Our virtual career panel highlights women with careers in life science innovation and patent fields. The speakers hail from different corners of the innovation ecosystem, highlighting the varied and often unexpected career paths that lead to fulfilling roles in intellectual property. Our panelists include a senior director of IP, a law firm partner, a business development officer at a research institution, and an in-house senior director of business development. Each brings a unique perspective on how intellectual property expertise intersects with the business of life sciences and drives innovation forward. Learn how each speaker entered their respective role, what a typical day looks like in their position, and what skills and experiences have been most valuable along the way.

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Program

4:00 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.  Intros
4:10 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.  Moderated Panel
4:50 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Q&A

Speaker Bios

Lindsie Goss, PhD, Senior Director of Business Development at Outpace Bio

Lindsie is the Senior Director of Business Development at Outpace Bio, a Seattle-based clinical-stage biotechnology company solving durable efficacy, safety, and scalability for cancer cell therapy. She has over a decade of experience managing life science IP portfolios, licensing, and strategic contracting to support the development of novel therapeutics. At Outpace, she drives strategic partnership and contracting, in addition to supporting competitive intelligence, search & evaluation, and portfolio strategy functions. Before joining Outpace Bio, Lindsie served as Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances at Fred Hutch, where she focused on advancing cell and gene therapies, and as Innovation Development Manager at CoMotion at the University of Washington. Her career arc reflects the kind of dynamic, nonlinear path that defines many successful careers in intellectual property and innovation.

Christina Jordan, Senior Director of Intellectual Property at Tune Therapeutics

Christina is Senior Director of Intellectual Property at Tune Therapeutics, a biotechnology company based in Seattle, WA, and Durham, NC, that is orchestrating the power of the epigenome to treat complex, pervasive diseases and unlock the full potential of regenerative medicine. Christina's career in intellectual property reflects the kind of winding, multifaceted journey that this panel aims to highlight. She began her career as a Research Associate at Xencor before transitioning to legal practice as an Associate at Lucas & Mercanti, LLP. Christina moved into technology transfer as a Patent Portfolio Manager at the University of Washington Center for Commercialization, and later joined Juno Therapeutics as a Director of Patents. Drawing on her unique blend of bench science, legal practice, and industry experience, Christina brings a distinctive perspective to the evolving landscape of IP careers in the life sciences.

Kate Mead, Partner and Patent Attorney at Lee & Hayes

Kate is a partner at Lee & Hayes in Seattle, where she assists clients with managing multi-asset patent portfolios, preparing and prosecuting U.S. patent applications, and counseling on a wide range of intellectual property matters. Kate's career path to IP law is rooted in a rich technical foundation: before attending law school, she earned a degree in bioengineering and performed research related to the development of a novel therapeutic ultrasound device and a nanopore sequencing platform. Since becoming a patent attorney, Kate has drawn on that interdisciplinary background to counsel clients across diverse technological areas, including diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices, computer networking, analog circuit design, and imaging — a trajectory that illustrates how hands-on experience in science and engineering can open unexpected and rewarding doors in the world of intellectual property.

Kamya Rajaram, PhD, Business Development Manager at Seattle Children’s Research Institute

Kamya is a Business Development Manager in the Office of Innovation and New Ventures at Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI), where she plays a central role in managing the intellectual property portfolio. With a focus on bridging the gap between benchside discovery and bedside application, Kamya manages the complex drafting, negotiation, and execution of IP-related agreements—including license agreements and the formation of spin-out companies. She also supports management of industry relationships and navigating the nuances of technology commercialization, with the goal of ensuring that SCRI’s most promising innovations reach the market to improve pediatric health outcomes. Kamya also serves on the leadership team for the Invent at Seattle Children’s Postdoctoral Scholars program, fostering the next generation of scientist-entrepreneurs, and acts as the primary liaison for the Washington Research Foundation (WRF), managing the internal pipeline for Technology Commercialization Grants. Before joining Seattle Children's, Kamya honed her skills as a Business Development and Strategy Fellow at Fred Hutch. She brings a unique perspective on how leading research institutions nurture innovation from discovery through development, and how IP professionals play a vital role in that process.

Tracy Vrablik, PhD, Patent Attorney at Foley Hoag, Moderator

Tracy is a volunteer with Women In Bio Seattle and an associate at Foley Hoag LLP, working remotely from the greater Seattle area. Tracy provides practical, business-focused advice to clients on a blend of patent strategy, due diligence, and life science transactions. She is an experienced and detail-oriented advisor who offers strategic counsel across all stages of the patent life cycle, drawing from her work with a broad range of technologies and clients. Before her legal career, Tracy conducted research at Washington State University, working to understand the fundamental roles lipid metabolism on development in C. elegans. Her own transition from researcher to IP attorney reflects the dynamic career paths that today's panelists will explore, making her a natural fit to lead this conversation.

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