Colleen S
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill)
Expertise
immunology, biotech patent law
Bio
Hello! I’m Colleen Sturdevant, a cancer immunologist and patent agent. I received my PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from UNC Chapel Hill, where I researched immunotherapies for pancreatic cancer. After graduate school, I studied patent law, passed the patent bar, and now help inventors protect their scientific discoveries. I love anything to do with the immune system, microbes, and patents. Beyond the lab and the law, I’m passionate about teaching and sparking curiosity. Outside of work, you can usually find me outdoors (running, hiking, or biking) or playing with my very energetic Irish Setter puppy.Project ideas
Inside the Tumor Microenvironment: How Immune Cells Battle (or Help) Cancer
Tumors are not just a ball of cancer cells, they’re tiny neighborhoods with immune cells, blood vessels, and support cells all talking to each other. In this project, you’ll pick one cancer type and map out its “microenvironment.” You’ll investigate which immune cells are present, how they get tricked or exhausted, and how therapies try to “wake them up.”
Build a New Cancer Immunotherapy
Cancer immunotherapy uses the immune system to fight tumors. In this project, you’ll choose a specific type of cancer (like melanoma or leukemia) and design your own immunotherapy strategy, such as CAR T cells, checkpoint inhibitors, or cancer vaccines. We’ll explore how the immune system works, what goes wrong in cancer, and how your therapy would fix it.
Dissecting a Biotech Patent: How Scientists Protect Their Ideas
How do scientists legally “claim” an invention so other people can’t copy it? In this project, you’ll pick a real biotech patent (for a cancer drug, diagnostic, or vaccine) and learn how to read it like a scientist–lawyer. We’ll break down the parts of a patent (title, abstract, drawings, claims) and connect each claim to the underlying biology.
From Idea to IP: Draft a Mock Patent for Your Own Biotech Invention
Have an idea for a new cancer test, microbiome product, or lab gadget? In this project, you’ll design a simple biotech invention and then create a mock patent application for it. We’ll talk about what makes something “patentable” (novel, useful, non-obvious) and translate your idea into basic claims and diagrams.
Should We Be Allowed to Patent Life? Ethics of Biotech Patents
Can you own a gene? A microbe? A genetically modified plant? In this project, you’ll explore famous court cases and ethical debates around patenting living things. You’ll analyze pro/con arguments and then create your own position statement or policy proposal.
From Lab Discovery to Patent to Pill Bottle
How does a molecule discovered in a lab eventually become a medicine at the pharmacy? In this project, you’ll pick one drug/therapeutic and trace its journey from scientific discovery, to patents, to clinical trials, to patients. You’ll see how science, law, and business all connect.
Patient-Friendly Guide to Immunotherapy
Lots of patients hear big words like “checkpoint inhibitor” or “CAR T cells” and feel overwhelmed. In this project, you’ll learn the science behind one type of cancer immunotherapy and then create a friendly guide for patients and families.
Which Cancer Treatment Wins?
Many cancers have more than one treatment option, like chemotherapy vs. targeted therapy or targeted therapy vs. immunotherapy. In this project, you’ll choose one cancer and compare two different treatment types in terms of how they work, side effects, and outcomes.
Immune Cell Superheroes
What if T cells, B cells, and macrophages were superheroes with special powers? In this project, you’ll learn the basics of the immune system and then turn those ideas into a creative comic, storybook, or animation.