{"id":4414,"date":"2025-10-23T11:12:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T15:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scholarblogs.emory.edu\/techtransfer\/?p=4414"},"modified":"2025-10-23T11:12:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T15:12:09","slug":"emory-patent-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scholarblogs.emory.edu\/techtransfer\/2025\/10\/emory-patent-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Emory Patent Group: Protecting Emory Inventors\u2019 Intellectual Property Since 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Patent\"It\u2019s a tale as old as tech transfer: an academic researcher invents a revolutionary technology and wants to get it out of the lab to the public, maximizing its real-world impact. But there are many steps involved in this process \u2013 including securing intellectual property protection via patents. For that, they\u2019ll need a patent application with strong claims<\/a> and knowledge of their university\u2019s IP policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If they\u2019re an Emory inventor, the Emory Patent Group (EPG) is the go-to resource for navigating the patent process.<\/p>\n

Patent Power<\/h3>\n

When Emory inventors make a discovery or innovate a new technology, they disclose it<\/a> to the licensing team at Emory\u2019s Office of Technology Transfer<\/a> (OTT) to see if it\u2019s viable for commercialization. If the licensing team evaluates the tech to have market potential, that\u2019s where EPG steps in. Their job is to help inventors and the university secure their intellectual property, including filing and prosecuting patents<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe turn the invention disclosures into patent applications,\u201d said Jim Mason, a patent counsel in EPG. EPG also advises the licensing associates on the patentability of new technologies they receive.<\/p>\n

The Dream Team of Patent Experts<\/h3>\n

Right now, EPG has four members<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\"PhotoJill Uhl<\/strong> – Director, License and Patent Strategy & Chief Intellectual Property Officer<\/p>\n

Uhl manages the day-to-day operations of EPG and oversees the legal and administrative processes of the group.<\/p>\n

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\"Photo<\/strong>\"Photo<\/strong>Randi Isaacs<\/strong> and Jim Mason<\/strong> – Patent Counsels<\/p>\n

Isaacs and Mason are the in-house patent lawyers who, according to Isaacs, \u201cwork with the licensing associates to align our protection strategy with the intended commercialization strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"PhotoKristi Rebel<\/strong> – Patent Manager<\/p>\n

Emory owns more than 900 patents and has many others pending, and someone has to keep track of those patents and documents. Rebel is responsible for preparing and managing documents throughout the patent process.<\/p>\n

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An In-House Legal Team Like No Other<\/h3>\n

According to Winsome Dunn, EPG\u2019s patent manager from 2010 to 2015, \u201c[EPG] is like bringing together a law firm of people with specialized patent knowledge and bringing them into the university to do assessments and protections, and it\u2019s at a great cost-savings to the university.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Three

The first members of Emory Patent Group, 2010: (l to r) Randi Isaacs, Winsome Dunn, Susanne Hollinger, James Mason<\/p><\/div>\n

OTT Executive Director Todd Sherer estimated that EPG\u2019s creation in 2010 has saved Emory close to $500,000 annually while doubling the output of patent filings.<\/p>\n

Aside from saved costs and increased patent applications, there are other perks to having an in-house patent group.<\/p>\n