Director, Funai Microfluidics, Funai Corporation, Lexington, Kentucky
Manish Giri has a simple vision for healthcare. "Healthcare is considered a burden on society today," he said. "It’s perceived as a problem, and that it’s expensive and painful to address a fundamental human need. I want to remove that stigma."
Giri believes that patients should be empowered to take ownership of their own health, and that technology is a critical piece in making that happen. For the last 16 years, he has dedicated his efforts toward innovations in drug discovery systems, point-of-care diagnostics, and precision drug delivery. After earning a Ph.D. from the University of Maine and establishing himself as a leader at HP, Giri led a cross-organizational team in developing an in vitro diagnostics solution for the healthcare and life sciences industry. He also established the technical and business foundation for a startup that involved developing a novel screening technology for pre-clinical drug screening.Today, he is directing the growth strategy for the microfluidics division of Funai Electric Company, a multi-billion dollar consumer electronics company.
Funai’s plan is to develop solutions in the personal, home care, commercial digital printing, healthcare, and life sciences markets. "Imagination and a passion to create, to innovate, was at the heart and soul of why I chose engineering," said Giri. "To me it was always all about creating — new devices, new systems, new gadgets that could solve a problem, address an issue. I constantly challenge the status quo and strive to change things a little bit — make them better, more efficient, effective, and affordable."
Degrees
- M.S. Chemical Engineering, 1998