Dr. Jean Ge

Dr. Jean Ge is a patent attorney at an intellectual property law firm, Wolf Greenfield, & Sacks (“Wolf Greenfield”) in Boston, USA. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Nanjing University in China, followed by a PhD in Biochemistry and Structural Biology at Stony Brook University in New York. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institute of Health (NHLBI-NIH) in Bethesda.

After a successful academic training, Jean wanted to pursue a non-academic career which allowed her to leverage her scientific background. She says, “Patent law is positioned at the intersection of technology, law, and business, and is exactly what I was looking for.” Her search ended at Wolf Greenfield, where she found opportunities for learning and growth as a patent practitioner.

Describing her shift from academic research to patent law, she says it wasn't a move away from science, but rather a move towards a different way of engaging with science on a much broader scale. Jean’s transition was prompted by a gradual shift in perspective during her years in academia and a desire to broaden her impact in the ecosystem. As a curious scientific researcher, Jean loves diving deep into complex biological puzzles and wrestling with the fundamentals, focusing entirely on the "how" and the "why" of the science. She mentions, "As time goes on, I began having conversations that sparked a new line of thinking. I started to appreciate that the journey from a brilliant discovery in the lab to a medicine that helps patients is long and complex, and its success hinges on much more than just good science. Such a discovery requires smart funding, a sound business strategy, and crucially, a robust intellectual property foundation”. The field of patent law allowed her the flexibility to be a professional student, constantly learning about cutting-edge technologies across the entire biotech landscape.

“Always be willing to learn a new technique, explore a tangential question, and pivot when the data leads you in an unexpected direction. Your ability to evolve with the science will be your greatest asset.”

Based on her experience, Jean shares a few pointers for academics interested in patent law:

1. Learn to speak the language: “In industry, your research is tied to a product or a pipeline. Learn the language of milestones, deliverables, and intellectual property. Frame your skills in terms of problem-solving and value creation, not just discovery”.
2. Network strategically: “Your academic network is a start, but you need to build connections in the sector you want to enter. Use LinkedIn, attend industry-specific career fairs, and conduct informational interviews to learn about different roles and companies”.
3. Emphasize teamwork and communication: “Industry is highly collaborative. Highlight your experiences working in teams and your ability to communicate complex scientific ideas clearly and concisely to diverse audiences, including non-scientists. For patent law, the ability to be precise and detailed in your writing and analysis is paramount”.

Having such a diverse experience from her academic training to her current role at Wolf Greenfield, Jean found that ‘intellectual horsepower’ is the link between both environments. Illustrating the scholarly prowess, she mentions that “In all places, I was surrounded by brilliant, incredibly driven peers. Faculties, colleagues, who shared a deep passion for science. That fundamental curiosity and commitment to rigor is a universal language.” Each experience has offered her a unique learning opportunity. At Stony Brook, Jean encountered Prof. Wali Karzai’s research, which focuses on transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA), which remains Jean’s favourite RNA. The bacterial tmRNA is a single molecule that remarkably performs the jobs of both a tRNA and an mRNA, which captivated Jean. She found it to be a beautiful illustration of the very complexity and elegance that drew her to RNA in the first place. Jean’s journey into RNA research was both serendipitous and intentional. She believes her time in academia, fortunately, coincided with a revolution in the current understanding of RNA that has led to the huge revolution of RNA therapeutics. Jean sees huge potential of RNA-based therapeutics and is currently most excited about the development of extrahepatic delivery strategies of RNA drugs.

Jeans’s greatest inspiration was Prof. Dr Adrian Krainer, a Professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York. For more than 35 years, he has focused on studying RNA splicing and is known for developing Spinraza, the first approved antisense oligonucleotide drug for spinal muscular atrophy. Jean has been profoundly inspired by his patient and long-term dedication to decipher the complex molecular choreography of RNA splicing—"one of the most fundamental processes in the cell”. Dr. Krainer’s research on spinal muscular atrophy, from deciphering a molecular mechanism to saving children's lives with Spinraza, was profoundly moving for Jean, as she believes being part of a revolutionary therapy like Spinraza is the ultimate validation for every basic scientist. She adds that Dr. Krainer’s journey is a powerful reminder that the most impactful breakthroughs often grow from the deepest roots in fundamental research, which she believes is the key principle that drives the entire biotech ecosystem in Boston.

