FPA is delighted to announce the promotion of two attorneys, effective from 1 July 2024:
- Dr Harriet Keenan to Associate
- Dr Thomas Ware to Associate
Principal Adam Denley expressed his congratulations stating:
“Harriet and Thomas have both become invaluable assets to the FPA Life Sciences team. They consistently deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients and we are very pleased to recognise their contributions to the firm with their respective promotions.”
Harriet’s academic journey commenced with a BSc (Advanced) in Molecular Biology & Microbiology, an Honours in Regenerative Medicine, and a PhD in Immunology from Monash University. Her research expertise was further honed during her tenure as a research fellow with the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI).
Commencing with FPA in late-2020, Harriet works directly with inventors and clients from local biotech companies, universities, and research institutions to best capture their commercial interests in the areas of immunology (including antibody immunotherapies, CARs and CAR T cell therapies), molecular genetics (including gene editing techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9, gene silencing techniques such as siRNA) diagnostics, therapeutic delivery systems, microbiology, haematology, regenerative medicine & cellular agriculture (including stem-cell based technologies, growth factors, biomaterials).
Since April 2023, Harriet has been making significant contributions as a member of the Editorial Board for the Australian Biochemist magazine, published by the Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her regular IP articles are a testament to her insightful and commercially focused advice, benefiting local biotechs, universities, research institutes, and global biopharmaceutical companies alike.
After completing both a Master of Science and a PhD at the Department of Surgery at the University of Melbourne, Thomas took positions as a Senior Researcher and Development Officer at a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to advancing next-generation gene therapy technology. In these roles, he managed an extensive research portfolio and developed new therapeutic candidates for a range of cancers and infectious diseases.
Since his arrival at the firm in 2021, Thomas demonstrates an exceptional ability to collaborate with both local and international clients, offering strategic guidance on filing and prosecution for clients specialising in gene therapy, molecular and cancer biology, cancer immunotherapy, gene silencing and RNA interference technology, infectious diseases, viral vectors, and blood serum diagnostics.
Thomas has co-authored peer reviewed articles in journals such as Nucleic Acids Research, EMBO Reports and Cancer Letters, through research collaborations across Australian research institutes and internationally.
