Evan Lind, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of molecular microbiology and immunology with an appointment in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology.

April 23, 2015

What’s been the most interesting development in your area in the last two years?

The last two years have been a boom time for my field of cancer immunotherapy. There have been nearly amazing clinical results from the use of so called “checkpoint inhibitors” in several cancer types. In 2013, immunotherapy was declared the “Breakthrough of the Year” by the journal Science. Things are happening so fast it is hard to keep up. The best part is that patients with previously untreatable cancers are responding and living longer.

What projects are you currently working on and are there opportunities for fellow faculty to participate? 

I am currently studying the feasibility of applying immunotherapies to hematological malignancies, specifically the type of leukemia known as AML. The biology of the immune system in patients with AML is not well understood at this time.  Hopefully our work will identify possible immune based therapies for this terrible disease.

What is the most important aspect of support that OHSU provides to you currently and how would you like this or other support to grow in the future? 

The biggest support I have had at OHSU is by far the collaborative environment that exists here. Without Drs. Jeff Tyner and Brian Druker, I would not be able to conduct my research in the same way.  I have only been at OHSU for one year and the support from my colleagues has been amazing. I think if we can keep this spirit of discovery and teamwork intact in the “post-Knight Challenge” era, this will be a unique and amazingly productive place to work.

About Three Questions
This Q&A series features OHSU School of Medicine faculty members talking about their work with the goal of getting to know them and different areas across the school. View more