After searching the country for the best biotech location, James Kuo left Pennsylvania two years ago to call San Diego home. “San Diego is moving forward in biotech,” he says. “You can see it with the major pharmaceutical companies setting up labs here.”

Kuo has helped to develop new biotech businesses, including Biobid.com and Biomicro Systems Inc., for which he is a board member. His main professional interests run to research for new healing drugs and progress in health care. To that end, he says he now is working as a local venture capitalist helping to get new companies started.

Born in Taiwan, Kuo came to the United States when he was 3. He earned an undergraduate degree at Haverford College in Harrisburg, Pa., a medical degree at University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

While he has not established a specialty and has not been a practicing physician, he has worked with liver cancer and transplant patients. And although he has considered returning for his residency and going into practice, his current interests besides biotech work are in politics.

“As a private citizen who is not particularly happy with conditions in California,” he says, “I have been thinking about running for governor. To be more realistic I should probably run for a lesser statewide office first.” He cited the small number of Asians in state politics as further motivation to pursue politics.

Kuo lives with his wife, Geraldine, and three daughters, ages 5, 3 and 1.

— San Diego Metropolitan Staff