Caris Life Sciences Announces First Ph.D. Recipient from Educational Collaboration with Arizona State University

IRVING, Texas, May 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences^®, a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine, today announced that its first employee has received his Ph.D. from a collaborative research program with Arizona State University (ASU).

The Molecular and Cellular Biology Ph.D. program, within ASU's School of Life Sciences, enables Caris research scientists to apply their research to a fully-accredited Ph.D. program. The program's curriculum requires the students attend classes, conduct research under the guidance of their Ph.D. committee, write and defend their thesis and publish their work in peer-reviewed journals.

Caris' first program participant, Zhenyu Zhong, Ph.D., obtained his degree by investigating the diagnostic potential of profiling circulating extracellular vesicles as a cancer diagnostic using Caris' ADAPT Biotargeting System™.

"Caris is first and foremost a scientifically-driven company that relies on rigorous research and peer review to develop and expand the uses of our innovative profiling platforms," said David Spetzler, M.S., Ph.D., M.B.A., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Caris Life Sciences and co-chairman of Dr. Zhong's thesis committee. "This collaboration highlights our commitment to be on the vanguard of molecular science and research to both our employees and the scientific community. We have additional Caris employees that are currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program. We look forward to continuing the growth of the program and contributing to the scientific prestige for both Caris and Arizona State University."

Jeanne Wilson-Rawls, Ph.D., associate professor, School of Life Sciences and program director of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Ph.D. program added, "As a research-driven graduate institution, we enroll highly talented and scientifically curious students motivated to advance scientific knowledge. Our collaboration with Caris provides an opportunity for talented researchers to complete a competitive graduate degree while continuing their employment. The collaboration has been immensely successful to date, and we anticipate that it will continue to be so."

About Caris Life Sciences
Caris Life Sciences^® is a leading innovator in molecular science focused on fulfilling the promise of precision medicine through quality and innovation, and the world's leading immunotherapy diagnostic expert. Caris Molecular Intelligence^®, the company's Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Plus (CGP+) molecular testing service, assesses DNA, RNA and proteins, including microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutational burden (TMB) and PD-L1, to reveal a molecular blueprint to guide more precise and personalized treatment decisions. Caris' profiling services are routinely covered by third-party payors, including CMS for Medicare patients. The ADAPT Biotargeting System^™, the company's revolutionary and unbiased profiling platform, is currently being utilized for drug target identification, therapeutic discovery and development, fixed tissue-based companion diagnostics, blood-based cancer screening and biomarker identification. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris Life Sciences offers services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit www.CarisLifeSciences.com.

About The Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD program at The School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
The interdisciplinary graduate program in Molecular and Cellular Biology provides graduate education focused on the development of the next generation of scientific, industry, and entrepreneurial leaders. Our goal is to provide a diverse range of research and training opportunities for students interested in pursuing questions focused on understanding the fundamental molecular events at the core of all life. This dynamic program embraces the goals of the New American University at ASU by breaking from traditional constraints —allowing you to develop new knowledge to transform our world.

Media Inquiries:
Caris Life Sciences
Kirsten Thomas / Joanna Zimmerman
The Ruth Group
[email protected] /  [email protected]
Tel: +1-508-280-6592 / +1-646-536-7006
Source: Caris Life Sciences

Arizona State University
Sandra Leander
Manager, Media Relations and Marketing
[email protected]
Tel: +1-480-965-9865 

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences

Related Links

http://www.CarisLifeSciences.com