Dr. Cecilia Chi-Ham
Director, Biotechnology Resources Program
The Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture

The Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture (PIPRA) is a not-for-profit organization hosted at University of California, Davis that coordinates intellectual property management across 43 institutions in thirteen countries to address technology transfer and to support innovation in agriculture. Dr. Chi-Ham is responsible for leading PIPRA's multi-disciplinary activities that straddle the delicate junction between sciences, the law, business development, and regulatory affairs necessary for the research and development of new agricultural innovations in both developed and developing countries. In this capacity, she manages a research program that integrates in depth knowledge of intellectual property and plant molecular biology to create novel biotechnology resources, particularly for plant genetic engineering. In addition, she facilitates technology transfer, fosters new partnerships and research collaborations, and provides scientific leadership in analyzing legal information in agriculture.

Cecilia, a native of Honduras, earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Environmental Sciences at the University of the Ozarks and Ph.D. in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Cecilia has volunteered extensively in international and national community projects and since her recent relocation to California has applied her fishing hobby towards community service at the CAST for Kids Foundation.

Cecilia and her husband, Eric Aasen, live in Woodland. Eric shares Cecilia's dedication to agricultural development at Monsanto's Davis Campus, where he works as a research scientist and public relations liaison.