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About David
David Christensen serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Otago Innovation Limited, a University of Otago-owned entity dedicated to the commercialisation of academic research and innovations emerging from the university's campuses. In this leadership position, he drives the transformation of scientific discoveries into marketable products, spin-out companies, and industry partnerships, enhancing the economic and societal impact of Otago's research outputs. Christensen's strategic oversight has positioned Otago Innovation as a key player in New Zealand's innovation landscape, supporting researchers across disciplines including health sciences, biotechnology, and engineering.
Christensen earned a Master of Tourism from the University of Otago in 2004, with his dissertation titled 'Wine club members' enduring involvement toward winery visitation intentions,' conducted within the Department of Tourism. His professional journey at Otago Innovation commenced as Commercialisation Manager around 2011, progressing to Senior Commercialisation Manager by 2014. Notable early involvements include facilitating the Proof of Concept grant for a revolutionary dental filling fix in 2011 and a novel diabetes treatment development in 2015. Appointed CEO in June 2018, Christensen has since led funding for high-impact projects such as the $100,000 algae biofuels initiative in 2022, translational research for pre-stage cervical cancer interventions in 2023, antibiotic resistance solutions in 2020, the InsituGen sport drug testing technology, the ENGAGE life skills programme for early learners in 2023, a handheld DNA diagnostic unit in 2014, and heart diagnostic advancements like UMT. His tenure has also seen strengthened collaborations, including Stanford entrepreneurship certificates for grant winners and representation in international networks like the D4 Network. Through these efforts, Christensen has significantly advanced the university's commercialisation capabilities without any recorded major personal academic awards, fellowships, or peer-reviewed publications beyond his master's work.