Maria Briscione is a Biotechnology Patent Agent at Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C. Maria has a B.S. in Biochemistry from American University and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Emory University. She lives with her husband and three cats in Falls Church, VA. Maria is passionate about understanding complex diseases and promoting the development of life-changing therapeutics. As a neuroscience graduate student at Emory University, she investigated genetic and environmental risk factors for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”). Her dissertation research focused on identifying abnormal intracellular signaling mechanisms in a mouse model of dystonia, a neurological movement disorder. As a graduate student, Maria also met with her congressional delegates to advocate for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health and support of biomedical research. When Maria’s husband was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, she developed a greater appreciation for the innovative medical research and technology that transformed Type 1 Diabetes into a livable disease. Maria is excited to leverage her background to support the efforts of The ALS Association!