Kathy Mekjian is a senior director and IP counsel at Thermo Fisher Scientific, where she provides strategic IP counsel and support across the company’s life sciences businesses. With more than 20 years experience, Kathy advises on a broad range of intellectual property matters, including IP protection, infringement, contract negotiations, and M&A due diligence. Kathy earned her PhD in genetics and molecular biology from Emory University, and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she specialised in gene regulation and transcription. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher Scientific, Kathy was a partner at Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear, LLP in San Diego.