Keli Holzapfel, Ph.D.
Keli L. Holzapfel, Ph.D., advises clients on the strategic development of patent portfolios, on intellectual property (IP) risks including evaluating third-party intellectual property and freedom to operate, and reviewing IP-related sections in agreements and licenses. Her specialty is in the life sciences and biotechnology, which includes gene therapies, DNA and RNA editing technologies, antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, peptide technologies, vaccines, and AAV engineering and manufacturing. Using her previous experience as head of intellectual property at a biotechnology company, Keli counsels clients on creating global IP portfolios that align with a company’s business strategy.
Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Keli was an associate in the patent group of another international law firm. Keli received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, where her graduate studies focused in immunology, including the characterization of the Nur77GFP mouse model, the activation of natural killer T cells in response to different pathogens, and the differentiation of natural killer T cell subtypes from hematopoietic stem cells. As an undergraduate, she worked in a yeast genetics lab studying the role of DOT5.
- University of Minnesota Law School, 2015, J.D.
- University of Minnesota, 2014, Ph.D., molecular, cellular, developmental biology & genetics
- University of Washington, 2007, B.S., biochemistry, with honors
- Washington
- US Patent and Trademark Office