Calum Graham

Calum is an Associate Patent Attorney specialising in the life sciences field. He regularly advises clients operating in the biotechnology, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and healthcare sectors on a broad range of patent matters, from invention capture and drafting through to prosecution and portfolio strategy.

He has extensive experience prosecuting patent applications before the European Patent Office and works closely with organisations to secure commercially meaningful protection for innovative technologies. He also regularly supports international filing and prosecution programmes, helping to coordinate patent protection across major jurisdictions including the United States, Singapore, China, Japan, Australia, and Canada.

His practice includes work with antibody therapeutics and related technologies, cell therapies, oncology therapeutics, diagnostic technologies, biomarkers, and other emerging developments in the life sciences sector. Calum also has a particular interest in synthetic and engineering biology, as well as agricultural and microbiome-related technologies.

Calum works with a diverse range of organisations, from universities and research institutes to start-ups, spin-outs, SMEs, and established biotechnology companies. He has experience supporting inventors at an early stage of the innovation process, helping to identify commercially valuable inventions and develop intellectual property strategies that align with broader business objectives.

Alongside drafting and prosecution, Calum assists clients with freedom-to-operate projects, including the analysis of third-party patent rights and patent landscape reviews. He regularly helps clients navigate complex intellectual property issues and formulate effective patent protection strategies.

Areas of Expertise

• Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Plant Science
• CRISPR-Cas9

Background

Calum graduated from Durham University with a first-class degree in Biological Sciences and went on to complete a PhD at the University of Bristol in collaboration with the John Innes Centre, Norwich. His doctoral research focussed on understanding the contribution of circadian signalling systems to plant fitness in the context of climate change. He has also completed work placements with an Agri-tech start-up and the Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation team of a UK research institute. 

Calum joined Mewburn Ellis in 2023.