MDI Bio Lab president stepping down in 2018

Courtesy / MDI Biological Laboratory Kevin Strange, president of the MDI Biological Laboratory, will be stepping down as head of the lab in July 2018.

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By Staff

Kevin Strange, president of the Bar Harbor-based MDI Biological Laboratory, has announced that he will leave his post in July 2018, the end of his current term.

“Kevin’s contributions can’t be overstated,” Peter J. Allen, the board’s chairman, said in a statement. “His decision to focus on the biology of aging and regeneration was transformative: not only has it propelled the institution to a position of international leadership in these rapidly emerging fields, it has also positioned the laboratory at the forefront of a field that promises to revolutionize the practice of medicine.”

Strange has served as president of the MDI Bio Lab for seven years, according to a statement from the laboratory announcing his departure. During his tenure, Strange focused research activity at the lab in the fields of aging and regenerative biology, headed the recruitment of new scientists to study the genetic mechanisms underlying aging, tissue repair and regeneration, as well as bringing in over $45 million in federal, state and private funding.

Following Strange’s departure, he will continue to serve as director of the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence program at the lab, head his own research laboratory funded by the National Institute of Health and manage Novo Biosciences Inc., a spin-off of the MDI Bio Lab, according to the statement.

“We have come much further than I ever would have expected in such a short time,” Strange said in a statement about his departure. “We’ve transformed from a seasonal marine research station to a growing independent research institution with a unique and cutting-edge focus in regenerative medicine.”

The board of trustees will announce the formation of a search committee by Sept. 1 and will launch a national search for Strange’s replacement as president later this fall.

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