our talented BioVentures team and UAMS researchers to advance innovation and the incredible potential of UAMS research to make a tangible impact on healthcare and economic development,” Peterson said. “Together, we will strive to bring groundbreaking discoveries to market, benefiting our institution, the state of Arkansas, and beyond. I am grateful for the trust placed in me and look forward to building on the strong foundation that has been established since BioVentures’ inception.”
UAMS Provost and Chief Strategy Officer Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., and Vice Chancellor for Research Daniel E. Voth, Ph.D., made the announcement.
“Eric has been a capable leader who applied his specific expertise in technology development to promote additional success for BioVentures,” Gardner and Voth said in the announcement. “By supporting our community of researchers, he has supported their ability to protect intellectual property while allowing commercialization that benefits their work, our institution and the state.”
Peterson’s primary research focus has been the design of antibody nanotechnology and gene therapy technologies that could reduce or block the rewarding effects of methamphetamine use disorder. He is listed as an inventor on three patents for his contributions to immunotherapies for drug use disorder treatment.
He has served on the UAMS Patent and Copyright Committee since 2014 and has served as chair since February 2021.
BioVentures opened in 1994 as an arm of UAMS that promoted and commercialized biomedical technology and new inventions. BioVentures has helped equip researchers with technology licensing, patent protection and other resources that are required for company startups.