Researcher blogs

Quick facts

Name: Asraa Ziadi
Current role: Patent Attorney (Life Sciences)
Background: PhD and postdoctoral research in life sciences
Previous work: Scientific communication
Key part of the job: Writing patent applications and advising inventors on intellectual property strategy
Career path: MSc (Sweden) → PhD (Spain) → Postdoc (Japan) → Scientific communicator (Japan and Sweden) → European patent attorney (Sweden)

For many PhD students in life sciences, the future can feel quite uncertain. Academia is the path we know best, but it’s far from being the only one. One career that often stays under the radar is patent law –  a field that sits at the intersection of science, law, and innovation.

For Asraa Ziadi, discovering this path was actually not part of a long-term plan. In fact, after completing her PhD and postdoctoral work, she came across it almost by accident. “I stumbled upon this profession quite late,” she says. “I had done my PhD and my postdoc, and I realized I didn’t want to be the one doing experiments anymore, but I still wanted to stay close to science.”

Today, Asraa works as a patent attorney, helping scientists and companies transform their discoveries into protected intellectual property. It is a role that places her right between science and innovation, and keeps her deeply connected to research – just from a different angle.

Turning scientific discoveries into patents

Patent attorneys work closely with scientists and companies to protect new inventions. Instead of running experiments themselves, they help define and translate innovations into a legal and strategic language. “As a patent attorney, I work with inventors – often scientists – who have developed something new, for example a method or technology,” Asraa explains. “Together we define the invention and write a patent application before filing it to the patent office.”

But writing a patent is not as straightforward as simply describing a discovery. The logic behind patent law is very different from scientific publishing. “In research papers, you build a story where our results make sense in the context of previous work,” she says. “In patent law you almost do the opposite. You have to show that nobody would have thought of this before.”

A key concept here is the inventive step. To grant a patent, examiners must be convinced that the invention is not obvious. “Our job is essentially to argue that the invention would never have emerged if it weren’t for the inventor’s insight.”

Learning to think differently

For scientists transitioning into patent law, this shift in mindset can be challenging. “At the beginning it was difficult to reverse the way I was thinking,” Asraa admits. “But you learn it gradually through the job.”

Most people entering the profession start as trainees in a law firm or patent consultancy. Early on, they work under the guidance of more experienced attorneys. “You usually have a supervisor reviewing your work, explaining the legal reasoning and helping you build arguments and interpret the law. Over time, you become more independent.”

What Asraa really likes in her job is the constant development. Even senior professionals keep learning and rely on colleagues for discussion and advice. “I know people who have worked in this field for 20 years and still say they learn something new all the time.”

A typical day: fast-paced and rarely predictable

Patent law is not a routine office job. No two days look exactly the same. “Most times you start the day with a clear plan and then everything changes,” Asraa says.

A typical day can include drafting patent applications, responding to communications from patent offices, and coordinating with colleagues or clients in other places. “Today, for example, the CEO of a company I work with called unexpectedly because they needed documents urgently for a due-diligence process. That ended up taking over most of my day.”

International collaboration is also part of a patent attorney’s job. “I actually just received a fax from attorneys in Hong Kong,” she laughs. “Apparently some people still use fax.”

The challenging road that opens doors

Becoming a fully qualified patent attorney requires passing demanding professional exams, particularly the European qualification. “They are very difficult exams, I’m not going to lie.” Preparation takes months and often requires balancing work with intensive studying. “From September to March you usually don’t have much of a social life because you’re studying.”

But once the exames are passed, the reward is significant with many opportunities opening up. “Once you’re European qualified, you can work anywhere in Europe. That gives you a lot of flexibility.”

Different directions within the field

Working in a patent law firm is only one possible path in the field. Patent professionals can also move into industry or public institutions. Some companies hire in-house patent attorneys to manage their intellectual property portfolios. Others work as examiners at national patent offices or at the European Patent Office. “If you start in private practice and later feel that the pace is too intense, you can move in-house to a company,” Asraa explains.

The community itself is also relatively small and interconnected. “It’s a quite tight-knit field. After a while, everyone knows everyone.”

What skills from a PhD are useful?

For PhD graduates considering patent law, technical expertise helps but is not necessarily the most important factor. “The field of your PhD matters because firms look for people in certain areas like life sciences or chemistry,” Asraa says.

However, many of the most valuable skills come directly from research training. “Critical thinking, attention to detail, troubleshooting, and scientific writing are all extremely useful.”

Interestingly, one thing that matters far less than many researchers expect is the publication record. “Once you leave academia, publications don’t really carry the same weight. What matters are the transferable skills you developed during your PhD.”

Advice for PhD students

For researchers curious about patent law, Asraa offers reassuring advice: you do not need a legal background to get started. “You don’t need to study law before applying,” she says. “Most firms provide training and expect new hires to learn the legal framework on the job.”

For people who enjoy writing, analysing complex problems, and staying close to scientific innovation, the field can be a good fit. “You’re constantly learning in this job,” she says. “And you still stay connected to science – just from a different perspective.”