2025-2026
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY
Transforming healthcare and economic opportunities
Welcome to the 2025 AZBio Magazine, highlighting Arizona’s vibrant life sciences community and a look ahead at the bold steps we’re taking to elevate our impact even further. As you turn the pages, you’ll discover how innovation, collaboration, and leadership are transforming health outcomes and economic opportunity across the state.
Arizona has emerged as a nationally recognized bioscience hub, thanks to the collective efforts of industry leaders, academic institutions, government agencies, and community organizations. Together, we’ve built a thriving ecosystem. Now, we must think even bigger.
One of AZBio’s strategic priorities is expanding and diversifying our membership. By welcoming more of Arizona’s life science community members - particularly large industry members, health systems, and life science companies unique to each region of the state - we not only grow the organization’s capacity but also strengthen our ability to serve as the unified, statewide voice of the biosciences. This is not just a goal for AZBio’s staff and board - it’s an ecosystem-wide priority that can elevate the entire sector.
This year’s magazine highlights many of our community’s achievements, including the 2025 AZBio Award winners, whose groundbreaking contributions represent the very best of what our industry offers.
We also spotlight the newly released third edition of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, created with support from the Flinn Foundation. The Roadmap outlines critical next steps for growth, including new crosssector initiatives in workforce development and communications, where AZBio will play a key role.
AZBio continues to lead in advocacy, education, and collaboration. Our policy work, from legislative briefings to Capitol showcase days and industry events, helps raise the profile of Arizona’s bioindustry and advances the priorities that matter most
to our members and communities. With a broader base and stronger statewide presence, we can expand this impact even further.
The industry is also fueling job growth, offering diverse career pathways in research, development, manufacturing, and clinical trials. As we align workforce strategies and communicate opportunities more clearly, we can ensure that more Arizonans benefit from fulfilling, wellpaying roles in this growing sector.
We are proud of the progress made and energized by the path ahead. As we scale up, our focus remains clear: support innovation, grow opportunity, and serve patients.
To our 2025 awardees, I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations. Your achievements exemplify the excellence and innovation that define our community. And your work inspires us all!
To our partners and readers - thank you. Your dedication is driving real change across Arizona and beyond. We invite you to engage, collaborate, and help shape the future of bioscience in our state.
Together, we are building a stronger, healthier, and more connected Arizona.
Kevin Parker Chairman of the Board of Directors Arizona Bioindustry
Association, Inc.
ACCELERATING HEALTH INNOVATION
By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER
Once upon a time, there was a community that was beginning to grow rapidly. People were attracted to sunny skies, available land, and people who were collaborative and welcoming. It was a land of opportunity, and people embraced it.
This may sound like a fairytale. It is not. It’s a key part of Arizona’s story — a journey that began in 1997 when leaders were watching the signs and looking toward the future.
Arizona’s population has grown significantly since 1997. In 1997, Arizona’s population was around 4.7 million people. By 2024, Arizona had surpassed the 7.5 million population mark.
In 1997, the City of Phoenix had risen to be the 9th largest city in the country. By 2017, the city was the 5th largest in the United States and has held that position ever since.
Growth brings opportunities. It also brings challenges. How will we educate all these new people? How will we care for them? Where will they live? What careers will provide the greatest opportunities? How will our community, our state, and our people benefit?
These were the questions raised by Arizona leaders in 1997
and are the same challenges we work to develop solutions for today. The solutions continue to evolve, and as they do, the opportunities and benefits for Arizonans have increased.
In 1997, Arizona leaders embarked on a new vision for growth focused on advanced manufacturing industries including semiconductors, automotive, aerospace and defense, optics, and the biosciences. The goal was to create more high-quality, highpaying jobs by making Arizona a place where innovation and innovators would thrive. They succeeded.
The biosciences: An Arizona success story that continues to amaze
Over $33 billion of public and private funds have been invested to create the life science and healthcare ecosystem that exists in Arizona today. The return on investment is impressive. In 2016, the bioscience sector (not including hospitals) generated a singleyear economic impact of $23.16 billion. By 2023, the economic impact from Arizona’s bioscience sector had grown to $43.64 billion in a single year.
Our capacity to train the physicians that our growing
community needs has grown significantly. In 1997, Arizona had one medical school. Today, Arizona is home to six medical schools, with three more in the planning stages.
Our hospital systems have expanded to support the growing population. They have also developed into world-class research centers. In 2024, Arizona ranked 8th in the nation for clinical trials. These trials move science forward. They provide Arizonans with opportunities to be part of the research process and to potentially benefit from health innovations that would not otherwise be available to them.
Arizona diagnostic companies provide the products and services to help us manage our health, detect disease, and guide treatment at almost 1,200 locations across the state. One of these companies, Sonora Quest — a joint venture between what is today Banner Health and Quest Diagnostics — was formed in 1997. Today, almost 3,900 Sonora Quest team members perform more than 100 million diagnostic tests per year. In Southern Arizona, Roche Tissue Diagnostics has become a global leader in cancer diagnostics, providing a wide range of tests and
instruments that impacted the lives of over 41 million people in 2024 alone.
Over 10,000 Arizonans work in our medical device companies. They design, develop, and manufacture implantable devices, such as cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, devices that help patients with diabetes manage their insulin levels safely and effectively, spinal cord stimulators for pain management, and deep brain stimulators that address movement disorders. Arizona medical device companies are also creating and delivering devices that healthcare workers use to administer medicines, provide medical devices that can replace parts of our bodies that no longer work as they should, and other tools that help us when we need to recover.
Over 5,000 Arizonans are working to develop and deliver pharmaceutical products — from global leaders like Abbott and Bristol Myers Squibb to emerging manufacturing leaders like Bright Path Labs and exciting young companies that got their start in Arizona universities.
The Arizona Bioscience Cluster, a group of resolute volunteers, came together to support this vision of building a vibrant bioscience community in 1997. It evolved to become the Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio). Today, almost 300 AZBio member organizations employ over 365,000 Arizonans, plus many more across the country and around the world. As AZBio continues to grow, so does our ecosystem and its impact.
AZBio’s membership includes more than life science and healthcare organizations. The organization welcomes every entity committed to growing this industry in Arizona, including — but not limited to — construction and real estate developers, educational institutions, family offices, financial institutions, foundations, human resource and workforce professionals, investment firms, legal experts, risk managers and insurers, technology companies, nonprofits, patient advocacy groups, public utilities, supply chain and logistics experts, and more.
Accelerating health innovation and economic impact
Arizona’s life science industry includes a wide range of health innovation technologies including medicines, medical devices, diagnostics, instrumentation, software, and various health technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) is also being employed by Arizona health innovators to accelerate their efforts.
Arizona’s life science sector ranked No. 2 in the nation for job growth on an annual percentage basis over 10 years (5.4%), behind Massachusetts at 5.6%. This sounds impressive until you consider that in real numbers, with 2023 as the employment baseline, Arizona would create around 2,200 net new jobs per year, while Massachusetts would create around 8,300 jobs.
Employment and wages are key drivers of economic impact. Arizona’s life science sector (not including hospitals) delivered $43.64 billion in economic impact in 2023, compared to Massachusetts’ $298.58 billion.
As economic impact grows, so does the tax base and the overall economy of the state. That means more money for education, roads, and initiatives to make life better for people across Arizona.
AZBio has set a goal for Arizona’s life science sector to reach $77 billion in economic impact by 2033, when AZBio will celebrate 30 years of impact. Arizona can reach this goal — or exceed it — if our community comes together to make it happen. You are invited to join us!
(Image licensed from ©Adobe Stock)
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
Where the jobs are
A look at Arizona’s life science workforce
Arizona’s bioscience industry employed 40,399 people in 2023 across 3,652 state business establishments, representing a rapid 24.6 percent increase in employment since 2019 and placing the state among the leaders in employment growth. The average wage in the bioscience industry was $102,161—53 percent higher than the state’s private sector average. (The 2025 jobs data is expected in late 2026.)
