FYR Bio Appoints Barbara K. Zehentner, MBA, PhD, HCLD (ABB), as COO

Veteran laboratory operations leader brings deep expertise scaling high-complexity CLIA/CAP environments and multiomic platforms to support FYR’s EV-Omics growth across neuroscience and oncology

FYR Bio (“FYR”), a biotechnology company leveraging extracellular vesicles (EVs) to deliver AI-enabled multiomic insights from a peripheral blood sample, today announced the appointment of Barbara K. Zehentner, MBA, PhD, HCLD (ABB), as Chief Operating Officer (COO).

In her role, Zehentner will lead FYR’s operational strategy and execution as the company scales its EV-Omics (EVO) platform, expands laboratory capacity, and advances collaborations with biopharma, academic, and clinical partners.

“Barbara has a proven record of leading high-complexity laboratory organizations, building teams, and strengthening the operational foundations that enable reliable delivery for clients and partners,” said Chris Booth, PhD, CEO and co-founder of FYR Bio. “As FYR expands our platform capabilities and partner programs across neuroscience and oncology, her leadership will help us execute with consistency and quality at every step.”

Zehentner brings more than two decades of experience building and leading high-complexity laboratory operations across various large and small companies, spanning multi-site workflows, automation, quality systems, and inspection readiness. Most recently, she served as COO at CareNexa LLC dba Molecular Testing Labs, leading multi-state operations and product development. Previously, she was Vice President of Molecular Laboratory Operations at Adaptive Biotechnologies, directing multi-site, high-throughput next-generation sequencing operations and supporting rapid growth in a public-company environment.

“I’m excited to join FYR during a pivotal phase of growth,” said Barbara K. Zehentner, MBA, PhD, HCLD (ABB), Chief Operating Officer of FYR Bio. “FYR’s EV-focused multiomic approach aligns closely with my experience scaling complex platforms through strong quality systems, smart automation, and disciplined execution. I look forward to working with the team to expand capacity, strengthen compliance readiness, and deliver dependable multiomic outputs that help partners move biomarker programs, clinical studies, and translational decisions forward.”

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