Li Gao, Ph.D., joins Brinks Gilson & Lione

Brinks Gilson & Lione is pleased to announce that Li Gao, Ph.D., has returned to the firm’s Ann Arbor office as an associate attorney after serving as a summer associate with the firm in 2015 and 2016. She is the fourth member of Brinks’ Ann Arbor office to hold a Ph.D.

Prior to joining Brinks, Gao worked at AFID Therapeutics Inc. in Lansing, where she was director of research and development, responsible for the development and commercialization of new pharmaceuticals. She began her career at AFID Therapeutics in 2004 as a research scientist and also served as discovery chemistry group leader. Gao has published articles in a variety of scholarly journals, including the Journal of Organic Chemistry. She is admitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and has three patents in the chemical field.

Gao holds a Ph.D. in chemistry with a 4.0 GPA from Michigan State University, where she served as a research and teaching assistant, and a Master of Science degree and Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, both from Nankai University, China.

She received her Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law in May 2017, and is the recipient of the King Scholarship and jurisprudence awards in research, writing and analysis, advocacy, torts, business enterprise and patent litigation, among others.