Katya S. Bitkin, Technical Specialist

Katya has experience with a wide variety of technologies including:

• Imaging
• Optics
• Light-tissue interaction
• Spectroscopy
• Cardiac catheters
• Data management
• Internet applications
• Consumer products
• Service
• Industrial processes
• Machine learning

Katya joined Marshall Gerstein to align her technical focus with her broad skill set. Her background as a biomedical engineer and a skilled problem solver has contributed to her early success at the firm. Many of the filings to which she’s contributed have been issued as patents. She recently worked with a client to combine in-studio gameplay with online game participants, one of her most unique projects.

Katya is skilled at analyzing qualitative data and successfully applies this ability to strategic portfolio analysis involving assessing clients’ current IP portfolios and assessing trends in competitors’ patenting strategies.

Katya’s experience working in academia enables her to collaborate well with academic institutions. Prior to joining the firm, Katya worked as an evaluator of educational programs and developed STEAM outreach activities. She hopes to do more K-12 outreach and youth career track exploration activities in the future. Her passion for education extends to advocating for science and art curricula and integrated experiential learning programs.

• University of Texas at Austin (M.S.)
  • Biomedical Engineering
• University of Northern California (B.S.E.)
  • Biomedical Engineering

• Mentored middle school students in an after-school science enrichment program organized by the Northwestern University’s Science in Society Program at Family Focus in Evanston, IL.

• Haynes, A., Drane, D., Bitkin, E.S., McClearn, D., Kelley, J., Basha, S. (October, 2019). Assessing and Improving Critical Thinking Across National, Institutional, and Disciplinary Borders. Paper to be presented at the International Society for the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching conference, Atlanta, GA.
• Bitkin, E.S., Drane, D. (November, 2019). Images as Pictorial Metaphors in Evaluation - a Catalyst for Expression. Paper submitted to American Evaluation Association Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
• Svistun E, Heintzelman D, Utzinger U, Jacob R, El-Naggar A, Gillenwater A, Richards-Kortum R, “Enhanced Vision Tools for Improved Pre-Cancer Delineation,” Head and Neck, 2004.
• Alizadeh-Naderi R, Svistun E, Benavides J, Gillenwater A, Richards-Kortum R, “Autofluorescence Analysis of Biochemical Transformations in Normal and Dysplastic Oral Cavity Tissue,” Photochemistry and Photobiology, 2003.
• Utzinger U, Bueeler M, Oh S, Heintzelman DL, Svistun E, Abd-El-Barr M, Gillenwater A, Richards-Kortum R. “Optimal Visual Perception and Detection of Oral Cavity Neoplasia,” IEEE Transactions in Biomedical Engineering, 2002.
• Svistun E, Utzinger U, Richards-Kortum R, “Optimal Visual Perception and Detection of Oral Cavity Neoplasia Reflectance and Fluorescence,” Optical Society of America Biomedical Topical Meetings, 2002.
• Gillenwater A, Utzinger U, Svistun E, Pavlova I, Atwood A, Alizadeh-Naderi R, Jacob R, El-Naggar A, Richards-Kortum R, “Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Imaging for In Vivo Detection of Oral Cancer,” United Engineering Foundation Conference: Advances in Optics for Biotechnology, Medicine and Surgery, 2001.
• Utzinger U, Bueeler M, Svistun E, Oh S, Heintzelman DL, Gillenwater A, Richards-Kortum R, “Improved Cancer Screening Through the Use of Enhanced Visual Systems,” SPIE Conference, 2001.