Erika L. Lawson, Ph.D., is a technical specialist in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough's Boston office where her work focuses on intellectual property issues in the areas of life sciences and pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Lawson assists clients with the strategic development, protection, and management of biotechnology patent portfolios.  She also has experience assisting with drafting and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications, conducting freedom to operate analyses and assisting with the drafting of infringement and invalidity opinions.

Dr. Lawson has a technical focus in the fields of molecular biology, cell biology, oncology, chemistry, pharmaceuticals and proteomics.  She conducted her graduate work in the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University, and her research focused on the role of the cell-cell adhesion molecule CEACAM1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.  Dr. Lawson also has extensive research in proteomics and the following techniques: 2DE, Blue Native-PAGE, SELDI-TOF, MS, LC/MS/MS.

Dr. Lawson’s work has been published in the journal Electrophoresis, and she has presented at several national and international scientific conferences. She was also the recipient of a Kirschstein National Research Science Award from the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Lawson is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Women’s Bar Association.

Dr. Lawson earned her Ph.D. from Brown University in 2007. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Lehigh University in 2001.  She is currently attending Suffolk University Law School with an expected graduation date of 2013.