Oceanography, medicine and astronomy are all top priorities for Gary K. Ostrander.

In October 2004, Gary K. Ostrander Ph.D. joined the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa as vice chancellor of research, leaving a position as associate provost for research at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. With a specialty in coral-reef biology and aquatic toxicology, Ostrander is a scientist who believes in the rich potential for cutting-edge research in Hawai‘i. He is also serving as interim director for the Pacific Biosciences Research Center (PBRC), a major research institution within the university. PBRC researchers work in a diverse array of disciplines, including biology, genomics, and biotech. With extramural research funding at UH hitting a record high of $354 million in the 2004-2005
fiscal year, Ostrander’s confidence appears to be well-founded. Kaunana editor Alex Salkever spoke to Ostrander in the spring of 2006 about research efforts at the UH. Here are edited excerpts of that conversation.

Kaunana: Research has expanded dramatically at UH in recent years. What are some of the most promising disciplines for research excellence?

Ostrander: Obviously, there are all kinds of things in oceanography. We are sitting in the middle of an ocean and we have tremendous capability for ocean observing, both in terms of technology and brainpower. The Hawaii Ocean Time-Series, for example, is a unique research effort that is fueling all sorts of interesting discoveries. No one else has that kind of sampling capability.

K:The UH medical school and other biomedical research have experienced tremendous growth, as well.

O:Yes. There are tremendous opportunities with the cancer center and medical research that might not be obvious to the rest of the country or the world. We have one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the U.S. Different individuals respond differently to drugs and we are seeing the first drugs that are genetically targeted to ethnicities hit the market. Drugs that would have a negative impact for one out of 100 people or might be more effective in certain ethnic groups; we will be able to spot those in trials. That will allow for some very important and interesting studies as we get into the more fine-grained aspects of biomedical research.

K:What other areas represent key targets for UH research?

O:Clearly in astronomy we have arguably the best viewing in the world from Mauna Kea. We have high-performance computing capability with the Maui Supercomputer, which is right up there with some of the best supercomputers in the world. One of the things I am personally leading is the effort to sequence the coral genome. The whole issue of environmental impacts on coral and the worldwide decline of coral is something a number of researchers at UH and elsewhere are working on.

K:Could you explain a bit more about why coral reefs are so important globally?

O:Coral reefs are dying. We are losing species of coral. That is worrying because they represent incredibly important ecosystems that are significant for food or tourism in 80 nations around the world. Some scientists have suggested that the loss of coral reefs around the equator could impact major fisheries that are key food sources. There are many other ramifications. We are one of the few places in the world that have top-notch research facilities right next to coral, and can actually grow the coral ourselves. We could play a unique role not just in the study but, potentially, in the restoration of world coral stocks.