About BIOQUAL

Leadership Team

Leaders in Science,
Partners in Progress

At BIOQUAL, our leadership team is dedicated to advancing the frontiers of research through partnership and precision. With decades of expertise in infectious diseases, oncology, immunology, and beyond, our team is committed to helping you achieve your R&D goals and make meaningful strides toward a healthier world. Together, we’re turning scientific innovation into real-world impact.

Hanne Andersen Elyard, PhD

President, Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Andersen Elyard received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Northwestern State University (Natchitoches, Louisiana) and her PhD in Microbiology from Louisiana State University, Shreveport (Shreveport, LA). Her dissertation focused on characterizing the antigen-specific CD8+ T cell populations generated in the spleen and draining lymph node following herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection of the hind footpads of C57BL/6 mice. After completing her PhD, she served as a postdoctoral fellow at the AIDS Vaccine Program at NCI (Frederick, MD) where she worked on several projects utilizing a SIV rhesus macaque model. Among these, she characterized rhesus macaque NK function, generated rhesus macaque dendritic cells for use as a prophylactic vaccine for SIV and helped to develop and characterize SIV-specific T cell lines for infusion into SIV infected macaques.

In 2006, Dr. Andersen Elyard joined BIOQUAL as a Staff Scientist. She was promoted to Research Director in 2011, to Vice President of Science in 2018, and then to Chief Scientific Officer in 2022. She has 20+ years of experience with pre-clinical animal models for infectious diseases. Dr. Andersen Elyard spearheaded the establishment of BIOQUAL’s influenza virus program. She also led the efforts that resulted in offering models for a variety of virus disease models in nonhuman primates, including Chikungunya, Zika, and Dengue. In her current role, Dr. Andersen Elyard serves as the PI on several of BIOQUAL’s government contracts and oversees a team of PhD-level scientists. She also provides guidance and support on all scientific aspects of the company.

Mitch Franklin, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Franklin received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Maryland and his MBA in Government Contracting from George Washington University. He has 33+ years of experience with managing and administrating civilian, DoD, and NIH contracts.

In 2012, Mr. Franklin joined BIOQUAL as the Vice President of Operations and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2015. He provides leadership to our Human Resources, IT, Contracts and Facilities Operations teams. In his current role, he oversees the daily business and administrative operations of the company.

Chris Kirk, CPA

Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Kirk received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting/Finance from the University of Maryland. He is a licensed CPA.

In 2021, Mr. Kirk joined BIOQUAL as the Director of Finance & Accounting. He was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 2022. He has 30+ years of accounting experience. In his current role, he is responsible for managing and leading the financial initiatives of the Company and serving in a strategic advisory role for the CEO and C-suite peers. He also provides commercial insight and leadership across the business to exceed business plan targets.

Swagata Kar, PhD​

Vice President, Preclinical Models and Services

Dr. Swagata Kar received her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Master of Science in Zoology (Molecular Biology) from University of Pune, India, and her PhD in Immunology from Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (Bethesda, MD). Her PhD thesis research project focused on determining the mechanism of innate and humoral immune responses to polysaccharide, protein and bacterial antigens, and vaccines in mouse models of Streptococcus pneumoniae. During her postdoctoral fellowship at the Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, she transitioned to studying cancer immunotherapy using rodent tumor models. Prior to her PhD, she served as a Research Fellow at National Institute of Virology, India, and later worked as a Biologist in the Lab of Malaria Immunology, NIAID, NIH.

In 2016, Dr. Kar joined BIOQUAL as a Staff Scientist. She was promoted to Research Director in 2020 and then to Vice President, Preclinical Models and Services in early 2023. She has 15+ years of experience with preclinical animal models and immunoassays. Dr. Kar has been actively working on introducing and establishing new animal models of cancer and infectious diseases for preclinical testing at BIOQUAL She has also served as subject matter expert, consultant, or co-investigator on various collaborative grant submissions. In her current role, she is responsible for identifying new business avenues, managing the overall research operations of the preclinical testing utilizing small animal models, and the associated in vitro testing.

Jim Treece, MBA

Vice President of Operations

Mr. Treece received his Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management and MBA in Business Administration from Frostburg State University (Frostburg, MD). Mr. Treece is LATG certified and has 25+ years of experience in the bioresearch industry. Prior to joining BIOQUAL, he served as the Director of Veterinary Services at Advanced Bioscience Laboratories, Inc for 5 years.

In 2014, Mr. Treece joined BIOQUAL as a Facility Director. He was promoted to Business Operations Officer in 2019 and then to Vice President of Operations in 2022. In his current role, he is responsible for operational aspects of client studies, annual capital budget allocations, facility management, and oversight of government contract deliverables. He has also implemented several in vivo laboratory Animal Management Software systems.