FPA Patent Attorneys is delighted to announce the following promotions, effective from 1 July 2025:
- Martina Barbiero to Associate
- Dafydd Jones to Associate
- Angus McNab to Associate
- Alex Wong to Associate
“Martina, Dafydd, Angus and Alex have each demonstrated outstanding technical expertise, commercial acumen, and dedication to delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients. These promotions reflect not only their individual achievements but also our firm’s continued growth and commitment to advancing careers within our diverse areas of specialisation,” concludes John Dower.
With a specialisation in medical and biomedical technology fields, Martina’s academic journey began with a Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) and a Master of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) from the University of Naples, Federico II, Italy, which included a 10-month stay at Columbia University in New York. She furthered her research expertise with a PhD in Applied Physics from RMIT University, Melbourne. Her research background was further developed during her tenure as a postdoctoral training fellow at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, where she focused on optical microscopy.
Since joining FPA in November 2020, Martina has built a practice specialising in patents in the medical and biomedical technology fields. She demonstrates an exceptional ability to collaborate with clients ranging from local start-ups and established companies to universities, research institutes, and large multinational corporations. Martina consistently delivers the best outcomes for all her clients, having worked on inventions in diverse areas including nanomaterials, medical software, catheterised radiation-based disease treatments and associated devices, optical physics and ophthalmic products.
Martina’s research contributions include academic publications such as her article in Nature “Spin-manipulated nanoscopy for single nitrogen-vacancy center localizations in nanodiamonds” (2017). She has also made significant contributions as a member of the medtech business development team, including substantial involvement in the various workshops the firm has been running in recent years.
Dafydd’s studies began with a Master of Chemistry at the University of Oxford in the UK, where he graduated with first-class honours and received several scholarships for his outstanding academic performance. His research at Oxford focused on homogeneous metal hydride catalysts for the reduction of carbon dioxide. Following his move to Australia, Dafydd completed his PhD in Inorganic Chemistry at Monash University, having received a full RTP and MITS scholarship. His PhD research focused on developing bespoke organometallic reagents and methodologies for organic and organometallic reactions, emphasising the use of less toxic and more environmentally benign metals such as magnesium, calcium, and aluminium.
His research expertise was further developed during his tenure as a postdoctoral research fellow at Monash University’s School of Chemistry. His postdoctoral work, funded by the United States Air Force, focused on polyhedral aluminium hydride compounds as models for hydrogen storage materials, involving several international collaborations with academics based in the USA, UK and France.
Since joining FPA in 2022, Dafydd has worked across a range of synthetic chemistry technologies for both local and international clients, particularly with those in the growing CleanTech space. He demonstrates exceptional ability in drafting and prosecuting patents for local and overseas clients, as well as preparing freedom-to-operate and due diligence opinions for large corporate clients and the VC firm Emerald Ventures.
Dafydd has made significant contributions as a consistent contributor to the firm’s website, drafting numerous articles focused on patent filing trends and new developments in various clean technologies. He is the author of several peer-reviewed publications, with articles published in journals such as Angewandte Chemie and Chemical Science, and has been invited to present his research at several national and international conferences.
A core member of the engineering patent team, Angus’ academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with First Class Honours from RMIT University. Before joining FPA, Angus developed extensive technical experience in maintenance and production within the water and dairy industries, including specialised knowledge of reverse osmosis and ultra-filtration systems and technologies, as well as the manufacturing of FMCG, including liquid milk and butter products.
Since joining FPA in early 2021, Angus has demonstrated an exceptional ability in patent work across the mechanical engineering field, working with a wide range of applications and industries, including mining and resources, consumer products, and manufacturing. Angus routinely prosecutes patent applications in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA, and is particularly enthusiastic about assisting Australian companies in commercialising their inventions.
Angus has built extensive expertise across multiple areas of practice, including drafting and prosecution work, handling a variety of design matters for both local and overseas clients, and developing significant knowledge in contentious IP matters through various oppositions in which he has been involved in recent years. He has extensive experience in preparing patent applications, regularly conducting searches and analyses for new inventions, and obtaining registered designs in Australia.
Alex’s educational background began with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) and PhD in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Melbourne, where her primary area of research focused on protein aggregation and neurodegeneration. Her research expertise was further developed during her postdoctoral research in immunology at the National University of Singapore, where she studied the responses of leukocytes to bacterial infections.
Since joining FPA in October 2021, Alex has worked with inventors and a range of local and international clients, including biotech companies, universities, and research institutions, to support the commercialisation of their research and identify strategic approaches that advance their commercial interests.
She demonstrates exceptional ability to leverage her research expertise in neurodegeneration (including Alzheimer’s Disease), immunology (including antibody-related immunotherapies, CARs, CAR-T therapies, diagnostics, vaccines), protein biochemistry and molecular biology (including drug delivery, biomarker diagnostics) to provide commercially relevant and insightful advice on patent filing and prosecution that is tailored to clients’ needs.
Alex consistently delivers strategic guidance that maximises the value of her clients’ intellectual property portfolios, drawing on her extensive scientific background to understand the complex technical and commercial challenges facing the biotechnology sector.
