Multifaceted role: patent agent + licensing manager + science advisor + project manager• Manage the research operation and deliverables of a world-renowned drug discovery team (the Liotta Research Group) comprising 40+ scientific and administrative staff members• Lead, develop, and implement patent strategies for the team’s diverse pharmaceutical assets• Draft, prosecute, and manage the team’s growing patent portfolio containing 30+ patent families• Liaise with external patent counsels and Emory’s tech transfer office to manage all aspects of US and foreign prosecution, including preparation, filing, and procurement of patent applications• Research and monitor the competitive landscapes of 10+ drug discovery projects, including nucleotide therapeutics, GPCR modulators, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, NMDA receptor modulators, neurosteroids, cannabinoids, psychedelics, antivirals, prodrug platforms, and nanoformulations• Oversee and manage out-licensing activities and intellectual property-related agreements/contracts (NDAs, MTAs, collaboration agreements, license agreements, etc.) in collaboration with Emory's tech transfer office• Interface with licensees, investors, and industry sponsors to facilitate business development, due diligence, and sponsored research• Provide intellectual property counseling to principal investigators and development scientists• Develop and manage written materials for internal and external stakeholdersAbout the Liotta Research Group: The Liotta Research Group (LRG) is a complex drug discovery enterprise that aims to reinvent academic drug discovery. Led by Dr. Dennis Liotta, the LRG focuses on the discovery and development of novel antiviral, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents as well as therapeutics for neurological diseases. The LRG is actively pursuing 10+ research projects with each project having a robust development plan to produce life-saving therapeutics to address unmet medical needs.

Biotech venture capital due diligence

• Patent litigation• Patent prosecution• Freedom-to-operate opinion

Patent prosecution at a law firm specializing in chemical, biotech, and pharmaceutical intellectual property law• Drafted patent applications and responded to USPTO office actions in the areas of macromolecule entities (antibodies, recombinant proteins, and DNA aptamers), pharmaceutical formulations (stealth nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, and liposomes), small molecule therapeutics, and medical devices• Corresponded with foreign associates to guide the prosecution of foreign patent applications• Conducted prior art searches and performed patentability and freedom-to-operate analysis• Supported post-grant proceedings• Technical areas: chemistry, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices

American Heart Association Postdoctoral FellowshipMy postdoctoral research at Georgia Tech was centered on mechanistic studies of drug-biomacromolecule interactions and biological electron transfer reactions.• Probed the interactions between biomacromolecules and anti-cancer drugs in intact human cells, thereby providing insights into the mechanisms of action• Investigated the mechanistic details of proton-coupled electron transfer reactions involved in DNA synthesis and repair as well as in photolytic water oxidation• Designed and built peptide models to mimic these reactions and evaluate the proposed mechanisms• Assisted with the preparation of grant proposals• Supported laboratory operations, including training of research personnel, maintenance of laboratory equipment, and ordering• Managed chemical inventory, radioactive materials, and laser safety

• Assisted Emory's in-house patent counsel with patent prosecution• Drafted patent applications and prepared responses to USPTO office actions

• Completed an Intern Boot Camp training program on technology transfer, marketing, licensing, and patent law• Conducted market research, commercialization analysis, and prior art searches on Emory inventions• Drafted Commercialization Evaluation Reports on 25+ invention disclosures, covering a rich array of scientific fields including pharma compositions, diagnostics and therapeutics, medical devices, research tools, and software• Drafted Technology Briefs for marketing purposes and reviewed licensing and inter-institutional agreements• Attended weekly Technology Management Meetings to learn about intellectual property management in a university setting

• Assisted researchers from non-English-speaking countries to publish their research discoveries in leading scientific journals• Provided scientific and editorial support on research manuscripts from different scientific fields• Provided consultations on how to address peer-review comments

The NIH-funded Atlanta Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training (BEST) Program aims to prepare predoctoral and postdoctoral scientists better for the breadth of possible careers in the biomedical research workforce and to establish a network as well as share, evaluate, and disseminate best practices for the community.• Participated in weekly career and professional development seminars and skill-building workshops • Accomplished a leadership training program comprising team projects and peer-mentoring activities• Engaged in self-assessment, career exploration, and career planning using the Birkman Method and Individual Development Planning (IDP)

KeyIn is a startup company that aims to establish a reliable and unbiased review community for users and purchasers of big-ticket medical equipments and services. • Explored new industries/verticals that KeyIn can potentially serve • Analyzed industry pain points and evaluated relationship dynamics • Constructed and presented market research reports on new verticals • Evaluated the KeyIn online platform and provided user experience feedback to the product manager

Mentor: Prof. Aimin LiuIn my short postdoctoral appointment at Georgia State University, I participated in multiple collaborative and interdisciplinary research projects on metalloenzymes.1. Mechanistic and spectroscopic study of 3-hydroxyanthranilate 3,4-dioxygenase (HAO), a non-heme iron-dependent dioxygenase involved in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan catabolism2. Spectroscopic study of HupZ, a heme oxygenase of streptococcus3. Spectroscopic characterization of Z-ISO, a heme-dependent isomerase that controls provitamin A carotenoid biosynthesis

Mentor: Prof. Aimin LiuMy graduate research is mainly focused on mechanistic studies of metalloenzymes and protein-based radicals involved in oxygen activation and electron transfer processes in biology.1. Mechanistic and spectroscopic study of a heme-dependent, kynurenine-pathway enzyme, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO)• Characterized a peroxide-driven enzyme-reactivation mechanism regarding how ferrous TDO maintains its catalytic activity in an oxidizing environment• Introduced “chemical-rescue” approaches to investigate the catalytic functions of a conserved histidine residue• Employed rapid mixing techniques including stopped-flow and rapid freeze-quench to capture and characterize reactive intermediates2. Characterization of the catalytic mechanism of a 40-Å long-range enzymatic reaction involved in the biosynthesis of a protein-derived tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor• Investigated the catalytic strategy of MauG, a di-heme enzyme involved in TTQ biosynthesis, by studying the catalytic functions of residues of interest• Discovered and characterized a novel charge-resonance phenomenon in biology