Power out, Wood in

While officials at a local institute are disappointed one Michael is leaving, they have confidence a replacement with the same first name will be equally as successful.

The Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute officials announced on Tuesday its vice-president of research, Michael Wood, will be taking over for outgoing CEO Michael Power, who is moving on to the private sector’s Elekta.

Wood said he’s sad to see Power go, but  knows there are great scientists and researchers Power leaves behind who will continue the great work started under his leadership.

“What a perfect time to start a second wave beginning with a new strategic plan to use research to drive growth inside the hospital and continue the momentum that the research institute has gained so far,” Wood said.

In his two years at TBRRI, Wood has overseen research in medical imaging now ready for clinical trials – and hopefully commercialization after that. But he’s also ready to expand the institute’s mandate beyond some of the groundbreaking research done so far.

“We also want to enable research more broadly across the hospital in areas that go way beyond medical imaging so we have an interesting opportunity in front of us to become leaders in a very narrow area and also facilitators of research that go way beyond that to essentially everything the hospital wants to do,” he said.

That means letting his team of researchers and scientists do what they do best.

“We’re going to turn these people loose and let them innovate and create solutions,” Wood said.

Board chairman Keith Jobbitt said Wood is a perfect fit to oversee the institute and hospital’s new five-year plan.

“He’ll just be able to keep on moving the institute at its existing pace which is break-neck speed sometimes,” Jobbitt said. “We’re delighted that he’s here and that he’s going to be able to take over and keep going without losing a step.

Jobbitt is excited to see some of the research move ahead and hopes that one day soon licensing and commercialization can help the region, the world – and the institute’s revenue – to keep going.

“To put what the scientists have learned into practice and put it into patient care.”