Ecuadorian President Visits the N.C. Research Campus, PHHI

Written by: Jennifer Woodford, N.C. Research Campus

Dr. Mary Ann Lila, director of the Plants for Human Health Institute, meets with President Correa of Ecuador at the N.C. Research Campus on October 30, 2012.

President Rafael Correa of the Republic of Ecuador and a delegation of ministers spent October 30, 2012, touring each of the 16 university and corporate research programs at the N.C. Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis, including N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute. President Correa and his delegation of over 60 Ecuadorian government officials met with David H. Murdock, founder of the NCRC, and the campus’ lead scientists.

President Correa is looking at the research, scientific instrumentation and collaborative environment of the NCRC as a model to implement in the development of Yachay, a planned city of science and technology being built in Ecuador’s northern province of Imbabura. Yachay broke ground this year and will grow into a center similar to the NCRC where research and innovation from both universities and companies will be tapped as an economic booster and job creator.

One-third of Ecuador is rainforest, and Ecuador is recognized as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Research into bioactive compounds in plants, a major focus of many of the NCRC’s partnering institutions and companies, and its application to improve human health, agriculture and food is particularly interesting to the Ecuadorian delegation.

View the full story on the N.C. Research Campus website.