The PerOs senior management team has the experience, technical know-how, vision and dedication to bring the unique diseases control solutions to the market. Our senior team represents the company's commitment to bring the different solutions to market efficiently.

Timothy J. Miller, PhD (President)
Dr. Miller is one of the leading experts in biological development, having earned his PhD in Microbiology from the University of Kansas in 1979. Following a postdoctoral assignment to the McArdle Oncology Institute at the University of Wisconsin, he joined Armos Corporation in 1981. Armos was a biotechnology start-up seeking to apply emerging molecular biology technology to opportunities in the agricultural arena. Miller joined the SmithKline Animal Health organization in 1982, where he led a team of scientists creating novel veterinary vaccines through molecular biology. His team was extraordinarily successful and productive. Dr. Miller and his team are responsible for over 30 patents, and Dr. Miller developed the world's first rDNA construct commercialized into a licensed product (Litterguard®). Success in that endeavour led to increasing responsibility within SmithKline Beecham, serving as Director of SKB's Molecular Biology group and primary liaison with the corporate legal team charged with building a comprehensive patent estate and initiating key technologies in the organization. Following Pfizer's acquisition of SKB's animal health business, Miller led their Virology and Process Development groups until leaving in 1996 to start Benchmark Biolabs. Dr. Miller was also Chairman of the redrafting of the Summary Information Format (SIF) used by the USDA for evaluating recombinant DNA-derived vaccine and immunotherapeutic candidates. The insights into developing technologies, intellectual property and application to commercial product offer a unique combination of core expertise that is immediately applicable to PerOs.

Thomas D. Overbay, DVM (Business Development)
Dr. Overbay earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1984 from the Virginia/Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. After several years in private practice, Dr. Overbay joined a unit of Wyeth Laboratories in 1988, as Director of Field Services. Over the next 17 years, he served in a variety of senior positions, including Professional Services, Sales, Marketing and Business Development roles, as he helped Wyeth's Fort Dodge Laboratories emerge as a global leader in the animal pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Overbay developed particular expertise in the intersection of veterinary and human medicine, enabling fullest exploitation of assets with potential utility in both fields. In this role, he oversaw the collaboration of industry, academia, government and research hospitals, among others, through creative partnership development. Dr. Overbay brings a broad range of business strategies to developing technologies on a global basis.

Mary Ann Pfannenstiel, PhD ( R&D)
Dr. Pfannenstiel earned her PhD in Phytopathology and Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin in 1980. She served in teaching and research roles at the University of Nebraska and at Swarthmore College before heading the Analytical Microbiology Department at SmithKline Beecham Animal Health in 1991. Dr. Pfannenstiel joined Benchmark shortly after its founding in 1996. She developed the enabling technology that led to Advent®, one of the first fully licensed and USDA-approved vaccine products to emerge from a client-supported Benchmark effort. She also developed the fermentation product Lactrol®, which is used as an inhibitor of unwanted bacterial growth during fermentation, a skill proven valuable during selection of genetically modified organisms during scale-up. Because of her breadth of understanding of USDA and FDA development paths, and because of her analytical skills, PerOs laboratory operations have grown steadily.

Paul J. Blotkamp (Manufacturing)
Mr. Blotkamp earned his MS in Microbiology in 1979 from the University of Kansas. His early career (1974-1981) involved research into the feasibility of manufacturing specialty chemicals from renewable resources. After research assignments with Midwest Research Institute, Gulf Oil Chemicals and the University of Arkansas, Mr. Blotkamp joined Schering-Plough in 1981. At SP, he was responsible for the production of Alpha 2 Interferon for clinical trials and pre-licensing studies, and he participated in the design and commissioning of the commercial scale plant that continues to manufacture that product today. In 1983, Mr. Blotkamp accepted a position as Production Manager for Solvay Animal Health, where he managed all aspects of production for a $100-million business segment. In 1989, Mr. Blotkamp joined Oxford Laboratories as VP of Manufacturing. A series of acquisitions led to senior manufacturing roles with Upjohn, Bayer and Intervet. Mr. Blotkamp joined PerOs and started developing the manufacturing model for the Oralject technology, as well as process development and capabilities.

Kris Christianson (Regulatory & Compliance)
Ms. Christianson earned her MS in Microbiology from Kansas State University in 1980. She joined SmithKline Beecham in 1986, working in the laboratory on vaccine development projects, and co-developed the technical data for the feline coronavirus immunopathological disease vaccine - Primucell® - to treat feline coronavirus. She joined Abbot Laboratories in 1990, where she worked on the genetic modification of enzymes to improve diagnostic products. In 1994, she joined Restoragen, a venture-backed biotech company developing biopharmaceuticals focused on human hormone mimetic peptides. Ms. Christianson's experience in GLP and GMP environments and expertise in both USDA and FDA product development provided the core activity of her responsibility as Quality Control Manager for Restoragen. Ms. Christianson's unique background in validation of in vitro systems augments the quality of data produced across the company. Since she joined PerOs, she has implemented a Quality System customized to the Oralject technology, incorporating best practices of good laboratory and manufacturing guidelines.

Dr. Grant W. Vandenberg, Ph.D., (CSO)
Dr. Vandenberg has a doctorate from Laval University in Fish Physiology as well as Polymer Chemistry and Fish Nutrition. He also has a master's degree in Agricultural Sciences from Guelph University. During his studies, Dr. Vandenberg worked for the Department of Agriculture as well as at Guelph University and Eli Lily. Prior to starting his doctoral studies in 1997, Dr. Vandenberg worked as a research assistant at Guelph University and at the Monell Chemical Senses Center (Philadelphia, PA) before becoming a researcher for AquaPharm (Columbia, MD). Over the years, Dr. Vandenberg has become an expert in fish nutrition and protein delivery mechanisms.