Dr. James Spurlin is a Technical Advisor in the Intellectual Property practice of the firm’s Houston office. His technical experience is in biochemistry, cellular biology, molecular biology, and cell/gene therapy drug products. James assists in the preparation and prosecution of patents, intellectual property due diligence, and litigation support, with respect to life science technologies.

Prior to joining Baker Botts, James was a Senior Scientist and Program Manager within the Next Generation Sequencing Service Group at Avance Biosciences in Houston. His work focused on research and validation of methods used to test biological samples and pharmaceutical products for the purpose of supporting drug product development, manufacturing and evaluating efficacy during both pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. James received his postdoctoral training in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University, where he focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms and tissue remodeling events underlying lung airway formation during embryonic development. As a graduate student, James studied extracellular matrix biology and cellular differentiation within embryonic injury models to uncover novel mechanisms of regeneration in ocular tissues.  Additionally, during his academic career James served as a mentor and educator.

James has published his findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has presented at national and international conferences.