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 statewide leadership group, administered by the Flinn Foundation, which oversees the Roadmap and advocates for the state’s growing bioscience ecosystem.
The committee of about 100 Arizonans from the public and private sectors in science, health care, business, academia and policy, will also emphasize five areas through its subcommittees, or project teams — communications and marketing, entrepreneurship, legislative relations, risk capital, and workforce alignment — as it helps implement the goals of the new Roadmap unveiled in September.
Barton, a professor, biomedical engineer, and inventor, is the interim vice provost for health programs and the Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair at the College of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering at U of A.
The committee chair previously served as the director of the BIO5 Institute and president of SPIE, the 22,000-member international society for optics and photonics. She is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering whose research focuses on the development of optical techniques for understanding disease processes, with an emphasis on ovarian cancer.
Barton earned her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in biomedical engineering and her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from UT and the University of California, Irvine, respectively. Barton, who started her career at U of A in Tucson in 1998, joined the Steering Committee in 2013 and served as vice chair for the past two years.
“I’m proud to chair the Steering Committee as we move into the next exciting chapter of the Bioscience Roadmap,” Barton said. “Arizona’s bioscience ecosystem is growing rapidly, and it’s crucial that we enable strong communication, share best practices, and promote our community through the telling of Arizona’s bioscience story.”
Jardine, a member of the Steering Committee since 2021, is vice president, market executive at Wexford, where he is responsible for marketing, leasing, community engagement, and operations.
Jardine led the development and leasing for 850 PBC, in partnership with Arizona State University and the city of Phoenix, at Phoenix Bioscience Core in downtown Phoenix. The building is home to Connect Labs by Wexford, research space, and private companies. Wexford is now in predevelopment for 800 PBC and 843 PBC.
“I have learned so much since moving to Arizona from the researchers, founders, and ecosystem leaders about what makes this state special,” Jardine said. “I look forward to serving and bringing continued energy, focus, and collaboration to support the Roadmap’s momentum.”
Jardine has a Master of Business Administration in real estate from the University of Utah and a Bachelor of Science in facility and property management from Brigham Young University.
Flinn Foundation President and CEO Tammy McLeod, Ph.D., said Barton and Jardine share a passion for the Arizona bioscience community and will play a major role in helping Arizona reach its goal of becoming a nationally recognized leader by 2030.
“Jennifer and Kyle have strong expertise in research, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and more that will benefit not only the Steering Committee and its membership, but the entire bioscience ecosystem and state of Arizona,” McLeod said.
Heather Carter, CEO of Health Choice Arizona at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, completed her two-year term as committee chair in December. As the new chair, Barton joins a list of bioscience and community leaders who have led the group, including Eve Ross, Mark Slater, Ron Shoopman, Martin Shultz and former Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza, who was the first chair when the Roadmap and Steering Committee began in 2002.
