Biotechnology
Kevin Strange, Ph.D., Featured in Maine Magazine’s “50 Mainers” Issue
- July 5, 2017
MDI Biological Laboratory President Kevin Strange, Ph.D., was featured in Maine magazine’s fifth annual “50 Mainers” issue, which highlights the careers of Mainers who are “leading by example.” The influential Mainers were recognized in the July issue for their “drive to do what’s best for their communities, no matter what the odds or expectations.”
“They take action, even if they don’t know who will follow,” the magazine noted, adding, “In the process they make their communities healthier, more prosperous, more educated, more diverse, and more culturally rich.”
The leaders were selected for “creating world-class research institutions in the outer edges of the state,” for “focusing investment in neighborhoods and regions abandoned by past industries” and for “providing jobs and support to Maine’s most vulnerable populations.” The magazine celebrated Strange’s efforts to transform the “largely unknown” institution into a “global mecca of scientific discovery” and to pioneer new approaches in regenerative medicine focused on developing new drugs to treat diseases and injuries, including through the formation of Novo Biosciences, an MDI Biological Laboratory spinoff formed to move potential therapies discovered by laboratory scientists into the clinic. Strange was also recognized for the launch of the Maine Center for Biomedical Innovation, a technology incubator and innovation hub that trains students for STEM (science, technology engineering and math) careers and provides startup companies with laboratory space, training and access to expertise. The center also offers an opportunity to create technology leadership roles in Maine, the magazine noted.
“Biomedical research will and must play a leading role in Maine’s future and in helping modernize our economy,” the magazine quoted Strange as saying.
Read the profile of Kevin Strange, Ph.D., in the “50 Mainers” issue.