Arizona’s life science workforce in 2023
Agricultural and industrial biosciences
18 Firms 690 Jobs
Bioscience-related distribution
Firms
Jobs
Editor’s note: Firms, also known as establishments, can include multiple locations of one organization.
Job postings give us a picture of where the jobs are and what future jobs to prepare our workforce for.
The Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative (LSWC) is a national nonprofit coalition of state and regional bioscience associations and institutes working together to build a competitive, comprehensive, and future-ready life sciences workforce. (lifesciencesworkforce.org) Originally founded in 2012 as the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI), LSWC connects industry, academia, and government partners through data-driven insights, best practice sharing, and collaborative programs. AZBio was a founding member of CSBI in 2012. AZBio is a founding member of LSWC and AZBio president & CEO Joan Koerber Walker serves on both the LSWC Board of Directors and its executive committee.
The LSWC/TEConomy Life Sciences Workforce Trends report presents summary information on industry job postings nationally and for Arizona. The following charts present the data from the latest four years of unique (non-duplicative) job postings across the life sciences industry and its five major subsectors— agricultural feedstock and industrial biosciences; bioscience-related distribution; medical devices and equipment; pharmaceuticals; and research, testing, and medical laboratories. From January 2021 through December 2024, Arizona life sciences companies posted a total of 54,503 unique job opportunities.
Image licensed from ©Adobe Stock
Education and experience requirements in Arizona life sciences industry job postings, 2021-2024
Share of industry job postings in Arizona by major life sciences subsector, 2021-2024
Leading technical and production-related job titles/groupings for Arizona life sciences hiring over the last four years
Get to know Arizona’s life science community
Arizona’s life science community works together to support innovation, grow opportunity, and serve patients. They are discovering, developing, and delivering products and services that help us stay healthy, detect, and treat disease, and create a wide range of career opportunities.
As the voice of Arizona’s life science community, a key priority of AZBio and our members is to spread the word about the amazing work and significant impact our life science sector delivers. AZBio serves as a resource to the media, amplifies the news that our members create, and brings the community together to engage, collaborate and build relationships that are accelerating growth.
Hearing about the amazing things that are happening in Arizona, or reading about it in publications like this one, can help you get to know Arizona’s life science community, but there is an even better way.
Arizona Bioscience Week (AZBW)
Since 2016, Arizona’s governors have proclaimed one week each year as Arizona Bioscience Week. It is a time when Arizonans come together to celebrate the Biosciences and the industry’s impact with activities spanning the state. In 2025, AZBW is October 13th to 17th.
Organized by AZBio, Arizona Bioscience Week is presented with support from the Arizona Commerce Authority, the City of Phoenix, the Flinn Foundation, and a wide range of academic and industry partners.
In-person and online events showcase research and health innovation, highlight life science companies and career opportunities, connect innovators and investors, and provide educational opportunities for students and teachers.
The AZBio Awards takes place at the highpoint of AZBW and since 2005 has been the largest annual life science event in the state. It is an opportunity for the community to learn about and meet life science leaders, celebrate success, and get a glimpse of the future while connecting with talented Arizona students.
Companies participating in investor conferences and summits held during AZBW have gone on to raise over $3 billion in investments and audiences have been introduced to local and national thought leaders.
And, if you want to be inspired, join us on Friday for Voice of the Patient – an event where patients tell their stories, and our community is again reminded of why we do what we do.
We hope to see you during Arizona Bioscience Week.
YOUR SUPPORT!
People across Arizona wear the pin to show that they are part of a community of Arizonans committed to growing our life science industry. When you see the pin, ask them about it and they will share how they are helping to support health innovation and grow our economy.
Image licensed from ©Adobe Stock
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2025 AZBio PIONEER AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Eric Reiman, MD
From Arizona to the world: The race to prevent Alzheimer’s
Dr. Eric Reiman is a pioneer in brain imaging, neuroscientific research, the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, and the development of new models for collaboration and resource sharing. He and his colleagues aim to find the first effective Alzheimer’s prevention therapy within 1–2 years, transform the evaluation and care of cognitively impaired patients and their family caregivers, fulfill the promise of emerging Alzheimer’s blood tests, and extend these efforts to other age-related brain diseases.
He received his undergraduate and medical education at Duke University and completed his psychiatry residency at Duke and Washington University in St. Louis. In the laboratory that invented PET, he introduced the idea of aligning and averaging brain images from different people to reveal subtle biological changes and identify regions linked to normal and abnormal behavior—an innovation that revolutionized brain mapping research.
In Arizona, Dr. Reiman established a leading brain imaging research program at Samaritan Health System, which later became Banner Health, and developed close collaborations with top researchers across the state. In paradigm-shifting studies, they characterized brain regions involved in memory, emotion, appetite regulation, and pain.
Dr. Reiman also pioneered the use of brain imaging to detect and track Alzheimer’s long before symptoms appear in those at increased genetic risk, enabling earlier evaluation of prevention therapies. In 1996, he and his colleagues published a landmark article in The New England Journal of Medicine, laying the foundation
PIONEER: Dr. Eric Reiman serves as CEO of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institutes (BAI-Phoenix, BAI-Tucson and Banner Sun Health Research Institute) and director of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium. (Provided photo)
for studying Alzheimer’s in healthy individuals and accelerating prevention research. Soon after, they founded the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium—an exemplary statewide collaboration in biomedical research and a hub in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
In 2006, Dr. Reiman and his team launched Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to develop the first effective Alzheimer’s prevention therapy within a generation, create a more comprehensive standard of care for cognitively impaired patients and their families, and foster new models of
biomedical collaboration. Their Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative (API) ushered in a new era of prevention research. Its first trial—in Colombian members of the world’s largest early-onset Alzheimer’s kindred, including 1,200 people genetically destined to develop the disease—was named one of Scientific American’s “World Changing Ideas.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Reiman has led groundbreaking, multi-institutional collaborations with lasting scientific impact. These include the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (which has identified over 80 susceptibility genes), API’s Colombia partnership, and publicprivate initiatives. He and his collaborators have also made pioneering contributions to Alzheimer’s blood test development, advancing both research and clinical care.
Dr. Reiman serves as CEO of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institutes (BAI-Phoenix, BAITucson, and Banner Sun Health Research Institute) and director of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium. He is also a professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona, University Professor of Neuroscience at Arizona State University, a Senior Scientist at TGen, and Board Chair of the Flinn Foundation. He and his colleagues co-founded AlzPath, whose pTau217 antibody was named one of TIME magazine’s “Best Inventions” and has been licensed to several diagnostics companies. He is the author of over 800 publications, the inventor of several patents, the principal investigator on numerous NIH grants, and a recipient of the Potamkin Prize—widely regarded as the “Nobel Prize” in Alzheimer’s research.
BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
Arizona Bioscience COMPANY OF THE YEAR:
Roche Tissue Diagnostics
Global leader, local roots: Celebrating 40 years of impact
Forty years ago, Dr. Tom Grogan, a pathologist at the University of Arizona, had an idea that would change the way oncologists around the world help people facing a cancer diagnosis. That idea sparked the creation of Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. in 1985. The company’s journey included the launch of innovative products, an IPO in 1996, and its acquisition by Roche in 2008 for $3.4 billion.
Now, as Roche Tissue Diagnostics (RTD) celebrates its 40th anniversary, the company is recognized as a world leader in the field of tissue diagnostics. RTD has a portfolio of more than 250 cancer tests and associated instruments for use by hospitals and laboratories worldwide, including automated tissue slide-staining instruments and high-resolution digital scanners. In 2024, over 41 million people were impacted
by products and services delivered by this Arizona-based company. These tests help healthcare professionals determine whether patients have cancer, identify the specific type, and recommend the most effective treatments.
When doctors, patients, and their families are waiting for answers, time matters. Thanks to the innovations pioneered by the RTD team, tests can be performed efficiently and with high quality anywhere in the world—often within just a few hours.
