By Hugh Fisher

Kannapolis Citizen

In his work with the North Carolina Research Campus, Dr. Andrew Conrad of the National Genetics Institute has a central role.

"It is an honor to be able to help direct the efforts for the NCRC," Conrad said.

"I am here to translate the wishes and aspirations Mr. (David) Murdock has for this incredible place to the universities and the other members of the campus scientific community," he said.

Conrad holds a Ph.D. in cell biology from UCLA. He founded the National Genetics Institute with partner Mike Aicher in 1991.

"It began in my garage," Conrad said. "I was working in academic labs as a graduate student before that."

Today, NGI is owned by LabCorp, which will have a headquarters on the grounds of the North Carolina Research Campus.

Looking ahead to the research that will take place at the Research Campus, Conrad says it will take three things to advance scientific study.

The first and foremost of these is brain power. "You need smart, energetic and creative people working on problems," Conrad said.

"Here at the campus, through the universities and the private biotech companies, we will have plenty of that."

Campus Watch logo. Graphic by Andy Mooney, Salisbury Post.

Collaboration is another necessity — and something that the Research Campus is designed to provide.

"The tough questions are going to take a multifaceted approach to answer," Conrad said.

"The way the campus is designed promotes collaboration between individual researchers as well as the institutions resident on campus."

And finally, researchers will need the resources to make important discoveries.

"The core lab provides the tools for scientific discovery. This unrivaled facility given as a charitable gift by David Murdock will jump start the efforts on the campus. The state support for its universities and the active support from local state and federal government will be catalytic as well.

"Add to this the private venture money, and other grants and the campus has the resources it needs to succeed," Conrad said.

Conrad is quick to praise Murdock for his foresight in planning a biotechnology research facility of this size and caliber.

"This is Mr. Murdock's vision. He has always cared about this community and when the mill closed he was upset and wanted to find a durable solution to the issues that faced the people of Kannapolis."

Conrad's job, in his own words, was to help with the details.

"Mr. Murdock is an extremely creative man and when he wants to do something, it just gets done," Conrad said. "The scale of the project is inherent to his desire to make a place that will last forever.

"To be world class it takes a critical mass," he said.

Contact Hugh Fisher at 704-933-3450 or hfisher@kannapoliscitizen.com.