Una Ryan

摘要

As the head of Diagnostics for All, a nonprofit founded in 2007, Una Ryan has one goal: to change the way health care is delivered in poor countries. The organization is developing paper diagnostics—cheap, portable, easy-to-manufacture tests that can be used in environments with few resources and little infrastructure (see "TR10: Paper Diagnostics," March/April 2009). The key to the nonprofit's success is an innovative business model. Diagnostics for All has won grants and philanthropic funding to support early development of its technology. But Ryan knows that these types of funds are inadequate for deploying new medical tests over the long term. So Diagnostics for All has created a for-profit subsidiary, Paper Diagnostics, which will partner with companies to develop tests for use in wealthy nations. After taxes, the proceeds will be invested back into the nonprofit.