Amanda Schnepp

Amanda J. Schnepp, Ph.D., J.D.

Patent Attorney - Member

Amanda Schnepp, Ph.D., J.D. joined Parker Highlander after completing a Ph.D. program in Molecular Biology at Vanderbilt University, a post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular Virology at Vanderbilt University, and a post-doctoral fellowship in drug development at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Prior to her graduate studies, Amanda earned a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin, and a degree from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science based at the University of North Texas. Her research experience at St. Jude focused on high-throughput screening of spliceosome inhibitors for cancer therapy and anti-influenza drugs, both in close collaboration with medicinal organic chemists. During her post-doctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt, Amanda developed an innovative confocal microscopy-based assay to quantitatively analyze the binding of broadly neutralizing antibodies to HIV-1 virions. This research had profound implications for the relationship between maturation of the viral core and the exposure of broadly neutralizing regions of the HIV-1 surface glycoprotein during the HIV-1 life cycle. During her dissertation research at Vanderbilt, where she was awarded the prestigious University Graduate Fellowship, Amanda quantitatively analyzed mRNA splice variant production and identified the biochemical mechanism of an Isolated Growth Hormone Deficiency Type-2 causing mutation.

Upon joining Parker Highlander, Amanda has focused on end-to-end biotechnology patent prosecution both nationally and internationally, freedom-to-operate analyses, and patentability analyses, focusing primarily in the areas of molecular biology, next generation sequencing, cancer therapeutics, biologics, stem cell biology, diagnostic analysis, and second medical use pharmaceuticals. Amanda also has experience managing national and international IP portfolios and works with pharmaceutical companies, start-up companies, and universities.

Areas of Concentration

  • Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Biologics and Antibodies

Experience

Prior to joining Parker Highlander, Amanda completed two postdoctoral research fellowships. She performed research in the field of molecular virology studying the effects of HIV maturation on envelope structure as well as in the fields of cancer biology and drug development studying the mechanism of action of alternative splicing modulators. Since joining Parker Highlander, Amanda has gained experience in performing patentability analyses, drafting patent applications, and patent prosecution in both the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions.

Professional Activities & Memberships

  • Austin Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Publications

  • Shi, Y., Schnepp, A.J. (as Joyner, A.S.), Shadrick, W., Palacios, G., Lagisetti, C., Potter, P.M., Sambucetti, L.C., Stamm, S., and Webb, T.R. (2015) Pharmacodynamic assays to facilitate preclinical and clinical development of pre-mRNA splicing modulatory drug candidates. Pharmacol. Res. Perspect. 2:e00158. PMID: 26171237
  • Chukwuma, V.U., Hicar, M.D., Chen, X., Nicholas, K.J., Schnepp, A.J. (as Joyner, A.), Kalams, S.A., Landucci, G., Forthal, D.N., Spearman, P.W., and Crowe, J.E., Jr. (2015) Association of VH4-59 Antibody Variable Gene Usage with Recognition of an Immunodominant Epitope on the HIV-1 Gag Protein. PLoS One 10:e0133509. PMID: 26226263
  • Webb, T.R., Schnepp, A.J. (as Joyner, A.S.), and Potter, P.M. (2013) The development and application of small molecule modulators of SF3b as therapeutic agents for cancer. Drug Discov. Today 18:43-49. PMID: 22885522
  • Schnepp, A.J. (as Joyner, A.S.), Willis, J.R., Crowe, J.E., Jr., and Aiken, C. (2011) Maturation-induced cloaking of neutralization epitopes on HIV-1 particles. PLoS Pathogens 7:e1002234. PMID: 21931551
  • Schnepp, A.J. (as Solis, A.S.) and Patton, J.G. (2010) Analysis of SRrp86-regulated alternative splicing: control of c-Jun and IkappaBbeta activity. RNA Biology 7: 486-494. PMID: 20400856
  • Schnepp, A.J. (as Solis, A.S.), Shariat, N., and Patton, J.G. (2008) Splicing fidelity, enhancer, and disease. Frontiers in Bioscience 13: 1926-1942. PMID: 17981680
  • Schnepp, A.J. (as Solis, A.S.), Peng, R., Crawford, J.B., Phillips III, J.A., and Patton, J.G. (2008) Growth hormone deficiency and splicing fidelity: two serine/arginine-rich proteins, ASF/SF2 and SC35, act antagonistically. J Biol Chem 283: 23619-23626. PMID: 18586677
  • Westfall, M.D., Schnepp, A.J. (as Joyner, A.S.), Barbieri, C.E., Livingstone, M., and Pietenpol, J.A. (2005) Ultraviolet radiation induces phosphorylation and ubiquitin-mediated degradation of deltaNp63alpha. Cell Cycle 4: 710-716. PMID: 15846104

Educational Background

  • 2018 – J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX

  • 2008 – Ph.D., Molecular Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
  • 2003 – B.S., Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX
  • 2001 – Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science, University of North Texas, Denton, TX