Sussana Elkassih is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow pursuing a doctorate in chemistry at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) in Dallas. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biochemistry from The University of Texas at Dallas. Her current research at UTSW focuses on using a materials chemistry approach to design and synthesize delivery systems for cancer therapeutics. Passionate about the intersection of research, science policy, and patent law, Elkassih wants to help scientists protect their work and make scientific developments more accessible to the public. After completing her Ph.D. in chemistry, she aims to attend law school to study intellectual property law and specialize in patent law. Her long-term career goals are to work in a life sciences and health care regulatory practice group and provide comprehensive policy solutions for a broad range of leaders in both the academic and health care sector. Elkassih participated in the UTSW Office for Technology Development Internship Program and is a part of the UTSW Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Committee for the Cancer Center Translational and Nanomedicine Seminar Series. She also participates in several outreach activities with the Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern Program. In her free time, Elkassih loves to run, travel, hike and spend time with family and friends.