Bioscience
Building Arizona as a global center for research and commercialization in the biosciences.
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Bioscience in Arizona
The Flinn Foundation supports the biosciences in Arizona through research and entrepreneurship grants as well as stewardship of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, guiding the growth and development of the state’s bioscience sector since 2002. The third iteration of the Roadmap was released in September 2025.
The biosciences improve our world by developing treatments for health afflictions with safer and more affordable medicines, creating diagnostics that gauge and prevent illness, and strengthening our food supply. In addition, the biosciences strengthen and diversify our economy by creating cutting-edge companies and high-paying jobs.
The Roadmap’s vision is for Arizona to be a nationally recognized, rising bioscience leader with a skilled talent base, world-class research, and dynamic industry growth, exemplifying collaboration, agility, and the courage to bet on discoveries that strengthen the economy and Arizonans’ health and quality of life.
Arizona bioscience steering committee names new leaders
An internationally recognized University of Arizona researcher and executive and a Phoenix Bioscience Core developer with Wexford Science and Technology have been named chair and vice chair of the Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee.
Jennifer Barton, Ph.D., and Kyle Jardine will serve two-year terms in their roles heading up the 100-strong statewide leadership group, administered by the Flinn Foundation, which oversees the Roadmap and advocates for the state’s growing bioscience ecosystem. Their passion and expertise will play a major role in advancing the goals of the new Roadmap, including Arizona becoming a nationally recognized bioscience leader by 2030. [Read more]
March 5 Flinn Bio Capital Conference brings together entrepreneurs, investors
The 2026 Flinn Foundation Bio Capital Conference: What Investors Want; What Entrepreneurs Need, returned Thursday, March 5 to the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus at Park Central in Phoenix. Bioscience founders, investors, ecosystem partners, and service providers attended for a high-energy day of networking and learning.
The event was presented by the Flinn Foundation, in collaboration with the Risk Capital Project Team of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee, and generously sponsored by J.P. Morgan, Procopio, Phoenix Bioscience Core, CLA, Alliant, BIOSA, XCellerant Ventures, Trinet, and SALC. [Learn more]
How Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap came about — and the new 2030 vision
This article, which first appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of the Maricopa County Medical Society’s Arizona Physician magazine, tells the story of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap and how the Arizona Cardinals and the state’s ascension in the biosciences over the past two decades are forever linked.
Within this context of expansion, the Flinn Foundation unveiled the third iteration of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap in September 2025 with a vision to become a nationally recognized, rising bioscience leader by 2030 with a skilled talent base, world-class research, and dynamic industry growth. [Read more]
Flinn to lead new Arizona Community NeuroArts Coalition
Arizona has joined 10 regions across the U.S. as part of a new network exploring how the arts can be used to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Neuroarts is an emerging field that explores how arts and aesthetic experiences change the brain, body, and behavior and how this knowledge can be applied as health care.
The Community Neuroarts Coalitions Network is a key building block of the NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative, which is helmed by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics and the Aspen Institute’s Health, Medicine & Society Program. [Read more]
Flinn-Brown Fellow Annette Zinky helps lead bio company
Annette Zinky since 2017 has served as chief operating officer of TheraSpecs, an e-commerce company with specially tinted glasses for people with different kinds of light sensitivity and a past Flinn Foundation Bioscience Entrepreneurship Program participant. The glasses support individuals affected by brain injury, chronic migraines, and others who experience discomfort from prolonged exposure to screens, fluorescent lighting, sunlight, or other bright environments.
Zinky, an Arizona Center for Civic Leadership Flinn-Brown Fellow, also spent more than a decade in higher education, including serving as the director at the Small Business Development Center at Coconino Community College in Flagstaff, where she supported startups, business expansion, and local economic development. [Read more]
Flinn unveils new Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap
A new blueprint for Arizona’s emerging bioscience ecosystem lays out a plan for the state to capitalize on more than two decades of momentum and become a nationally recognized leader.
Bioscience focuses on the research, development, and commercialization of therapies and products to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease, improve health outcomes, enhance crops, and generate biological solutions for environmental and industrial challenges. It strengthens and diversifies our economy by creating cutting-edge companies and high-paying jobs.
The Roadmap was launched at events in Flagstaff, Tucson, and Phoenix with bioscience and community leaders whose vision and innovation are leading Arizona to new heights in the biosciences. [Read more]
News and Updates
Bioscience
Bioscience conference brings together founders, investors in Phoenix
Keep up with industry news with our Arizona Bioscience News newsletter. Five goals to accelerate growth in Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap. From Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego’s opening remarks to the advice from closing keynote speaker Tari Suprapto of Novo Nordisk, the fifth annual Flinn Foundation Bio Capital Conference provided for a full day of networking, panels, and connections. The sold-out March 5 event attracted almost 300 startup founders, investors, researchers, ecosystem builders and […]
Bioscience
Arizona Bioscience News: Bio Capital Conference panels; Banner Alzheimer’s labs; Phoenix biotech raises $60M; $5M U of A science gift; NAH halts site search
Bio Capital Conference introduces two new panels ahead of March 5 event / Flinn Foundation
Investors, advisors, and strategists who understand what it takes to succeed at every stage of the journey will offer their insights to conference-goers during the Thursday, March 5 Flinn Foundation Bio Capital Conference in Phoenix. Check out the prominent panelists for “Investing with Impact: Seed to Growth Capital” and “Building Beyond Capital” and register today.
Bioscience
Arizona Bioscience News: ASU VR medical training; Mental health startup raises $1M; Verde Valley SciTech Festival; STEMMY Award nominations; accelerateAZ supports startups
ASU researchers are working on VR glasses that walk users through medical procedures in real time / KJZZ
Arizona State University researchers are developing augmented reality glasses that can help walk users through some procedures in real time, which could help bring emergency medical care to rural Arizona
Bioscience
Arizona Bioscience News: Bio Capital investor panel; Phoenix biotech raises $60M; U of A tops $1B research; U of A science lecture series; HonorHealth expands East Valley
Breakthru Medicine emerges from stealth with $60M Series A for cancer drug development / Yahoo
Breakthru Medicine, a Phoenix-based bioscience company focused on targeted therapy areas that affect cancer patients, has emerged from stealth with the close of a $60 million Series A financing round following a prior undisclosed seed round.
For information about Bioscience, please contact:
bioscience@flinn.org or (602) 744-6831
