Bruce Butler, PhD

Dr. Bruce D. Butler is Vice President of Research and Technology and Director of the Office of Technology Management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).  The office handles the technology transfer activities including the creation of new start-ups for the 7 UTHealth schools. The office has managed over 2700 issued and pending patents and executed over 640 license/option agreements with cumulative gross revenues over $142 million. Of the 66 UTHealth portfolio companies, 6 have had liquidity events or IPO’s. Dr. Butler holds an academic position as Professor of Anesthesiology at the Medical School and has over 225 published papers, abstracts and book chapters.    Dr. Butler’s pioneering work with NASA established protocols for spacewalk (EVA) preparation used by astronauts to prevent decompression sickness.  This work earned the Special Scientific Achievement Award from NASA’s Space and Life Science Directorate.  Dr. Butler is an inventor on 10 US and associated foreign patents; 6 have been commercialized through UTHealth and include FDA-approved therapeutics, respiratory healthcare products and bio-pharmaceuticals.  Dr. Butler has been involved with product development for medical and home-care devices, including FDA regulatory approvals and clinical trials. He has been personally involved in the creation of multiple life-science start-up companies and numerous other business development partnerships.