Portrait of Dr Judy Jarecki–Black, a role model woman in STEM

Judy always wanted to be a medical doctor. From a very young age and against what was expected of a young girl raised in a less empowering society, her ambition was to make the world a better place. Her interest in science led to obtaining a PhD emphasizing molecular parasitology and an interest in developing vaccines. Building on these credentials, she later added a qualification of attorney at law and registration as a patent attorney to her list of achievements.

Never there has been a humbler yet incredibly impactful woman in science with a relentless thirst for learning and a burning desire to make things right. Although Judy seems to believe that all her major breakthroughs, apart from her 6 biological children, have happened by accident, her story reveals true intrinsic grit and determination to defy stereotypes and find ways to set her own rules in a world where people, especially women, are often put in pre-determined boxes.

As a woman in STEM, she started her journey by completing her medical studies in 1984 at the Medical University of South Carolina (USA). Seeking new opportunities for learning, she decided to spend a summer in a parasitology lab working with a wonderful mentor, Thomas J. Holbrook, and became fascinated with the path to vaccine development and, in particular, developing a vaccine against visceral Leishmaniasis. This led her to the Molecular and Cellular Biology & Pathobiology doctoral program at the Medical University of South Carolina, (USA), where she obtained her PhD in 1988. Following the award of an NIH post-doctoral fellowship in molecular parasitology at the University of Georgia, she later expanded her focus into the development of new diagnostic tools against virulent Newcastle Disease Virus at the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory (USDA). Subsequently, she was recruited to Rhône Mérieux (later Merial), an Animal Health company in Athens, Georgia, to lead the development and registration of a recombinant-based vaccine against Lyme Disease based on the OspA protein produced by Borrelia burgdorferi. Her laboratory also worked on developing canine vaccines against Leptospira grippotyphosa, and Bordetella bronchiseptica. She has contributed to numerous scientific publications and designed the first-its-kind molecular-based vaccine against Lyme disease.

Through her academic journey, she became very aware of the importance of patents to ensure that the right person is rewarded for their scientific discoveries. For this reason, she decided to go to law school and become an attorney at law and, subsequently, in addition to state Bar exams, take the Patent Bar to be able to practice as a U.S. registered Patent Attorney in addition to an attorney-at-law.

The jump from vaccine design to writing patents was no mean feat but Judy, who doesn’t seem to ever be daunted by challenges, navigated the shift as quickly as humanly possible and qualified as attorney at law in 1998 from graduation from Georgia State University College of Law (USA).

As a patent expert, Judy loves the opportunity to learn about scientific discoveries and their applications and understands that protecting achievements by providing IP rights is costly and, therefore, often out of reach for small, innovative companies. For this reason, she started to work with young start-ups developing a Virtual IP Counsel practice with her legal team, to

provide start-ups with a variety of legal functions such as patent strategy, prosecution, and licensing; due diligence and opinion work; and negotiation assistance. The world of start-ups fascinates her because of the energy, passion, and talent that reside in small companies who, whilst small and often cash-limited, have the potential to disrupt the status quo.

In her limited spare time, Judy runs a rescue farm that looks after animals with life threatening conditions, and those who cannot be adopted or re-homed. It is no surprise that she has become a key member of the innovative spin-out founded by Dr Eve Hanks. At MI:RNA Diagnostics, Judy provides expert advice including on IP strategy, a vital part of the company’s strategy to build value in the journey to help animals live a longer and healthier life.