Anusuya Das Adding McKinney JD to Her Impressive Toolkit
03/11/2022
With a goal of practicing law as a patent attorney, Anusuya Das set her sights on law school. Currently working as a patent agent in the Indianapolis office of Barnes & Thornburg and teaching as an adjunct professor at the Fairbanks School of Public Health, the IU McKinney 1L already has a laudable list of accomplishments.
Das earned a bachelor of science degree in bioengineering from Arizona State University and a Ph.D in biological engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her Ph.D work focused on using microfluidic platforms to study blood vessel growth and it was during that time she learned about the importance of intellectual property law in defining the space of scientific research. She also learned many of her colleagues were interested in pursuing careers as patent agents or patent attorneys.
Das did postdoctoral work at the University of Virginia, first as a postdoctoral associate and then as an assistant professor of research in orthopedic surgery. Her research focused on stem cells, tissue engineering, and biomaterials. Earlier, she had taken classes at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and worked on public health projects in Africa and India. When she moved to Indiana, Das elected to channel her energy into public health work and STEM education.
“I discovered the unique opportunity to design and teach engineering-focused courses to students interested in public health at IUPUI,” Das said. She also became involved in Health Sciences Innovation (HSI), a local organization that champions research experience for middle and high school students. Eventually, she decided to get out of her comfort zone and began looking for career opportunities in IP. She landed at Barnes & Thornburg, where she has been working for about three years. She passed the patent bar in August 2020.
“The work I do is truly enjoyable and challenging, and thanks to my diverse scientific background, I get to work on many different types of applications,” Das said. “It feeds my scientific appetite and nurtures my conviction that I am working in a space that is making a difference in the community.”
After working in legal and IP area for a while, Das decided to apply to law school so she could work as a patent attorney.
“As a mother of two children under 8, I am relatively busy and I would not be doing this if I did not absolutely enjoy it and if I did not believe that this path is right for me,” Das said. “I do, and so here I am!”
Das serves on the science advisory board for HSI and is on the outreach committee for Women & Hi-Tech. At the law school, she is a member of the Asian Law Students Association and the Intellectual Property Student Association.
“IU McKinney has been a great fit for me. I work full time in the morning and go to night school. Since it is located in Indy, it provides immense opportunities to network with people in the city. More importantly, I am hoping to make connections with people that will last a lifetime.”
