Susan Abrahamon, Ph.D., President

Susan Abrahamson received her Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She post-doc’d at the FDA’s Plant Gene Expression Center in Albany, CA, and at UC Berkeley, concentrating on plant genetics. Susan worked as a scientist at the biotech company XOMA Corporation prior to switching to the field of Intellectual Property. Susan joined the IP team at Chiron/Novartis and then moved to Sangamo Therapeutics to lead its IP department for over ten years. Susan currently is the Director of IP for the Innovative Genomics Institute, driving IP strategy and shepherding its IP through the patenting process. In her spare time, Susan rides her bike, works in her garden and practices playing her guitar.

Melanie holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Grinnell College and an M.S. in Information Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Before joining UC Berkeley in 2016, she served as the Administrative Director of Business Development at the Exploratorium. At the Innovative Genomics Institute, she is Chief of Staff, focusing on strategy, operations, and keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. Melanie has lived and worked across Africa, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and is conversant in both Spanish and Italian. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, rows with the Marin Rowing Association’s Masters Team, and serves on the board of the historic West Point Inn.

Contact us!

Please reach out to us!

• susan@innovativegenomicsfoundation.org

• melanie@innovativegenomicsfoundation.org