The ASA Castle Biosciences Research Grant Melanoma was awarded to Joel Sunshine, M.D., Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Castle Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTL), a dermatologic diagnostics company providing personalized genomic information to inform treatment decisions, today announced its collaboration with the American Skin Association to provide a 2021 research grant in the area of melanoma.

The ASA Castle Biosciences Research Grant Melanoma was awarded to Joel Sunshine, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The grant will support Dr. Sunshine’s research study entitled “mRNA Nanoparticle Vaccination for Melanoma Immunotherapy.”

"These crucial grants in support of cutting-edge dermatological research will improve the chances of finding long sought-after cures and bring hope to those suffering from these devastating illnesses," said ASA Chairman, Howard P. Milstein.

“At Castle, our main focus is to improve the lives of patients with dermatologic diseases,” said Derek Maetzold, president and chief executive officer of Castle Biosciences. “We are proud to recognize and support research in new technology that stands to make meaningful advances in the area of skin cancer. Melanoma remains largely unexplored with respect to the disease’s behavior in response to targeted immunotherapies. With that in mind, we are thrilled to support Dr. Sunshine and his group in pursuing an immunotherapy approach to melanoma.”

ASA's grant program is steered by leading scientists and physicians to support talented researchers, ranging from talented investigators in the early phases of their careers to recognized leaders in the field of dermatology. In particular, ASA-funded researchers have had a broad impact on melanoma research, improving our understanding of its diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. For over thirty years, ASA and its affiliates have funded over $50 million in grants to enhance treatments and continue working toward cures for melanoma, vitiligo, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other skin diseases.

About American Skin Association

A unique collaboration of patients, families, advocates, physicians, and scientists, ASA has evolved over three decades as a leading force in efforts to defeat melanoma, skin cancer, and other skin diseases. Established to serve the now more than 100 million Americans – one-third of the U.S. population – afflicted with skin disorders, the organization's mission remains to: advance research, champion skin health particularly among children, and drive public awareness about skin disease. For more information, visit americanskin.org.

About Castle Biosciences

Castle Biosciences (Nasdaq: CSTL) is a commercial-stage dermatologic diagnostics company focused on providing physicians and their patients with personalized, clinically actionable genomic information to make more accurate treatment decisions. The Company currently offers tests for patients with cutaneous melanoma (DecisionDx^®-Melanoma, DecisionDx^®-CMSeq), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (DecisionDx^®-SCC), suspicious pigmented lesions (DecisionDx^® DiffDx™-Melanoma) and uveal melanoma (DecisionDx^®-UM, DecisionDx^®-PRAME and DecisionDx^®-UMSeq). For more information about Castle’s gene expression profile tests, visit www.CastleTestInfo.com. Castle also has active research and development programs for tests in other dermatologic diseases with high clinical need, including its test in development to predict systemic therapy response in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and related conditions. Castle Biosciences is based in Friendswood, Texas (Houston), and has laboratory operations in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit www.CastleBiosciences.com.

DecisionDx-Melanoma, DecisionDx-CMSeq, DecisionDx-SCC, DecisionDx DiffDx-Melanoma, DecisionDx-UM, DecisionDx-PRAME and DecisionDx-UMSeq are trademarks of Castle Biosciences, Inc.

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