Olivia S. Leland

Olivia S. Leland, PhD

(she/her/hers)
Technology Specialist | Electrical & Computer Technologies
617.646.8613 olivia.leland@wolfgreenfield.com LinkedIn Profile

Education

  • AS, Chemistry, Santiago Canyon College
  • BS, Biophysics, University of California, Los Angeles
  • PhD, Physics, Brandeis University

Key Technologies

  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Microfluidics
  • Microscopy & Imaging Technologies
  • Nanomaterials

Practice Groups

Admitted to Practice

  • Not yet admitted to practice

Location

  • Boston

Overview

Olivia Leland assists the Electrical & Computer Technologies Practice with patent prosecution. As a biophysicist, Olivia utilizes her background in life science, physics, and chemistry to assist clients by drafting and prosecuting patents, assessing patentability, analyzing complex scientific innovations, and performing prior art searches.

As a doctoral researcher in the Department of Physics at Brandeis University, Olivia specialized tool and technique development in extremophilic microbes in the Bisson Lab. Here she developed a technique to quantify cell membrane fluidity using single-particle tracking and genetic engineering. Through cross-disciplinary collaborations, she further characterized many biophysical phenomena using microscopy, image analysis, microrheology, and genetic manipulation

During her undergraduate studies at UCLA, Olivia worked in the Sletten Lab, focusing on advancing technologies in high-resolution deep-tissue imaging. She leveraged nanoparticle delivery systems to stabilize dyes used for in vivo infrared imaging studies.


Recognition

  • Dean of Students Student Life Award, Brandeis University (2023)
  • GSAS Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, Brandeis University (2022)
  • David F. Falkoff Prize for Excellence in Teaching Physics, Brandeis University (2021)

Publications

  • Theopi Rados*, Olivia S. Leland*, Pedro Escudeiro, John Mallon, Katherine Andre, Ido Caspy, Andriko Von Kügelgen, Elad Stolovicki, Sinead Nguyen, Inés Lucía Patop, L. Thiberio Rangel, Sebastian Kadener, Lars D. Renner, Vera Thiel, Yoav Soen, Tanmay A. M. Bharat, Vikram Alva, and Alex Bisson. Tissue-like multicellular development triggered by mechanical compression in archaea. Science. 388, 109-115 (2025) *these authors contributed equally
  • Zachary Curtis*, Pedro Escudeiro*, John Mallon*, Olivia Leland, Theopi Rados, Ashley Dodge, Katherine Andre, Jasmin Kwak, Kun Yun, Berith Isaac, Mar Martinez Pastor, Amy K. Schmid, Mechthild Pohlschroder, Vikram Alva, Alex Bisson. Halofilins as Emerging Bactofilin Families of Archaeal Cell Shape Plasticity Orchestrators. PNAS. 121 (40) e2401583121 (2024). *these authors contributed equally
  • Emily D. Cosco, Bernardo A. Arús, Anthony L. Spearman, Timothy L. Atallah, Irene Lim, Olivia S. Leland, Justin R. Caram, Thomas S. Bischof, Oliver T. Bruns*, Ellen M. Sletten*. Bright Chromenylium Polymethine Dyes Enable Fast, Four-Color In Vivo Imaging with Shortwave Infrared Detection. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2021.

Interests

  • Cooking and Baking (to keep her skills from culinary school sharp)
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Video Games
  • Crochet