Jay Barron, Ph.D. — President, Treasurer
Jay Barron is IGI’s Director of Intellectual Property and a registered patent attorney with a J.D. from Georgetown University and Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from Cornell University. Jay has over 20 years of experience in intellectual property, having worked both as in-house counsel and as a law firm attorney to assist clients in complex intellectual property matters, including strategic global patent and trademark portfolio development, commercial and research transactions, and risk assessment. Jay has also advised clients regarding acquisition, divestiture, and licensing of IP assets along with managing diligence related to such.
As Chief of Staff at the Innovative Genomics Institute, Melanie handles the organizational and strategic work that keeps projects moving behind the scenes. Her background spans research institutions and non-profits—including a role as Administrative Director of Business Development at the Exploratorium—alongside degrees from Grinnell College (Anthropology) and the University of Michigan (Information Science). Melanie has lived and worked across Africa, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and speaks Spanish and Italian. Outside of work, she rows with the Marin Rowing Association, hikes with her dogs, reads and solves puzzles.
Melanie Leavitt Cantarutti, M.S. — Secretary
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