Elisabeth Gardiner, PhD

Elisabeth Gardiner, PhD, is chief scientific officer at Tevard Biosciences, joining the leadership team in 2025 to spearhead the company’s pioneering tRNA-based gene therapies for rare diseases with high unmet need. With more than 25 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, she has directed and managed drug discovery and development efforts yielding 11 IND filings, four Phase I/II trial candidates, and one Phase III candidate. Prior to Tevard, Gardiner held senior R&D leadership roles at Tactile Therapeutics, Alterome Therapeutics, Aravive, and Kinnate Biopharma, where she directed multidisciplinary teams and advanced programs from discovery to clinical-stage development across neurology, oncology, and rare disease. Gardiner gained experience in tRNA biology while working at aTyr Pharma and at Scripps Research Institute in the lab of Paul Schimmel.

Gardiner’s commitment to the ethical development of effective and accessible medicines is her key focus in life. In addition to her professional work, Gardiner acts as a patient advocate in the rare disease and oncology space. She earned her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a BS and an MS from Texas A&M University.