Michele A. Cimbala, Ph.D.

Michele A. Cimbala, Ph.D., is a director in the Biotechnology & Chemical Practice Group. Her practice is focused on biotechnology patent procurement and evaluation, including the preparation of patent applications, their prosecution and appeal, and related opinion matters.

Michele’s technical expertise is in the area of biotechnology, and especially molecular biology, enzymology, and molecular endocrinology. She also has experience in natural products, the food industry, clean technology industrial enzyme applications for the pulp and paper industry, and in textile processing.

Michele completed her postdoctoral research with Dr. Richard Hansen at Case Western Reserve University. Before changing her career into patent law, she was an Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts. While at Worcester, her research was funded by grants from the NIH, the American Diabetes Association, and the March of Dimes, and concerned the molecular mechanism of peptide hormone action. She was a member of the NIH Biomedical Sciences-2 Study Section.

Michele is also an avid amateur radio operator. She holds Extra Class license WK3X from the FCC. She is a former Radio Officer of the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) for Montgomery County, Maryland. She is also very active with the Laurel, Maryland, VEC (Volunteer Examination Coordinator) group, which tests applicants for new amateur radio licenses, and is the Secretary and Rules Custodian for the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators.

Michele received her J.D., from The George Washington University Law School, her Ph.D. in biochemistry from West Virginia University, and her B.S. in biochemistry from the Pennsylvania State University.