Associate General Counsel Rick Brandon (left) talks with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, chairman of the Senate Intellectual Property Subcommittee, at a patent hearing June 5 in Washington, D.C. Brandon — representing the Association of American Universities — told the panel that making changes to the law that determines if a scientific discovery is patentable could help spur more innovation, particularly for medical diagnostic tests. The subcommittee is holding three hearings in June to collect input as it looks toward writing legislation later this summer. (Photo by Mike Waring, Washington Office)