Vanessa negotiates non-disclosure agreements and material transfer agreements (NDAs and MTAs) that support Berkeley Lab’s researchers and facilitate collaborations with external entities, both academic and commercial. These agreements involve numerous scientific disciplines, including research conducted by the Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit (ABPDU), the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), and the Joint Genome Institute (JGI).

Before joining the IPO team, Vanessa worked as a law clerk for a small East Bay law firm, focusing on civil litigation, and as a litigation legal analyst at Chevron headquarters in San Ramon, California.