Dr. Velardo, a highly experienced biomedical scientist, is the director of research for the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute (HSSAI) and a distinguished analyst in biodefense and biosecurity. She provides overarching guidance for all research and analytic activities and oversees knowledge management, information resources, publications, and quality assurance processes for a team of 130 analysts. She also coordinates HSSAI's multimillion-dollar Core Research Program.

By taking a “systems thinking” research approach to biodefense, Dr. Velardo focuses on end-to-end analyses that encompass threat awareness, prevention, surveillance, detection, response and recovery. In this approach, her goal is to prioritize integration and coordination of all biodefense activities to inform planning, strengthen U.S. response capabilities, and build societal resilience.

Her work has produced innovative paradigms for wide-area biological restoration (including a report, framework, and conference); cleanup decision-making guidelines for chemical, biological and radiological incidents; future biological agents; National Capital Region biodetection information sharing (including a report, system development, and concept of operations); the National Biomonitoring Framework (a report and decision-based framework for information sharing and decision making); and the National Biodefense Architecture (project leader on this ongoing project).

Dr. Velardo is an executive review panel member for the Department of Homeland Security’s quadrennial Biodefense Net Assessment project. She also served as a gold team panel member for the Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration and as an invited speaker at the Biodefense 2010 conference.

Prior to joining HSSAI, Dr. Velardo directed the Spinal Cord Injury and Regeneration Laboratory at the McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida. Her molecular biology, anatomy, and behavior studies focused on the mechanisms of nervous system injuries and regeneration, gene and stem cell therapies for spinal cord and brain injuries, and microarray data analyses. In addition to her research, as an assistant professor she authored text books, designed curricula, taught graduate, medical, and other health science professional students, and received the prestigious University of Florida Exemplary Teacher Award.

Dr. Velardo earned a bachelor of science in biology and chemistry, has the medical professional degree of physician’s assistant, and earned a certificate in systems engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. She received her doctor of philosophy in neuroscience and pharmacology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.