University of Iowa: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s 75th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Scientific Retreat
August 25, 2023 | Levitt Center for University Advancement l University of Iowa
Elizabeth M. Boehm, PhD
(she/her/hers)
Patent Agent
| Biotechnology
Overview
Elizabeth Boehm assists the firm in biotechnology patent prosecution. She support clients ranging from start-ups to multinational companies to universities in technology areas such as biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, and antibodies.
With over five years of experience as a patent agent, Elizabeth's work includes assisting with patent prosecution, application drafting, freedom-to-operate searching and analysis, patent portfolio diligence, and patent portfolio development.
As part of the firm’s Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) team, Elizabeth reviews PTA calculations from the USPTO on granted patents for accuracy. This includes reviewing the Federal Register, including prior PTA rules spanning over different time periods, to ensure that the appropriate PTA rules were used to assess PTA. These patents are from firm clients and their competitors. She also prepares petitions to the USPTO for corrected PTA, and regularly engages with the USPTO’s Office of Patent Legal Administration on PTA issues not addressed by the MPEP.
Prior to joining Wolf Greenfield, Elizabeth was a post-doctoral research fellow in Johannes Walter’s lab at Harvard Medical School. There, she utilized Xenopus laevis nuclear extracts and biochemical techniques such as DNA replication and repair assays, immunodepletion, and protein purification to study the mechanism of DNA interstrand cross-link repair.
Elizabeth was previously a graduate research assistant in Todd Washington’s lab at the University of Iowa. As a graduate student, Elizabeth utilized in vitro and biophysical techniques such as single molecule fluorescence and X-ray crystallography to study the protein complex that forms at replication forks stalled by damaged DNA. Elizabeth’s graduate work resulted in several publications of research articles, review papers, essays and methods papers, as well as a talk at a national conference.
Activities
- Subramanian Doctoral Thesis Award in Biochemistry
- Marion David Francis Innovator Award
Interests
Elizabeth is working to attain a master gardener certification. She is passionate about gardening and sharing her produce with her community. Most recently, she is working on starting an informal network with other gardeners to help address food insecurity in her community. Elizabeth is also passionate about dog rescue.