Roche Tissue Diagnostics is headquartered on a 118-acre campus in Oro Valley, just north of Tucson, with additional facilities in Marana. The company employs more than 1,800 people, making it one of the largest nongovernment employers in southern Arizona. The Oro Valley site
serves as the global headquarters for Roche’s pathology business.
In 2023, RTD opened its 60,000-squarefoot Marana manufacturing building, powered entirely by local renewable electricity and featuring state-of-the-art production space. In 2025, the company cut the ribbon on a 112,500-square-foot building on 11.5 acres adjacent to its main Oro Valley campus, where teams focus on developing new tests to ensure the right treatment for each patient at the right time.
RTD’s Tucson-based colleagues work across research, product development, manufacturing, and delivery. The workforce includes pathologists, scientists, engineers, regulatory experts, marketing professionals, business leaders, supply chain specialists, and more—creating opportunities for individuals at every educational level, from certificate and associate degrees to doctoral programs.
Over the last four decades, the company has maintained strong relationships with Arizona’s educational institutions, sponsoring research projects, mentoring programs, internships, and other initiatives. RTD regularly hires from the local community, drawing talent from the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Pima Community College, and other state schools.
What began as an idea 40 years ago has grown into a global leader, a committed community partner, and a trusted provider of the diagnostic tools healthcare teams need to deliver answers—when patients need them most.
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
JON
W. MCGARITY ARIZONA BIOSCIENCE LEADER OF THE YEAR: David A. Dexter
Leading with purpose at Sonora Quest
Medical diagnostics are crucial for effective healthcare because they enable doctors to accurately identify diseases, monitor their progression, and determine the best course of treatment. They facilitate timely interventions, improve patient outcomes, and help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. With approximately 3,900 employees, Sonora Quest Laboratories is Arizona’s largest diagnostics company, with team members spread across more than 70 locations statewide.
At Sonora Quest Laboratories, strong leadership starts at the top. For more than two decades, President and CEO David Dexter has led Sonora Quest Laboratories—a joint venture between Quest Diagnostics and Banner Health—to become one of the nation’s most successful laboratory networks.
Under Dexter’s leadership, Sonora Quest Laboratories has grown fivefold, becoming the market share leader in clinical laboratory testing in Arizona and performing over 100 million diagnostic tests annually.
Dexter recognizes the critical role laboratory data plays in shaping healthcare decisions and improving patient outcomes. He challenges his leadership team to stay on the cutting edge of innovation to meet evolving healthcare needs.
When COVID-19 hit Arizona in 2020, innovation wasn’t optional—it was essential. That July, through a strategic collaboration with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and PerkinElmer,
President and CEO David Dexter combines diagnostics, innovation and communit impact. (Provided photo)
Inc. (NYSE: PKI), Sonora Quest Laboratories launched Operation Catapult. The initiative aimed to significantly expand testing capacity to meet and exceed COVID-19 testing demand in Arizona. PerkinElmer’s comprehensive workflow solutions enabled Sonora Quest to rapidly process high volumes of COVID-19 PCR samples, ultimately reducing turnaround times at a critical moment.
In January 2023, Sonora Quest continued to respond to public health needs by offering 3-with-1 Respiratory Combination Testing for COVID-19, RSV, and Influenza. Faster results
helped reduce the spread of illness and protect public health.
Dexter may never have aspired to be a CEO, but he has always aspired to make a difference.
“I’ve always aspired to what I call higher ambition leadership. A CEO is supposed to create economic value for shareholders, employees, and customers—but I’ve always wanted to take it to a higher level,” said Dexter. “To me, that means we have a moral and ethical responsibility to create social value in the communities where we live and work.”
Dexter’s influence extends far beyond Sonora Quest. A dedicated advocate for public health, he serves on numerous boards, including the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer, the Arizona Bioindustry Association, Breakthrough T1D’s Board of Chancellors, and the Executive Committee of Contexture. He also contributes to the eHealth Initiative’s National Leadership Council, Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee, and Greater Phoenix Leadership. He has mentored countless CEOs, aspiring leaders, nonprofit professionals, and students.
Every member of Sonora Quest’s senior leadership team is required to lead a major charitable event and serve on the board of one of more than 40 charitable organizations supported by the company. For Dexter, this commitment is twofold: advancing community causes and developing stronger, more empathetic leaders.
“As I see it,” Dexter says, “when you invest in your team and your community, it all comes back in spades.”
IMPACT PLAYER: Sonora Quest
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2025 Arizona Bioscience RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR:
Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD
Innovating women’s healthcare
Women are unique—and so are their health needs. Biological differences, hormonal fluctuations, and social factors all play a role in how diseases manifest, progress, and respond to treatment in women. Research that focuses specifically on these differences is essential to improving diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies for conditions that disproportionately affect women.
A transformative leader in women’s health research, Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD, is tackling these disparities head-on. A tenured professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, she is the founding director of both the Women’s Health Microbiome Initiative and the Translational Women’s Health Research Program.
“What sets her apart is her relentless pursuit of translational solutions and innovations that directly address critical gaps in women’s healthcare, especially among underserved populations,” said Jennifer Barton, PhD, Interim Vice Provost for Health Programs at the University of Arizona.
Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz is an internationally recognized expert in translational women’s health. Her groundbreaking research on the vaginal microbiome and mucosal immunity is redefining early detection and prevention strategies for gynecologic diseases. She has built a cutting-edge research program focused on the role of host-microbe interactions in the female reproductive tract and their implications for gynecologic and oncologic health.
Her scholarly achievements include more than 80 peer-reviewed publications in top-
GROUNDBREAKER: Melissa HerbstKralovetz, PhD, is a transformative leader in women’s health research. (Provided photo)
tier journals such as Nature and Clinical Cancer Research. Her innovations have led to multiple patents and clinical trials— positioning Arizona as a national hub for non-invasive diagnostics and women’s health innovation.
“Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz is one of those transformative individuals whose work not only exemplifies scientific excellence but also directly translates into meaningful, scalable impact for the people of Arizona and beyond,” shared Vignesh Subbian, PhD, Interim Director of the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona.
She has led National Institutes of Health and foundation-funded studies to develop non-invasive, biomarker-based diagnostics
for conditions such as endometrial cancer, endometriosis, and adenomyosis—a painful condition where the inner lining of the uterus grows into the uterine wall.
Her research has brought her a profound understanding of the barriers women— especially in underserved communities— face in accessing diagnostic care. Invasive, painful, and anxiety-inducing methods often deter early detection. To solve this, Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz is developing an at-home testing system using non-invasive sampling techniques paired with advanced biomarker analysis. This work has earned her multiple funding awards, including a Flinn Seed Grant and support from the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission (ABRC).
“Beyond the science, what stands out most about Dr. Herbst-Kralovetz is her dedication to collaboration, mentorship, and equity,” added Barton. “She has built strong interdisciplinary teams, led multiinstitutional clinical studies, and mentored more than 45 students and trainees— many from historically marginalized backgrounds—who are now contributing meaningfully to research, medicine, and biotechnology. Her focus on communityengaged, culturally responsive research is a model for how science can serve people more effectively and equitably.”
Through cross-sector collaboration, innovative research, and a deep commitment to mentorship and health equity, Dr. Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz exemplifies the scientific excellence, translational vision, and statewide impact that defines Arizona’s leadership in bioscience.
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2025 Michael A. Cusanovich BIOSCIENCE EDUCATOR
OF
THE YEAR: Kim Rodgers
Powerhouse in bioscience education
Arizona is home to one of the fastestgrowing life science sectors in the United States—and the secret to that success? Our people. To sustain this momentum for generations to come, we must continue developing a future-ready workforce. That’s why Arizona educators are essential partners in this journey.
Kim Rodgers is a powerhouse in bioscience education, exemplifying excellence through visionary leadership, innovative teaching, and a deep, lasting impact on students and the statewide bioscience community. In a state where bioscience is a strategic economic pillar, educators like Rodgers are not just preparing students for careers—they’re building Arizona’s next generation of biomedical leaders.
