Katina is a researcher with NSW Department of Primary Industries Market Access group based in Gosford. Katina specialised in market access entomology, her primary roles include the development of quarantine treatments for horticultural products and field experimentation of new fruit fly lures and baits.

Katina completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) in plant pathology at the University of Queensland in 2001. She then went on to complete a PhD, researching the physiological basis of chilling injury in navel oranges with La Trobe University and CSIRO in 2007. Once completing her PhD Katina was employed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries, involved primarily in citrus and vegetable research. She has been in her current role as Market Access Entomologist since April 2008. Katina maintains collaborations with researchers in other state government departments and is an Honorary Associate of Macquarie University.