Sierra Lear focuses her practice on patent drafting and prosecution, with an emphasis on genetics, bioengineering, and neuroscience.

Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Sierra was an NSF graduate research fellow at Gladstone Institutes, where her research focused on extending the capabilities of DNA writing tools to improve medicine. In this role, she gained experience working with molecular recording technology and plasmid- and RNA-based strategies to enable precise gene editing. Sierra previously served as an intern in Gladstone Institutes’ Intellectual Property and Legal Affairs Department, where she performed due diligence for technology licensing and reviewed material transfer agreements and contracts. Sierra also previously served as a medical genetics’ instructor at San Francisco State University’s post-baccalaureate program.

Sierra earned her Ph.D. in bioengineering from UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco and her B.S in engineering, chemical engineering, and neuroscience from Tulane University. As a doctoral student, Sierra was editor-in-chief of the Berkeley Science Review.