Melissa Berquist

Dr. Melissa Berquist brings more 15 years of biodefense and infectious disease experience to Resilience in her role as technical head and director of commercial development for the government and non-governmental organization (NGO) franchise. In this role, she provides executive leadership to define and execute the manufacturing and technology strategy in support of government client requirements. Her commitment to the innovation potential that results from public-private partnerships and solving challenges in collaboration with the USG enables delivery of critical public health solutions.

Prior to joining Resilience, Dr. Berquist served as vice president and head of vaccines and animal Health Programs for iBio, Inc. and as director of the Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases within the Texas A&M University System, where she oversaw executive operations; provided scientific leadership; and synchronized efforts related to strategic management, organizational change, and efficiency.

During her professional career, Dr. Berquist has directed two national Science and Technology Centers of Excellence and a World Organisation for Animal Health collaborating centre in biological threat reduction, contributed to White House-level policy documents related to the development and implementation of national-scale biosecurity and biosurveillance activities, and operationalized technology products into use by customers. With diverse experience in delivering impactful tools and products to stakeholders and customers across the public health enterprise, she serves as a state-, national-, and global-level expert for a variety of organizations. A graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering, Dr. Berquist earned her doctorate in molecular medicine/molecular and cellular biology as a Summa cum Laude graduate from the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine.