Mossalam

Mohanad Mossalam, Ph.D.

Associate
Registered Patent Attorney
Boston

I help clients secure valuable patent protection for their pharmaceutical and biotechnological innovations.

Mohanad Mossalam is an Associate and Registered Patent Attorney in Foley Hoag's Intellectual Property Department. He specializes in the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications in biotechnology, biochemistry, materials science, biomedicine, and pharmaceuticals.

Mohanad’s expertise extends beyond patent applications. He assists in providing non-infringement, invalidity, and freedom-to-operate opinions, as well as conducting due diligence for investments and acquisitions. Additionally, he is involved in drafting agreements related to intellectual property rights, licensing agreements, and the monetization of royalty streams, ensuring thorough investigation of the scientific technology underlying inventions. 

With a strong background in molecular cell biology and extensive research experience in genome editing and small molecule drug discovery, Mohanad brings valuable industry experience to his clients. Before joining Foley Hoag, he worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, focusing on developing therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease and studying mitochondrial involvement in neurodegeneration.

Mohanad earned his Ph.D. from the University of Utah under the mentorship of Dr. Carol Lim. His doctoral research centered on the function of p53 localization within cells for breast cancer therapeutics, as well as investigating Bcr-Abl in Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, and the roles of adiponectin and vitamin E in cardiovascular disease.

Education

  • Suffolk University Law School, J.D., cum laude, 2023
  • University of Utah, Ph.D., Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 2012
  • University of Utah, B.S., Chemistry, 2005

Bar and Court Admissions

BAR ADMISSIONS
  • Massachusetts
  • U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (Agency)

Languages

  • Arabic

Experience

  • Assisted in global patent prosecution in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields for various companies and universities.
  • Devised patent strategies for gene editing, gene therapy, viral vector engineering, RNA-based therapies, monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T therapies, stem cell therapies, vaccines, antimicrobial therapies, DNA sequencing, and food science.
  • Performed portfolio analysis, freedom-to-operate, non-infringement, and invalidity opinions for numerous biopharmaceutical companies.
  • Conducted due diligence for biopharmaceutical companies in high-value commercial transactions and global strategic collaboration agreements.
  • Investigated scientific technology underlying inventions for investment, acquisition agreements, licensing agreements, and monetization of royalty streams.
  • Represented a pro bono inventor to secure patent rights related to the treatment of COVID-19.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
  • Teaching Fellow, Harvard University.
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
  • Over 15 years of scientific research experience in molecular biology, genome editing and small molecule drug discovery.
     

Other Publications

  • Co-Author, “Presenilins regulate synaptic plasticity and mitochondrial calcium homeostasis in the hippocampal mossy fiber pathway,” Mol. Neurodegener. 2017 12(1):48
  • Co-First Author, “A chimeric p53 evades mutant p53 transdominant inhibition in cancer cells,” Mol. Pharm. 2013 10(10):3922-33
  • Co-First Author, “Controlled access of p53 to the nucleus regulates its proteasomal degradation by MDM2,” Mol. Phar. 2013 10(4):1340-9
  • First Author, “Solid phase synthesis of mitochondrial triphenylphosphonium-vitamin E metabolite using a lysine linker for reversal of oxidative stress,” PLoS One. 2013 8(1):e53272
  • Co-Author, “Enhanced and selective killing of chronic myelogenous leukemia cells with an engineered Bcr-Abl binding protein and Imatinib,” Mol. Pharm. 2012 9(11):3318-29
  • Co-Author, “Utilizing the estrogen receptor ligand-binding domain for controlled protein translocation to the insoluble fraction,” Pharm. Res. 2012 29(12):3455-63
  • First Author, “Direct induction of apoptosis using an optimal mitochondrially targeted p53,” Mol. Pharm. 2012 9(5):1449-58
  • First Author, “Controlling subcellular delivery to optimize therapeutic effect,” Ther. Deliv. 2010 1(1):169-193

Honors & Involvement

HONORS
  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch - Intellectual Property Law (2026-2027), Life Sciences Practice (2026-2027), and Patent Law (2026-2027)
  • Distinction in Intellectual Property Law, Suffolk Law School (2023)
  • Honorable Mention Brief Award, Suffolk Law School (2020)
  • Suffolk University Trustee Academic Scholarship, Suffolk Law School (2019)
  • Peer Mentor Award, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School (2017)
  • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NIH-T32), Harvard Medical School (2013)
  • Wolf Prize in Teaching Excellence, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah (2010)
INVOLVEMENT
  • Boston Intellectual Property Law Association (BIPLA), Member
  • Massachusetts Bar Association, Member
  • Boston Bar Association, Member
  • Arab American Bar Association of Massachusetts, Member

Speaking Engagements

  • “Mastering Patent Searches: Understanding Prior Art and Effective Search Strategies," Biotech Capstone Project, Harvard University (2024)
  • “The Critical Role of Intellectual Property for Start-Ups,”  Biotech Capstone Project, Harvard University (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)