Since joining Mountain Ridge High School in 2006, Rodgers has revolutionized biomedical education on campus and beyond. In 2012, she launched the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical Sciences program, which now includes all four PLTW courses: Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, Medical Interventions, and Biomedical Innovations. Under her leadership, the program has flourished and is now one of the most respected Career and Technical Education (CTE) bioscience pathways in the district and across the state. In 2025, the program was named a PLTW Distinguished High School, a reflection of her unwavering commitment to excellence and opportunity.
MAKING
THE GRADE: Kim Rodgers joined the Mountain Ridge staff in 2006 and teaches the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences Program.
(Provided photo)
Rodgers is also one of only 41 PLTW Master Teachers nationwide for Principles of Biomedical Science and currently serves as the Lead Master Teacher, facilitating professional development for educators across the country and helping shape the national PLTW curriculum.
But her influence goes far beyond the classroom. Rodgers has forged impactful partnerships with top-tier institutions such as Midwestern University, TGen, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic, exposing students to real-world
healthcare careers and cutting-edge research. Through her leadership as a HOSA Future Health Professionals advisor, students have achieved success at both state and national levels. Her mentorship of capstone research projects, community presentations, and the Sports Medicine Club cultivates leadership, innovation, and critical real-world skills.
“You’ve made a lasting impact on me both academically and personally. Thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and always showing up. I’ll carry what I’ve learned from you into whatever comes next beyond high school,” said one bioscience student.
With Rodgers’ guidance, her students consistently reach extraordinary heights—many advancing to college and medical school with the confidence, knowledge, and passion sparked in her classroom. Her impact is evident in the talent pipeline that fuels Arizona’s bioscience ecosystem.
“I will take your teachings with me wherever I go. You are the most understanding teacher who truly cares about their students. Thank you for teaching me important life lessons,” said another bioscience student.
What truly sets Kim Rodgers apart is her ability to inspire, connect, and lead with innovation. She creates a dynamic, supportive learning environment where students explore bioscience with confidence, curiosity, and purpose. She brings science to life—making it rigorous, relevant, and profoundly human.
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2025 AZBio Fast Lane Honoree: Life365 Health
Innovating virtual care technology
Home healthcare is an essential component of modern medicine, offering a wide range of medical and non-medical services delivered directly to patients in their own homes. It not only enhances patient experience and outcomes but also plays a critical role in reducing healthcare costs. Coordinated care outside of hospital settings has become a key strategy in achieving greater efficiency and lowering the overall cost of care.
Life365 Health is at the forefront of this transformation. A leading developer of virtual care technology solutions, Life365 enables scalable, home-based healthcare delivery. The company’s platform addresses key challenges in care delivery by integrating solutions and managing logistics for enterprise healthcare organizations. This empowers providers, payers, and others to implement a “virtual-first” care model — remotely engaging and monitoring patients across a variety of conditions, from chronic disease management and post-discharge care to population health initiatives.
Each year, AZBio honors a select group of companies driving innovation and rapid progress—Life365 is proud to be among these Fast Lane honorees.
Led by a team of seasoned, industryrecognized leaders, Life365 holds numerous patents in wearable devices, sensors, and smart patches enhanced by machine learning and AI. The company is also a strategic partner of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), serving the largest veteran population in the world.
In 2023, Life365 was selected by Valor Healthcare to support the VA’s eight-year contract for Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Home Telehealth (HT) services. RPM and telehealth have gained significant traction since the COVID-19 pandemic, which redefined how care is delivered. Since 2003, the VA’s Home Telehealth program has used remote technologies to manage chronic conditions. In 2023 alone, over 2.4 million unique veterans—approximately 40% of the VA’s patient population— received virtual care.
Life365 also made two strategic acquisitions in 2023 to further enhance its connected care offerings:
PillDrill, an award-winning smart medication tracking system, was integrated into the Life365 platform to help patients and caregivers ensure
medications are taken properly— with smart reminders, tracking, and notifications.
AffirmXH, known for advanced biometric data analytics and no-code digital treatment platforms, brought powerful new capabilities to Life365. Its technologies include a biosensor, drag-and-drop treatment builder, and a disposable, maintenance-free Continuous Temperature Sensor—capable of capturing over 50 temperature readings per hour.
In 2024, Life365 participated in a landmark health study published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. The study, titled “A Quality Improvement-based Approach to Implementing a Remote Monitoring–Based Bundle in Transitional Care Patients for Heart Failure,” showcased how integrated technology, clinical services, and equity-centered design can significantly reduce hospital readmission rates for heart failure patients.
Life365 Health is accelerating innovation and delivering scalable, meaningful solutions that keep patients connected, monitored, and cared for— wherever they are.
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2025 AZBio
Fast Lane Honoree LifeSpan Digital Health
Boosting healthcare worker wellness
Burnout is a serious and increasingly prevalent problem in the healthcare industry. It goes beyond simple fatigue and represents a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion stemming from prolonged or excessive workplace stress.
LifeSpan Digital Health, Inc. is an Arizona-based startup established to promote physician and healthcare worker wellness. It is built upon more than 20 years of research by Dr. Samuel Keim, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona, and intellectual property licensed through Tech Launch Arizona. The company’s goal is to leverage advances in predictive AI, wearable technology, and data-driven insights to transform healthcare work systems by creating positive environments that prevent and reduce burnout, foster professional well-being, and support quality care.
Founded in March 2024, LifeSpan Digital Health has made significant progress toward launching an industry-first predictive platform for physician wellness and clinical performance.
Arizona’s population has grown substantially in the last decade. Between 2010 and 2023, the state added more than 1 million residents—an increase of 16%. However, the healthcare workforce has not kept pace.
By 2025, nearly half of U.S. physicians
are projected to report symptoms of burnout, driven by administrative overload, lack of autonomy, and emotional fatigue. This trend is contributing to a projected shortage of 86,000 physicians by 2036, with 35% considering leaving the profession this year alone.
For LifeSpan Digital Health, this represents a strategic opportunity. By using predictive AI and wearable technology, early signs of burnout can be detected through biometric and behavioral data. These tools streamline workflows to reduce cognitive load and provide healthcare organizations with actionable insights for targeted wellness interventions—aligning directly with the company’s mission to enhance physician well-being and retention.
Burnout among healthcare workers is a system-wide challenge. LifeSpan Digital Health’s first product focuses on transforming mental health and wellness for resident physicians—a group facing crisis-level burnout, which affects both their well-being and the quality of patient care.
LifeSpan’s predictive AI tools serve as an early-warning system to identify burnout risks before they escalate. Through advanced data-driven insights and compassionate design, the platform proactively addresses mental health challenges. Resident physicians receive personalized tools to build resilience, while residency program directors gain access to
population-level insights that help improve program culture and well-being.
For these tools to be embraced and effective, they must be accessible and trusted by users.
“Whether we are supporting resident physicians and nurses, residency program directors, or medical institutions, our platform ensures privacy, autonomy, and accessibility,” said Jeff Cary, CEO of LifeSpan Digital Health.
In under two years, the team has:
• Negotiated an exclusive, worldwide IP licensing agreement with Tech Launch Arizona based on research in physician wellness and performance.
• Received a $100,000 Asset Development Fund grant to develop and launch its first product.
• Secured its initial seed funding from the Wildcat Philanthropic Seed Fund.
• LifeSpan has also formed collaborative partnerships with four leading U.S. medical systems, including the largest in the world, and is currently in discussions with Banner – University Medical Center.
Each year, AZBio recognizes a select group of companies that have achieved outstanding milestones and are accelerating health innovation. LifeSpan is wellpositioned to meet its 2026 revenue goals and continue its upward trajectory— making a powerful impact on the lives of those who care for others.
2025 AZBio Fast Lane Honoree: Reference Medicine
Redefining cancer research access
Cancer diagnostics play a critical role in the fight against cancer and are an essential component of the healthcare toolkit—from supporting early detection, which significantly improves the chances of successful treatment and survival, to guiding vital treatments as precisely and early in the disease process as possible. While many screening and diagnostic tests exist today, a new wave of innovations is emerging that holds the potential to improve accuracy, reduce costs, and ultimately enhance patient experiences and outcomes.