Unsurprisingly, Boston is Jean’s favorite place: “For biopharma, Boston is not just an ecosystem; it's the global standard against which all others are measured.” An apt term Jean uses for the efficiency Boston offers is "serendipity engine," where groundbreaking collaborations can start from a chance meeting in a coffee shop. Jean has always been impressed by the seamless, rapid flow from ideas to capital to company formation in Boston. “The atmosphere is a hyper-collaborative and hyper-competitive fusion of academia and commerce. The entire system moves at an incredible speed, fuelled by a virtuous cycle of talent, ideas, and capital that constantly reinforces itself”, Jean says.

”Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen, and thinking what nobody has thought." — Albert Szent-Györgyi

One of Jean’s greatest challenges in her career was learning how to effectively bridge the cultural and communication gap between brilliant academic scientists and savvy business or legal teams. “The real difficulty isn't the vocabulary; it's the deeply ingrained differences in mindset, priorities, and what constitutes 'proof'.” Jean overcame this by developing a structured “alignment framework”. She started framing issues in a “Risk & Opportunity” model that required input and sign-off from both research & development and business leads. “We had meetings where the express purpose was for the scientists to explain the three biggest technical risks, and for the business team to explain the three biggest market hurdles to the scientists.” Jean believes that outlining such frameworks forced a shared ownership of the entire project and created a common ground, which is crucial for success. Through this experience, she discovered how to bridge the gap between groundbreaking science and successful commercialization. Jean says “These activities ensure a broad and dynamic perspective, essentially connecting with the pulse of future innovation while reinforcing commitment to helping translate pioneering science into reality.”

Apart from her professional expertise, Jean believes that contributing to the broader scientific community is not just a responsibility, but a critical part of her professional development. She is actively involved in two main areas:

1. Speaking on intellectual property (IP) strategy: This involves frequently speaking at international conferences on the topic of IP strategy, specifically for complex biotherapeutics. Her primary focus is on navigating the patent landscape for next-generation platforms like RNA medicines and other advanced biologics. Communicating with a group of diverse scientists allows for a rich exchange of ideas with other leaders in the field.
2. Mentoring in the Boston innovation ecosystem: Jean actively mentors early-stage startup companies through several of the city's prestigious innovation forums. This is incredibly rewarding to her and directly connects to her core motivations. Notably, this provides a ground-level view of the next wave of scientific innovation and the real-world challenges that brilliant founders face. Helping these companies think through their scientific and IP strategy from day one is Jean’s way of "paying it forward." Such mentoring experiences enabled her to pave definitive paths which translate the critical, challenging journey from a fundamental idea to a viable company that could one day bring a new medicine to patients.

Jean wants to share with all researchers, regardless of experience level, her approach: “To stay relentlessly curious and be adaptable. The field of RNA therapeutics is exploding with new discoveries, from novel RNA modifications and functions to groundbreaking therapeutic applications like mRNA vaccines and RNAi drugs. What we know today is just the tip of the iceberg”. Jean adds, “Always be willing to learn a new technique, explore a tangential question, and pivot when the data leads you in an unexpected direction. Your ability to evolve with the science will be your greatest asset.”

Jean enjoys RNA Society Annual Meetings because of the diversity of the topics and the cutting-edge science on everything RNA. Jean’s recent favorite article in the RNA journal is : “RNA editing in disease: mechanisms and therapeutic potential”, by Tamizkar and Jantsch. Elaborating on the article, she mentions, “For me, a great paper doesn't just present new data; it provides a framework for understanding the future, and this article does exactly that”. This particular paper is closely related to Jean's work, as it discusses the use of ADAR to edit disease-causing mutations in RNA back to their correct sequence. It is reminiscent of her own journey, an exact intersection between fundamental mechanisms and actionable therapeutics, where she has built her career.

Jean Ge can be found on social media via LinkedIn.