Andrea Sherk, Ph.D., focuses her practice on all aspects of services related to patents in the areas of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, including patentability opinions, patent drafting, domestic and foreign patent prosecution, development and management of patent portfolios, and general client counseling.
Dr. Sherk received her B.S. in biology from Wake Forest University and her Ph.D. in pharmacology from Duke University. While at Duke, she received a predoctoral research grant from the Department of Defense. Dr. Sherk’s research concentrated on the steroid hormones estrogen and androgen and the involvement of these hormones in breast and prostate cancer development and growth. Dr. Sherk revealed a novel regulatory role for androgens in the expression of the kinase SGK1 and the chemokine receptor CXCR4. In addition, Dr. Sherk used a viral phage display technique to discover proteins that interact with the androgen receptor. Her academic research experience encompassed the fields of molecular and cellular biology, pharmacology and cancer biology, and led to several co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals, including Cancer Research, Molecular Endocrinology, Chemistry & Biology, Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention and the British Journal of Cancer. Dr. Sherk is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Management of a patent portfolio for a large medical diagnostics company surrounding the diagnostics for female cancers.
- Development and management of patent portfolios for a large agricultural company related to antipathogenic proteins and compositions that enhance plant transformation.
- Management of a patent portfolio for a small biotechnology company directed to antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, and cancers.
- Development and management of a patent portfolio for a small biotechnology company surrounding compositions for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders and the promotion of wound healing.
- American Intellectual Property Law Association