The Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization is an independent entity powered by MUSC that evaluates and manages the intellectual assets generated by MUSC faculty, physicians and staff. It works alongside the MUSC Office of Innovation to take clinician inventions through disclosure, patenting, prototyping, market assessment, licensing and startup formation. The institute maintains specialized leadership across medical technology, digital health and creative works, and intellectual property administration, so device, software and content inventions each get matched expertise. Its board draws from MUSC leadership including the health system's Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President for Research, keeping the commercialization pipeline tied to institutional strategy.
Documented successes: Named a new CEO in 2023 in a joint MUSC and Zucker Institute announcement; publishes an FY25 annual report documenting portfolio activity; leadership team includes a dedicated General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer (Casey Charboneau, JD, MBA); Manages the full MUSC intellectual property portfolio with dedicated functions in medical technology (Joe Ruscito, VP of Medical Technology), digital health and creative works (Kaitlyn Crobar, JD) and IP administration (Pamela Kaufman); operates in partnership with the MUSC Office of Innovation led by Chief Innovation Officer Jesse Goodwin, PhD; Dedicated commercialization staff including a general counsel and COO, a VP of Medical Technology and an Associate Director for Digital Health and Creative Works; secured a grant from Innosphere and the U.S. Economic Development Administration with MUSC to expand commercialization support