Dr. Amanda McFedries focuses her practice on U.S. and foreign patent preparation and prosecution in the fields of life sciences. Prior to joining the firm, Amanda conducted her PhD research at Harvard University in the laboratory of Dr. Alan Saghatelian. She made use of mass spectrometry, protein chromatography, cell culture, and various biochemical and in vivo mouse techniques to investigate protein-small molecule interactions with the goal of identifying new, therapeutically relevant pathways. Her research contributed to the discovery that acute inhibition of insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) with a small-molecule modulator called 6bK can lead to substantially improved glucose tolerance and slower gastric emptying in mice, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of modulating IDE activity as a new therapeutic strategy to treat type-2 diabetes. Additionally, her research contributed to the identification of ligands for MHC-related protein (MR1) and the identification of Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues with enhanced potency.
As a part of her dissertation work, Amanda has co-authored scientific publications in top scientific journals, including The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Chemistry & Biology, The Journal of Immunology, Nature, The Journal of the American Chemical Society, and PLOS ONE.
With a research background in biochemistry and in vivo mouse techniques, Amanda has the ability to understand and interpret inventions in the ever-changing field of biotechnology, which serve her well towards her practice of patent drafting and prosecution work.