Management Team

Organizations, large and small, often discover exciting technologies, but lack the necessary expertise to carry that application forward to commercialization. Our senior staff have years of experience with multinational pharmaceutical companies and understand the application of industrial science in moving assets toward commercialization. Collectively, our scientists are responsible for over 60 issued patents, dozens of USDA and FDA approved products, and many groundbreaking technology introductions.

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 an unique combination of core expertise that is immediately applicable to clients seeking direction for their technology.

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 joined Benchmark in 2005, and brings a broad range of business strategies to developing technologies on a global basis.

Mary Ann Pfannenstiel, PhD (Laboratory Services)

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, Benchmark's laboratory operations have grown steadily. Industrial clients and government regulators have praised the novelty of systems that Dr. Pfannenstiel's team has developed to assure that generated data is of the highest quality and is delivered on time and on budget.

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. In 2002, Mr. Blotkamp joined Benchmark Biolabs and started developing the manufacturing model for clients, as well as process development and capabilities. His work at Benchmark has included the approval of the first plant-made vaccine-manufacturing facility in the world, the first Probiotic IND filing at the FDA and the first "green" poultry vaccine-manufacturing facility.

Kris Christianson (Regulatory & Compliance)

Ms. Christianson earned her MS in Microbiology from Kansas State University in 1983. 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 Abbott 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 Benchmark in 2002, she has implemented a Quality System customized to the varied needs of the clients, incorporating best practices of good laboratory and manufacturing guidelines.

Melissa A. Inman, Ph.D. (Molecular and Bioanalytical Services)

Dr. Inman earned her B.S. in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Connecticut in 1990. At this point, Dr. Inman began work at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in Greenport NY as a research scientist. During her tenure at Plum Island (1990 to 1996), she received a MS degree in 1995 from the University of Connecticut, Pathobiology and Immunology Department. At Plum Island, Dr. Inman worked on exotic animal diseases such as African Horse Fever virus, African Swine Fever virus, Foot and Mouth Disease virus, Japanese Encephalitis virus. Her efforts were concentrated in the areas of pathology, immunology, and vaccinology in a BSL-3+ environment with horses, Swine, Cows, and mice. In 1996, Dr. Inman transferred to the USDA Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) to work on development of diagnostics and epidemiology of respiratory syndrome diseases of cattle and other agriculture based animals and enteric pathogens of poultry. In 1997, Dr. Inman joined the Veterinary and Biological Department at the University of Nebraska where she obtained a PhD in 2002 studying Herpes Virus latency. In 2002, she joined the Center for Virology at the University of Nebraska, to work on Herpes virus latency encephalitis. This research produced many journal articles in peer-reviewed journals including Science. Dr. Inman collaborated with pharmaceutical companies in developing and clinical testing; modified and subunit vaccines for Bovine Herpes virus control. Dr. Inman joined Benchmark Biolabs in 2005, and since then, has been involved with the management of the Molecular and Bioanalytical department and the BSL-3 laboratory. Dr. Inman’s broad-based background in BSL3+ laboratory functions, infectious diseases, immunology, and the use of molecular biological techniques in these areas complement the clinical group’s development of infection, vaccination models and clinical measurements for licensing.