This is the final article in a three-part series profiling those who work to make research happen at Ohio University.
Behind the Edison Biotechnology Institute’s doors, Ohio University is pushing forward with new research, and the man leading it all is working to bring what they find to the market.
Shiyong Wu, director of the Edison Biotechnology Institute, is not a stranger to science, but now as director, he seeks entrepreneurship opportunities to stimulate Athens’ economy.
“We started this facility to serve the entrepreneurship for product development,” Wu said. “To be commercialized, (the product) needs to be developed. We tried to acquire more instrumentation for the professors for their product.”
When Wu was appointed director in September 2012, he was researching skin cancer as the institute’s principal investigator.
The institute researches different topics such as diabetes, aging and cancer, according to the institute’s website.
Wu encountered challenges when he was appointed, including unstable funding sources.
“We really hope we can improve in manufacturing while bringing wealth into Athens. We can help and engage locally,” Wu said.
Other institutes that collaborate with Wu noted his ability to lead as well as encourage others to continue their efforts in research projects such as the Diabetes Institute.
"In terms as a director, (Wu) is extremely open and willing to do new and creative things (with research),” said Darlene Berryman, executive director for the Diabetes Institute. “For his students, he wants to make a memory for them; a meaningful memory.”
Roxanne Male-Brune, director of grant development and projects in the Graduate College, said she has worked with Wu on developing his project and research proposals.
“His research is particularly compelling,” Male-Brune said. “The research he does has really significant potential for changing peoples’ lives.”
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