At the core of these advances are biological specimens—human tissue, blood, plasma, urine, and other fluids— that fuel discovery and test development. Despite their critical importance, working with biospecimens can be frustrating, unpredictable, and time-consuming. This is why standardized protocols and
rigorous quality control measures are essential to ensure the integrity and reliability of biospecimens for research. To maximize the scientific and clinical value of biospecimens in the fight against cancer, a robust biobanking infrastructure, standardized procedures, and adherence to ethical principles are paramount.
Founded in Phoenix in 2021, Reference Medicine is redefining the future of oncology specimen procurement. Built by scientists for scientists, the company provides highquality, richly annotated biospecimens to laboratories, biotech startups, academic researchers, and diagnostic developers— fueling breakthroughs that lead to earlier cancer detection, better treatments, and improved patient outcomes.
“Our mission is to elevate the status quo in biospecimen procurement so our clients can push the boundaries of cancer research and innovation,” said Reference Medicine Founder and CEO Inga Rose. “Together, we’re transforming the future of diagnostics, one specimen at a time.”
With a model built on trust, transparency, and customer care, Reference Medicine is setting a new efficiency standard in a historically inefficient industry. The company applies an “Uber-like” approach to biospecimen access—transparent pricing, real-time inventory visibility, rapid fulfillment, and responsive support.
“We don’t just fulfill sample requests—we anticipate needs, reduce costs and complexity for researchers, and ensure every patient’s sample donation is honored at every step,” Rose said. “That commitment to integrity and service has helped us become more than a vendor—we’re a trusted extension of our clients’ teams.”
AZBio annually recognizes select companies accelerating innovation. Reference Medicine was named one of its Fast Lane companies. In 2024, the company grew its team by more than 40% and plans another 50% increase in the next 12 months, fueled by continued revenue growth. It partners with national companies and Arizona innovators such as Robust Diagnostics, TGen, FAKnostics, Precision Epigenomics, and Clinical Studies of AZ. The team also collaborates on research papers and occasionally contributes specimens and expertise at no cost to advance important missions.
Headquartered in Phoenix’s bioscience corridor, Reference Medicine attracts top-tier talent nationwide.
“Our culture is centered on empowering people who are passionate about science and service,” said Rose. “We’re proud to support Arizona’s innovation pipeline by hiring local interns through programs like AZAdvances and volunteering with schools like Phoenix Bioscience High School to inspire the next generation of scientific leaders.”
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2025 AZBio PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD: Fred DuVal
Shaping Arizona’s education and healthcare landscape
Behind Arizona’s thriving public universities stands a dedicated team of volunteer leaders. The Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), composed of eight citizen volunteers and two student representatives, is appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Arizona Senate. Board members serve eight-year terms, providing strategic leadership, a unified voice on higher education policy, and driving initiatives grounded in evidence-based research.
Serving the people of Arizona, ABOR oversees the state’s public universities as they deliver bachelor’s and advanced degrees, advance human knowledge through research and creative expression, and contribute to economic development and community advancement statewide.
Regent Fred DuVal is serving his second term as a member of the Arizona Board of Regents. A respected public servant, business leader, and bipartisan bridgebuilder, DuVal has served at the highest levels of government and industry. He was the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor of Arizona and currently serves as president of DuVal and Associates, chairman of the board for Excelsior Mining (a publicly traded copper company), and a board member of Drive Time Auto Group.
Originally appointed in 2006 by Governor Janet Napolitano, DuVal served until 2012. In 2018, Gov. Doug Ducey reappointed him—making DuVal the first regent in Arizona history to be appointed by governors from both major political parties. That milestone speaks volumes
(Provided
about his bipartisan leadership and the mutual respect he inspires—even among former political opponents.
During his tenure, Regent DuVal has led several key initiatives that have shaped Arizona’s education and healthcare landscape. These include:
• The Arizona Teachers Academy, which covers tuition and fees for students who commit to teaching in Arizona public schools.
• The Regents’ Research and Community Grants, which connect university researchers with government agencies
and nonprofits to address longstanding challenges across the state.
• The AZ Healthy Tomorrow Initiative, a statewide effort to address Arizona’s healthcare workforce shortage. This includes creating a new medical school at Arizona State University and expanding the pipeline of doctors and nurses across the state.
He also chaired Getting AHEAD, a Lumina Foundation-funded initiative that established AZTransfer.com and strengthened collaboration between universities and community colleges.
In addition, he served on the National Governors Association’s “Compete to Complete” steering committee, focused on improving college completion rates.
In 2025, Regent DuVal is once again leading a transformative effort—this time to accelerate the path from university research to real-world impact. This new initiative aims to fast-track biomedical discoveries from Arizona’s public universities into market-ready devices, drugs, and therapies that can improve lives in Arizona and around the world.
The effort builds on Arizona’s significant research investments, including the Technology & Research Initiative Fund (TRIF)—which has contributed over $1.8 billion to university research since 2000— and more than $1.5 billion in university infrastructure investments since 2003.
With vision, integrity, and a commitment to public service, Regent Fred DuVal continues to elevate Arizona’s universities—and the lives they touch.
LEADING THE WAY: Regent Fred DuVal is serving his second term as a member of the Arizona Board of Regents.
photo)
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
50 years of medical device innovation
By JOAN KOERBER-WALKER
Arizona’s largest medical device manufacturer is celebrating an important milestone.
W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) marked 50 years in the medical device industry on August 25, 2025. Known for its innovation, Gore and its 4,300 Associates in Arizona work together to solve some of the most complex medical challenges with minimally invasive products for a wide range of patients.
In Arizona, Gore manufactures medical devices such as grafts and stents and actively recruits for various roles in the state, including positions in manufacturing, engineering, research and development, and clinical specialties.
With a significant presence in both Flagstaff and Phoenix, Gore plays a vital role in Arizona’s medical device industry, contributing to economic growth and employment in the region.
A history of innovation
Founded in 1958 in Newark, Del., Gore is a global materials science company spanning multiple industries. The company was initially focused on wire and cable, followed by industrial filtration products. Just over 10 years later, Gore began exploring a medical application for its innovative materials. This led to the sale of its first vascular graft, which launched Gore’s medical products business. In the 50 years since entering the
IN THE BEGINNING:
medical device industry, Gore has identified other ways to bring value using its materials science capabilities, to the benefit of physicians and their patients.
Gore first established operations in Flagstaff, Ariz., nearly 60 years ago (in 1967) to help meet the electronics needs of the region’s computer, aerospace, and defense markets. Following the expanded focus on medical products, Gore formalized the medical products business in Flagstaff. Gore’s presence in Flagstaff has grown significantly, boasting 11 facilities and making it the largest private employer in Northern Arizona.
In 2008, Gore expanded its medical products manufacturing in Phoenix, where it continues today across five facilities.
In 2013, Gore was honored as the Arizona Bioscience Company of the Year.
A shared
promise and a people-focused culture
The company’s founders, Bill and Vieve Gore, believed in the natural human capacity to solve problems in creative ways. They also believed that, given the right work environment, people will achieve more than they otherwise dreamed possible.
Since the beginning, Gore has strived to foster a highly collaborative, team-based
work environment where innovation and creativity thrive. Gore team members are called “Associates,” and everyone in the company unites around a shared promise: Together, improving life. As a team, they channel their unique talents and diverse perspectives to solve their customers’ greatest challenges.
Gore Associates are shared owners of the company and are empowered to make decisions that drive their collective success. This has helped drive the company’s growth. Gore is among the 200 largest privately held U.S. companies and consistently appears on Fortune Magazine’s Great Place to Work® rankings.
As Gore celebrates 50 years in the medical device industry, its presence in Arizona extends beyond its role as a health innovator and major Arizona-based medical device manufacturer. The company and its Associates are committed to giving back and supporting the community through important initiatives like the Flagstaff Festival of Science, as well as organizations including, but not limited to, AZBio, the Valley of the Sun United Way, the Greater Phoenix Urban League, one-nten, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and numerous Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math grants through the Arizona Community Foundation.
