I am a 2L at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law (Bloomington), and I was inspired to begin this blog after doing a fair bit of research for a seminar paper on globalization.  My topic focused on the regulation of biomedical research in China, specifically human research that involves biotechnologies like stem cells, cloning, and other techniques that periodically cause a bioethical uproar.  I’ll probably discuss parts of the paper in upcoming posts.

But the process of writing the paper required me to do the most in-depth research I’ve ever done, but what got to me was the fact that I read a very many great articles and books that I will probably not use in my paper, and will just end up shelving away for all eternity.  So I figured that, if I was going to do that, I might as well do it on the internet.

In any case, there are a couple reasons why I’m interested in China, Bio, and Law.

CHINA
I lived in China for a few years.  I was in HK for a year back in 1996, but did not really get interested in China until 2004, when I started going to to the mainland regularly to study Mandarin.  Generally I was only there for travel and language study (through Beida, Tsinghua, and self-study), but I have had two legal internships in Beijing (Grandall Legal Group) and Shanghai (Owens Corning) as well.  All in all I have lived in China for about 4 years, and can speak and read Chinese, although it’s taken quite a hit since I started law school.

But China has a special place in my heart.  I love the food, the language, the people, and I have ridden a lifetime’s worth of hard-seater trains.

BIO
The official reasons: I was a pre-med undergrad at Columbia University (CC ’06) and had been considering doing an MD/Phd program, so after graduation I worked at the Columbia University Medical Center in a neurobio lab.  That meant plenty of rat and mice dissections, and studying lots of apoptosis.  I worked in the Alzheimer’s research set of labs.  Although I did end up moving to China for a year, and then started law school, I did enjoy my time in the scientific world, and I am currently considering an MS in Biology following my upcoming graduation.

The unofficial reason: huge sci-fi buff.  Kim Stanley Robinson, Dune, Ender, Douglas Adams, Asimov, the 5th Element, STTNG, SG1, Firefly, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

LAW
Well, I’m in law school, and I’ve studied a little bit of Chinese law.  Not in any practically useful sense, but enough that I am pretty familiar with how the government functions and how the law does what it does.  And I think it’s fascinating!

I’m also a licensed patent agent.  Without any actual experience, yes, but I am very interested in intellectual property.

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That’s about it.

I can be contacted here: andrei[at]chinabiolaw[dot]com.

And here’s my LinkedIn profile.