Dr. Brian MacDonald is an experienced patent agent proficient in writing patent applications and pursuing patents in a wide range of technologies. Brian began his career as a U.S. Patent Examiner and has since served on the client-service side of patent work for more than 20 years.
Brian earned a PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and his unique professional experience includes:
- Conducting research in experimental nuclear physics at many U.S. national laboratories and traveling with international teams of scientists
- At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, assembling, calibrating, and operating complex arrays of gamma-ray and particle detectors
- Working directly with the world's first segmented germanium clover array and helping commission the Recoil Mass Spectrometer at Oak Ridge, the most advanced heavy-ion mass spectrometer of its time
- Working extensively with high-vacuum systems and nitrogen and helium cooling systems
Prior to these roles, Brian manufactured radioactive calibration standards, automated electron-beam welding procedures for their manufacture, and coded software for controlling robotic remote manipulators.
Brian channels his experience into helping clients understand the complexities of writing patent applications and securing patents. He's also taught physics at Gardner Webb University to support the faculty during the pandemic and has volunteered at Discovery Place in uptown Charlotte as an instructor of solar pyrography, bringing together art and science.
Education
Ph.D., Experimental Nuclear Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology
M.S., Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology
B.S., Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology
Professional Associations
- United States Patent and Trademark Office