Bill Gore and Pete Cooper at the Flagstaff plant in 1969. (Photo provided by W. L. Gore & Associates)
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
The value of research
Treatments and cures. We talk about them. We work to discover them, develop them, and ultimately deliver them. When we need them, we want them.
The MalaCards human disease database has an anatomical disease section that includes 18 major categories with more than 26,000 diseases representing all areas of the body, including blood, bone, immune, muscle, and reproductive diseases. It is estimated that about 4,000 have approved treatments. Cures — treatments that make a health problem go away and not ever come back — are exceedingly rare. Vaccines that teach our bodies how to recognize a disease and help our immune system fight it off, often before we experience symptoms, are more common and a key part of the public health toolkit.
In FY 2024, U.S. federal government spending on health programs and services, which include treatment for diseases, totaled $1.9 trillion, or 27% of all federal outlays, and was the largest category of federal spending.
The U.S. federal government’s investment in health research in FY 2024 totaled approximately $48.6 billion.
In Arizona, everyone who has paid even a penny of sales tax since 2001
has contributed to research at our state universities through the Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF) that was funded by Prop. 301 in 2000 and extended through 2041 by Governor Ducey and the Arizona Legislature as part of the Prop. 301 extension in 2018. TRIF provides muchneeded funding to promote university research, development, and technology transfer. TRIF funding has totaled over $1.8 billion since its inception and has been leveraged by our universities to attract billions more.
In addition to TRIF, the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre (ABRC) was created by Arizona citizens who had the foresight to set aside tobacco and lottery revenue to identify and support innovative biomedical research to improve the health of all Arizonans. ABRC provides direct grants to biomedical researchers and also supports researchers to become successful and globally competitive through workshops, conferences, and other educational activities.
Health research extends across a continuum — from basic research that explores the fundamental mechanisms of life and disease, to translational research that applies basic science discoveries
and begins the process of developing them into practical tools and therapies, and clinical research where diseases and treatments are studied, often through clinical trials, to evaluate their effectiveness and safety before they can be approved, manufactured, and commercially delivered.
While basic research and some translational research are heavily funded by governments and philanthropists, the majority of translational research and clinical research is funded by the private sector. Total private sector investment related to health care research and development (R&D) is estimated at least $159.9 billion annually. This includes pharmaceutical companies, venture capital firms, and impact investors.
Without research, the treatments and cures that people are waiting for will not arrive. When we cut back on research funding, the process of developing and delivering health innovations slows down.
Value is a simple equation of benefit minus cost. As nations, as states, and across the private sector, it is important that we do the math and consider all the potential benefits of investing in health research before we start arbitrarily cutting costs.
(Image licensed from ©Adobe Stock)
ANCHORS OF INNOVATION: The Translational Genomic Research Institute, part of City of Hope, and the Health Sciences Education Building were early anchors on the Phoenix Bioscience Core. (Provided photo)
BIOSCIENCE HUBS DRIVE THE ARIZONA ECONOMY
Arizona’s life science and healthcare ecosystem is growing rapidly. The growth creates the need for places where talent is developed, research happens, and life science companies have room to grow.
Across the state, specialized real estate developments and geographic hubs are organized and purpose-built to foster research, collaboration, and growth within the life sciences industry.
These geographic clusters bring together academic institutions, research facilities, biotech and medtech companies, and investors with a unified goal to foster innovation.
The Phoenix Bioscience Core, an Arizona success story, came out of a re-visioning process after the City of Phoenix lost its bid to be the new home of the Arizona Cardinals in 2002. Originally named the Phoenix Biomedical Campus (PBC), this 30-acre urban medical and bioscience campus in downtown Phoenix was established in 2004. Today, all three state universities have a presence on the PBC and work to expand medical education and support
collaborative research initiatives. The PBC is part of a larger healthcare cluster in Phoenix, which includes hospitals and research institutes. The PBC also includes specialized facilities that provide startups and early-stage companies with access to essential resources, expertise, and shared equipment.
What started as a single communitybased plan envisioned to revitalize downtown Phoenix, with the PBC as a catalyst, has grown to an economic development plan that spans what is now the fifth-largest city in the United States. Phoenix now has five bioscience hubs: the PBC, the Cotton Center, the Medical Quarter, Mayo Clinic’s Discovery Oasis, and Halo Vista. From 2019 to 2025, these hubs represent over $6.7 billion in capital investments, over 8 million square feet of real estate developments, and over 14,000 new life science and healthcare jobs— earning Phoenix the #1 ranking for life science job creation.
The Greater Phoenix area also includes concentrations of life science companies in the cities of Mesa, Scottsdale, and Tempe.
In Southern Arizona, the University of
Arizona is home to Tech Parks Arizona. Fostering a dynamic environment aligned with the University of Arizona’s research and goals, Tech Parks Arizona manages the UA Tech Park at Rita Road, UA Tech Park at The Bridges, and the University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI)—a startup incubator network with outposts across the Southern Arizona region and a mission to grow scalable startup ventures that fuel the Arizona economy. Commercial hubs also cluster around the Tucson airport, Innovation Park in Oro Valley, and Marana.
Flagstaff to the north is home to Northern Arizona University, the Moonshot Flagstaff Campus for incubation, and the Northern Arizona Technology Park that is planned near Flagstaff Pulliam Airport. The 31.45-acre, multi-phase development is designed to attract technology-focused industries and foster collaboration among research institutions, businesses, and innovators.
From north to south and points in between, Arizona’s life science sector is growing, and homes for innovation span the state—with even more coming soon.
ARIZONA: LEADING IN MEDICAL DEVICE INNOVATION
Medical device companies develop, manufacture, and distribute the devices, equipment, diagnostic tests, and imaging technology that are transforming health care through earlier disease detection, less invasive procedures, and more
Innovation and impact
Medical advancements, including medtech-enabled diagnoses and treatments, have increased life expectancy by more than five years from 1980 to 2019. Medical technologies (medtech) have helped reduce the duration of hospital stays by 38% since 1980. Medtech has helped reduce fatalities from heart disease and stroke by 49% since 1990. Screenings due to improved medtech, including advanced imaging, have helped reduce deaths from breast cancer by 43% since their peak in 1989; prostate cancer deaths by 53% since their peak in 1993; and cancer deaths overall by 32% since 1990.
Arizona has been a medical device leader for decades
INNOVATION:
BD’s Tempebased Peripheral Intervention business unit is focused on creating minimally invasive technologies. (Provided photo)
Beginning in 1973 as Medtronic Micro-Rel, the Medtronic Tempe campus began as a single manufacturing facility that had previously been owned by Motorola. The campus was expanded five times, helping it reach the level of scale and sophistication that it has today.
Medtronic Tempe is a vertically integrated manufacturing site and technology center for the world’s leading medical technology company and focuses on analog and mixed-signal integrated circuit design and fabrication with a focus on ultra-low power and power management devices to support Medtronic’s global life science portfolio.
In Arizona, over 1,000 Medtronic employees design, develop, manufacture, and test microelectronics solutions used in Medtronic implantable devices, such as cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, devices that help patients with diabetes manage their insulin levels safely and effectively, spinal cord stimulators for pain management, and deep brain stimulators that address movement disorders. The world’s smallest pacemaker, the Micra™ Transcatheter Pacing System, and other products leveraging Medtronic’s expertise in miniaturization are also manufactured at the site.
BD Peripheral Intervention
Becton Dickinson (BD) is a global medtech leader. Its Tempe-based Peripheral Intervention business unit is focused on creating minimally invasive technologies and a Tucson-based hub supports the company’s supply chain.
BD Peripheral Intervention (BD PI), a global business unit of Becton Dickinson, offers a comprehensive range of medical products, devices, and services for the treatment of peripheral arterial and venous disease, cancer detection, and end-stage renal disease and maintenance. BD PI’s history in Arizona stretches back to 1974 with the founding of International Medical Prosthetics Research Associates, Inc. (IMPRA), a company that produced vascular grafts for blood-vessel replacement surgery. IMPRA was acquired by C. R. Bard, Inc. in late 1996 for $143 million. In 2017, BD acquired C. R. Bard for $24 billion. BD PI’s new headquarters on Tempe Town Lake opened in 2021.
