The Team

Annette has over 20 years of experience in business development, start-up formation, corporate strategy development and alliance management, both in university technology transfer and the biotechnology industry. She studied biology at the University of Konstanz and earned her PhD at the Ludwig Maximillian University in Munich. Annette loves the sounds of the Barking Geckos of the Kalahari! Her favorite book is A WildSheep Chase by Haruki Murakami.

Dalial has over 15 years of experience in research with a specific focus on insect immunology and physiology. In addition to her current role as CSO, she holds an Assistant Professor position at the Karl Franzens University Graz, Institute of Biology. She studied biology (Zoology and Animal Ecology) at the University of Tartu and earned her PhD at the Max Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology in Jena. Her favorite book series is Discworld by Terry Pratchett. When time allows, she loves to travel for sights and food, as well as cook at home from her 150+ recipe books.

Franziska has a background in agricultural farming methods and biological pest control with over 10 years of experience in insect immunity and pesticide resistance. In addition to serving as Dalan’s Director for Scientific Operations, she also holds a postdoctoral research position at the Karl Franzens University Graz, Institute of Biology. She earned her PhD inEvolutionary Biology at the University of Jyväskylä. Franziska enjoys rock climbing, playing roller derby, and hanging out with her dog Frieda. Her favorite book is Perfume: The story of a Murderer (Das Parfum) by Patrick Süskind.

Brendon is responsible for marketing and business development at Dalan. Previously, he worked for Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Baxter, and Medtronic, as well as several biotech and medical device start-ups. Brendon holds a BA in General Biology and History from UCSD and an MBA from Penn State University. He hikes, gardens, and tends to his 15 hives of bees in his spare time. His favorite book is Sarum, by Edward Rutherfurd.

Dr. Humberto Boncristiani is a honeybee husbandry applied researcher. He has a diverse background in honeybee research and the biotech industry. He is a virologist who has worked with government institutions (USDA, Army, and National Research Council), academia (UNCG, UMD, University of Florida), and private industry. Dr. Boncristiani joined Dalan Animal Health as a Director of Sales strategy and technical services to fulfill his mission as a second-generation beekeeper in his family to bring new solutions to help the beekeeping industry. He is also the founder of InsideTheHive.TV, a YouTube channel dedicated to educating people about bees and science. His favorite book is The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sr. Arthur Conan Doyle.

Amy is a field technician and leads beekeeper relations at Dalan. Previously, Amy spent 7 years with the USDA studying honeybee nutrition, microbiome, pathogens and toxin exposure. She holds a BS in Wildlife Conservation and Management and a MS in Entomology, both from the University of Arizona. Amy enjoys traveling the US in her self-converted camper van with her dog Mogli and tending to her personal honeybee hives. Her favorite book is Nowhere for very long: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life by Brianna Madia.  

Kary is responsible for our accounting and payroll. She comes to Dalan with over 20 years of accounting experience, most recently working in biomedical manufacturing. Her passion is animal rescue! She has personally fostered to adoption over 500 dogs and cats both in Texas and California. Her favorite book is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Nichole works in operations and marketing at Dalan. Previously, she worked in quality control for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. She holds a BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Boise State University. Nichole enjoys hiking, reading, and tending to her house plants in her free time.  Her current favorite book is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.