The Arizona Bioindustry Association, Inc. and Castle Biosciences, Inc., a company improving health through innovative tests that guide patient care, today announced that Kristen Oelschlager, R.N., Castle’s chief operating officer, has been named the 2024 Jon W. McGarity Arizona Bioscience Leader of the Year. The award, presented by AZBio, recognizes Oelschlager for her outstanding leadership that has contributed significantly to the progression of the bioscience industry in Arizona.
“Kristen’s tenacity, thoughtful leadership and passion for people have had an immeasurable influence on Castle’s growth trajectory, our strong workplace culture and the legacy of improved patient care that we are working to build as a company,” said Derek Maetzold, president and chief executive officer of Castle. “It has been an honor to work alongside her for the better part of two decades, and I can think of no person more deserving of this honor.”
“The entirety of Kristen’s professional career has been dedicated to positively impacting the care of patients, first at the bedside as a nurse and now more broadly through her work at Castle Biosciences,” said Joan Koerber-Walker, president and chief executive officer of AZBio. “Kristen’s contributions to the advancement of patient care are helping to re-shape disease management paradigms in Arizona and beyond, and we are pleased to honor her as the 2024 Arizona Bioscience Leader of the Year.”
In 2008, Oelschlager joined Maetzold and Toby Juvenal, chief commercial officer, in a new entrepreneurial endeavor as a founder of Castle Biosciences, a company offering innovative testing solutions to guide treatment decisions for patients impacted by cancers. Her diverse background spanning more than 15 years in clinical nursing, operations services and research has provided a unique perspective that has been instrumental in the Company’s ongoing growth and success.
Arizona’s life science community will gather on September 18, 2024, at the Phoenix Convention Center for the AZBio Awards where Oelschlager will be presented with the award.