Regenesis Medical
Regenesis Medical is a device company dedicated to improving human welfare through the research, design, manufacture, and sale of energy-based medical products and services that alleviate pain to improve quality of life. Founded as Regenesis Biomedical, Inc. in 1996, the company’s early development efforts focused on a medical device to fill the existing void in effective chronic wound healing. Today, the Reprieve by Regenesis® device is a trusted choice for effective, non-drug pain relief. The Reprieve devices utilize advanced shortwave diathermy technology to generate deep heating to target pain at its source, promoting pain relief. This innovative therapy is FDA-cleared, safe for home use, and tailored to meet the unique needs of patients seeking long-term solutions for chronic pain.
SynCardia, a subsidiary of Picard Medical, Inc.
SynCardia is a leader in the development of total artificial hearts. The company markets and sells the SynCardia Total Artificial Heart (“STAH”), which is the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada-approved artificial heart. The STAH has been used by over 2,100 patients worldwide. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, the company was founded in 2001 by renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Jack G. Copeland, MD; biomedical engineer Richard G. Smith, MSEE, CCE; and interventional cardiologist Marvin J. Slepian, MD.
Today, SynCardia is a subsidiary of Picard Medical, Inc., which acquired SynCardia in September 2021. Picard Medical’s support has allowed SynCardia to continue to serve patients and hospitals around the world, develop new innovations, and pursue new indications to help more people suffering from end-stage heart failure.
More medtech
These are just some of the medtech companies that call Arizona home. Over 200 medtech facilities employ over 10,000 Arizona employees. W.L. Gore, with facilities in Flagstaff and Phoenix, is Arizona’s largest medtech employer. In 2017, Dexcom opened its first Arizona manufacturing facility in Mesa. By 2025, Dexcom’s footprint in Mesa exceeded 700,000 square feet, including manufacturing space, controlled environment rooms, and a regional distribution center. Dexcom employees in Arizona play a key role in producing Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems for the U.S. market.
The next generation of Arizona medtech leaders includes companies like Anuncia Medical, with its FDA-cleared medical devices for people living with hydrocephalus; Delta Development Team, a developer of ruggedized refrigeration systems specializing in military applications; GT Medical Technologies, which pioneered new treatments to help patients with brain tumors; NeoLight, delivering important innovations to help care for babies; Macula Vision Systems, developing an automated computational microscopy solution; and Nextero, currently in clinical trials for a breakthrough treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Contract design and manufacturing services
Contract manufacturing services are crucial for the medical device industry.
Working with a contract manufacturer (CMO) allows companies to streamline operations, reduce costs, and focus on innovation. Arizona has a strong and growing presence in contract manufacturing.
Cinova Medical uses manual, semiautomated, and fully automated manufacturing work cells to produce highprecision injection molded and machined components and Class II sterile barrier finished medical devices. Cinova’s Phoenixbased team is driving medical device and life science manufacturing while leading the way in the digital transformation of medical injection molding.
Latham Industries offers high-quality printed circuit board (PCB) assembly for aerospace, medical, industrial, and security businesses at its Phoenix-based facility.
Phoenix Analysis and Design Technologies, Inc. (PADT) is an engineering
product and services company that focuses on helping customers who develop physical products by providing numerical simulation, product development, and 3D printing solutions headquartered in Tempe.
Poba Medical provides best-in-class balloon and catheter development technologies to customers across multiple continents. Based in Flagstaff, Poba solutions leverage deep engineering expertise in balloon design and development, device assembly, pilot manufacturing, and production.
Remedy Medical Manufacturing (RMM) supports startups and small medtech companies. RMM relocated to Phoenix in 2022 to join Arizona’s vibrant bioscience community and to provide quality medical products and cost-effective solutions in the evolving market.
Working together across the design, development, and manufacturing continuum, Arizona medical device companies are making an impact on our economy and on the lives of patients.
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
Arizona: A diagnostics powerhouse
Our healthcare toolkit contains tools that help us screen for potential health issues, identify disease or its severity, and guide health professionals as they work to develop our best treatment pathway.
Some tools help us measure biomarkers — the clues we use to understand what is happening with our health. You probably have a tool to measure biomarkers in your home. A thermometer lets you see if your body temperature is normal or if you have a fever. It measures the biomarker. It can tell you if you have a fever; it does not tell you why.
Medical professionals use tests to answer health questions. Screening tests aim to identify potential health issues in individuals without symptoms. Basic tests for blood pressure or cholesterol levels can help us measure heart health and guide recommendations for improving health. Other, more complex screening tests — like mammograms, colon cancer tests, or skin cancer screenings — are designed to look for indications of disease before symptoms might raise our concerns.
Diagnostic tests are used to confirm or rule out a specific condition when symptoms are present or screening
identifies a possible issue. These are the tools health professionals use to determine what is happening to us and to help decide what the best course of treatment might be.
Arizona diagnostics pioneers
Dr. Thomas Grogan envisioned a way to improve cancer diagnostics for patients. The company he founded, Ventana Medical Systems, was acquired by Roche in 2008. Over 41 million people were impacted thanks to products and services delivered by Roche Tissue Diagnostics in 2024.
Dr. Jeffrey Trent embraced a vision where people could leverage genomics and research to improve patient outcomes and advance the field of precision medicine. Today, TGen team members work to unravel the genetic components of common and complex diseases, including cancer, neurological disorders, infectious disease, and rare childhood disorders. They are getting results.
A thriving ecosystem
Thanks to pioneers like these, Arizona has a thriving diagnostics industry with a focus on advancing innovative healthcare technologies that guide treatment. Over 11,000 Arizonans work in research, testing, and medical laboratories across the state.
Arizona diagnostic innovators
Here are just a few of the companies where Arizonans are developing and delivering health innovations that are shaping the future of diagnostics:
• Aces Diagnostics has developed a novel, early, and accurate diagnostic solution for Lyme disease.
• ALZpath is a leading developer of innovative diagnostic tools and solutions for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
• Calviri is developing multi-cancer diagnostic tests to detect cancers at their earliest stage (stage 1) from a small amount of blood.
• Caris Life Sciences powers precision oncology through advanced laboratory testing, including tumor profiling and blood-based cancer diagnostics.
• Castle Biosciences performs proprietary laboratory-developed tests, which provide personalized, clinically actionable information that can help healthcare providers and patients make more informed disease management decisions.
• CND Life Sciences offers a suite of neurodiagnostic tests that provide clinicians with objective pathological insights on diseases that are often difficult to diagnose.
• Dexcom specializes in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems for people with diabetes.
• Dx4Liver provides highly accurate diagnostic biomarker tests for liver diseases.
• Exact Sciences is a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests that help patients and healthcare providers make timely, informed decisions before, during, and after a cancer diagnosis.
• Metfora Diagnostics has developed a minimally invasive blood test that quickly analyzes metabolites in blood to determine what diseases are present.
• Precision Epigenomics has developed a cutting-edge multi-cancer detection (MCD) test that uses a simple blood draw to identify DNA changes linked to over 60 types of cancer.
THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTHCARE INNOVATION
The U.S. national debt is over $37 trillion as you read this.
The portion of the national debt owed to investors (i.e., individuals, businesses, foreign governments, and the Federal Reserve) was valued at $29.6 trillion, or approximately 100% of the U.S. GDP in July of 2025. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects net interest payments will total $13.8 trillion from FY 2026 through 2035, rising from $1 trillion in 2026 to $1.8 trillion in 2035. The total U.S. debtto-GDP ratio surpassed 100% in 2013 and stood at 123% in 2024. This rapid increase is attributable to factors like increased government spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, tax cuts and other legislative responses, combined with a growing stress on the system from the growth in Social Security and Medicare enrollments.
This is a problem. Outsized levels of debt result in higher interest costs and reduced resources for essential spending or investment.
In 2025, federal healthcare spending is projected to reach $5.6 trillion, with hospitals accounting for the largest share at $1.8 trillion. This includes spending on programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ health care, as well as funding for agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mandatory spending, including Medicare and Medicaid, makes up the majority of the HHS budget. Projections indicate that healthcare spending will continue to outpace GDP growth in the coming years, reaching 20.3% of GDP by 2033.
Reducing the debt
There are two proven strategies to reduce debt: use your assets/income to pay it down and/or reduce your spending. This is easy to say and harder to do. In the case of governments, spending less often means doing less for your people. Doing less can result in cuts to healthcare, education, infrastructure, research, and more. As we are hearing today, from town halls to state houses, and from traditional media to social media, when “doing less” impacts people directly, they are really not happy.
The four largest spending categories at the federal level in 2024 were health ($1.9 trillion), Social Security ($1.5 trillion), interest payments ($880 billion), and Defense ($842 billion).
Better, faster, cheaper Innovation is doing something in a new way that solves a problem or improves a condition. There are four primary types of innovation: Incremental Innovation, Architectural Innovation, Disruptive Innovation, and Radical Innovation. When evaluating the impact of innovation, it is not simply a measure of better, faster, or cheaper. We must also consider the intended impact and unintended consequences of the changes.
Health innovation can bend the health cost curve.
Incremental innovation: Incremental innovation is the process of making small, continuous improvements to existing products, services, or processes with a goal to enhance functionality, efficiency, or user experience without fundamentally changing the core concept. Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) is an example of multiple incremental innovations that could have a major impact on health spending if people embrace healthier behaviors. As we have seen with tobacco, changing behavior and reaping the benefits can take generations.
The U.S. healthcare system is the byproduct of incremental innovation and
change on top of change over decades. This has created a patchwork of processes and systems that are often conflicting and, because of these conflicts, not optimized for cost or efficiency. That does not mean that incremental innovations cannot make an impact. One opportunity is to expand the use of telehealth services, especially in rural communities with distributed populations like we see at the Veterans Administration (VA), or other situations where getting to a healthcare facility is challenging. Telehealth came into its own during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, following significant investments by state and federal governments into improved broadband capability, increasing the use of telehealth tools could improve patient access to care and reduce costs when health challenges are addressed early and not at the later stages when treatment is more expensive.
Architectural innovation: Architectural innovation is when we take components of an existing product or system and rearrange them in a way that changes interactions and relationships while maintaining the core technology or service. For example, Medicare Advantage (MA) was expected to lower the government’s healthcare spending on Medicare beneficiaries. It was hoped that the MA model would result in the same or better coverage than traditional Medicare at an equal or lesser cost. It has not worked out that way. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) estimates that in 2025, the federal government will pay Medicare Advantage plans 20% more per person, or $84 billion more, than if the same beneficiaries were covered under traditional Medicare. In addition, as a growing number of healthcare providers have opted out of accepting MA patients and some insurers have pulled out, patient options have become more limited. As the federal government evaluates changes to MA, there is an opportunity to rearrange the pieces to build a better solution with lower cost and improved satisfaction across the system.
Disruptive innovation: Disruptive innovation, as defined by economist Clayton Christensen in the 1990s, refers to a process where a new product, service, or business model initially enters a market at the low end or in a niche, often offering
simpler, more affordable, or more accessible solutions compared to existing ones. Mandated changes in drug pricing are a system disruption. One example is the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provisions that allow Medicare to negotiate the prices of a subset of medicines. The first year these negotiated prices take effect is 2026. The federal cost savings is estimated to be $6 billion and will grow over time. This “savings” comes out of the pockets, and R&D budgets, of the companies that develop and manufacture future health innovations. The reduced R&D budgets will mean fewer medicines will be developed, and opportunities to improve health and lower overall health costs could be missed.
Radical innovation: Radical innovation involves creating entirely new technologies, products, or business models that significantly alter industries and generate new markets. Radical innovation often comes with high risk and uncertainty and is frequently driven by technological breakthroughs.
The overall cost of cancer care in the U.S. is substantial, with estimates exceeding $245 billion by 2030. Deployment of a vaccine that could prevent cancer from starting or progressing would be a radical innovation that would save lives and massively reduce health costs. It would also radically change the industries that support cancer patients today. Investing in programs that could make a vaccine that could eradicate cancer is the type of investment that could significantly impact health costs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a tool that will cross all types of innovation. Still relatively new and definitely evolving, this technology has the potential to drive operational efficiencies, economic growth, and progress, but it also brings significant disruption. AI will change how we do things, who does them, and how they work. Health innovation is an economic imperative. Prevention strategies and treatments, combined with how healthcare is delivered and paid for, can help to decrease overall costs and improve health outcomes. We need to invest in bringing them to market and clear the way for the innovators to get the job done. If we do not, we will have some hard choices to face in the future.
(Image licensed from ©Adobe Stock)
ARIZONA BIOINDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
Investing in innovation
Too many of us have lost loved ones or watched them struggle with a disease while their doctors search for answers. The answer may be in the lab of a researcher or developing at a local start-up.
Advancing research discoveries along the path to create commercially available products and services does not happen without investment.
While Arizona has made great strides in attracting world-class researchers and clinicians, the state lags significantly behind other high-growth life science states when it comes to the levels of venture capital investment that companies need to move health discoveries and promising young companies forward.
In 2025, the Arizona Board of Regents convened the community and initiated a study to look at how to move more of the patented technologies originating at the three state universities into commercial use.
Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap has made increasing investment into Arizona’s startups and emerging growth companies a priority since the first iteration of the strategic plan in 2002. The third iteration of the roadmap was released in September of 2025. Increasing access to growth capital continues to rank as a strategic priority.
The Arizona Bioindustry Association
(AZBio) has been actively working on developing a solution since 2014. It began by engaging venture capitalists nationally and getting their assessment of Arizona’s potential, performing a three-year best practices study of life science ecosystems and funding models, receiving support from the U.S. Economic Development Agency to create a solution, working with state government to establish the structure, and partnering with a local 501(c)(3) public charity to build it. AZAdvances, an initiative of the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation (OTEF), is now making an impact in Arizona’s life science ecosystem. As its financial capacity continues to grow, so will its impact.
AZAdvances works with Arizona researchers and early-stage companies to develop discoveries and advance health innovations by providing mentoring, support, and the seed funding needed to accelerate the process, while the AZAdvances Talent program creates opportunities for Arizona students to explore careers in this exciting and rewarding field.
In 2022, the State of Arizona created the Arizona Health Innovation Trust Fund (AHIT) as a permanent endowment, with the State Treasurer serving as trustee.
The goal is to build the balance of the endowment to $200 million through private donations and public appropriations. The treasurer’s office invests and manages the endowment. Annual distributions of 4% are designated to be distributed to an Arizona nonprofit for the purposes of developing the life science workforce, supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and making the strategic investments that will help small Arizona life science companies move forward faster. OTEF was selected by the State of Arizona to be this Arizona nonprofit.
Arizonans now have the opportunity to come together to support this exciting initiative by donating to the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation. Arizonans can also encourage our elected leaders to join us in advancing health innovation in Arizona by appropriating funds to the trust so that the endowment grows to reach its $200 million funding goal and begins making an impact that will continue to grow.
The AZAdvances Health Innovation Summit brings together local and national thought leaders with AZAdvances supporters for key discussions focused on advancing health innovation in Arizona. Learn more at AZAdvances.org.
NEVER ENOUGH
Each day we have with the people we love is precious, and there are never enough.
When someone we love lives with disease, we do what we can to help; and feel like it is never enough.
Every time as researchers, innovators, and healthcare teams we are not able to conquer a disease in time, we know that for all that we do, until we succeed, it is never enough.
So we keep loving, keep helping, keep working to find answers. For when we do, someday, it will be enough.
Thank you to all of the family members, friends, caregivers, researchers, innovators, investors, philanthropists, healthcare teams, and, most of all, to the patients who work together to get us to someday.
