Funding Awardees

The purpose of these Knight funding mechanisms is to cultivate outstanding translational cancer research by assisting in the generation of preliminary data leading to peer-reviewed national funding. This mechanism is intended to support clinical, basic, or population-based research that is cancer focused. 

Many of the awards below have been make possible as a result of the generous support of our philanthropic donors.

Knight Cancer Clinical Scholars: 2015
Knight Cancer Pilot Project Awards: 2015

OHSU Knight Cancer Clinical Scholars: 2015

This program is a $25,000 one-year award that allows protected research time to leading clinical investigators to enable them to carry out innovative clinical research that advances the Institute's mission. It also advances discoveries to improve cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Joshi Alumkal, M.D.Joshi Alumkal, M.D.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

 

Jeremy Cetnar, MD, MSHPRJeremy Cetnar, M.D., M.S.H.P.R.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

 

Lara Davis, M.D.Lara Davis, M.D.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

 

Michael Heinrich, M.D.Michael Heinrich, M.D.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

 

Eneida NemecekEneida Nemecek, M.D., M.S.

Director, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program

  

Christopher Ryan, MDChris Ryan, M.D.

Associate professor, hematology and medical oncology

 

scott_emma_smallEmma Scott, M.D.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

  

Matthew Taylor, M.D.Matthew Taylor, M.D.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

  

 Gina Vaccaro, MD Gina Vaccaro, M.D.

Associate professor, hematology and medical oncology

  

OHSU Knight Cancer Pilot Project Awards: 2015

Adam Lamble

Adam Lamble, M.D.

Pediatric hematology oncology fellow

Evaluating the T cell Receptor Repertoire in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Bone Marrow
Funded by: Umpqua Bank Innovation Award for Pediatric Cancer Research

Tiziana Cotechini

Tiziana Cotechini, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral scholar

Identification of Immune-Based Biomarkers in Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Carcinomas
Funded by: U.S. Bank Cancer Research Development Award  

Julie Graff

Julie N. Graff, M.D., M.C.R.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

Preliminary Evaluation to Identify Risks Factors for Falls and Fracture in Men with Prostate Cancer on Enzalutamide
                                             Funded by: Kemmerer Foundation

Sudarshand Anand

Sudarshand Anand, Ph.D.

Assistant professor, radiation oncology

Reprogramming the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer using microRNAs
Funded by: Dive for the Cure - Barbara Ann Miller Breast Cancer Research Award

Sonali Jindal

Sonali Jindal, M.D.

Assistant professor

Myoepithelial Cells as Gatekeepers of Pre-Invasive to Invasive Breast Cancer Switch
Funded by: Dive for the Cure - Breast Cancer

Kim-Hien T. Dao

Kim-Hien T. Dao, D.O., Ph.D.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

A prospective epidemiology study following a cohort of females over 65 years old who demonstrate clonal hematopoiesis and harbor TET2 mutations
                                             Funded by: Cancer Center Support Grant

Lara Davis

Lara E. Davis, M.D.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

Targetable ALK Fusions in Leiomyosarcoma
Collaborator: Monika Davare, Ph.D. (OHSU)
                                             Funded by: Hillcrest

Monika Davare

Monika Davare, Ph.D.

Assistant professor, pediatric hematology

Targetable ALK Fusions in Leiomyosarcoma
Collaborator: Lara E. Davis, M.D. (OHSU)
                                              Funded by: Hillcrest

Michael Heinrich

Michael Heinrich, M.D.

Professor, hematology and medical oncology 

Bedside to bench to bedside: SDH mutations in cancer
Funded by: Hillcrest

Sushil Kumar

Sushil Kumar, Ph.D.

Assistant professor

Analysis of CSF1R targeted therapy in malignant mesothelioma for identification of response biomarkers and combination therapy target
Funded by: Cancer Center Support Grant

 

Alexander Guimaraes

Alexander R. Guimaraes, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate professor

Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting: A novel approach to quantify pancreatic tumor microvasculature
Funded by: Cancer Center Support Grant

 

James Chen

James Z. Chen, Ph.D.

Assistant professor, biochemistry and molecular biology

Structure Elucidation of MRP1 by Single-Particle Electron Microscopy
Funded by: Borchard Foundation  

Laura Newell

Laura F. Newell, M.D.

Assistant professor

Pathogenesis and Prevention of Therapy-Related MDS/AML following Breast Cancer Treatment
Collaborator: Rachel J. Cook, M.D., M.S. (OHSU)
                                             Funded by: Borchard Foundation 

Rachel Cook

Rachel J. Cook, M.D., M.S.

Assistant professor

Pathogenesis and Prevention of Therapy-Related MDS/AML following Breast Cancer Treatment
Collaborator: Laura F. Newell, M.D. (OHSU)
                                             Funded by: Borchard Foundation

 

Kim-Hien T. Dao

Kim-Hien T. Dao, D.O., Ph.D.

Assistant professor, hematology and medical oncology

Design and validate synthetic oligonucleotides to selectively suppress mutant CALR (calreticulin) alleles in myeloproliferative neoplasms
                                             Collaborator: Patrick Iversen, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

Melinda Davis

Melinda M. Davis, Ph.D. 

Research assistant professor, family medicine

Disparities in CRC Screening: A Mixed Methods Multi-level Study of Oregon's Medicaid Population
Collaborator: Cynthia Mojica, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

 

Jackilen Shannon

 Jackilen Shannon, Ph.D., R.D., M.P.H. 

Associate professor

Chemoprevention of prostate cancer: Long Non-Coding RNAs and Sulforaphane
Collaborator: Emily Ho, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

 

Linda Stork

Linda C. Stork, Ph.D

Professor, pediatrics

Zebrafish as a Model for Chemoprevention of T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL)
Collaborators: Bill H. Chang, M.D., Ph.D. (OHSU)  |  David E. Williams, Ph.D. (OSU)  |  Robert L Tanguay, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative 

 

Bill Chang

Bill H. Chang, MD, Ph.D.

Associate professor

Zebrafish as a Model for Chemoprevention of T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL)
Collaborators: Linda C. Stork, Ph.D. (OHSU) | David E. Williams, Ph.D. (OSU) | Robert L Tanguay, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

Pamela Cassidy

Pamela Cassidy, Ph.D.

Research associate professor

Function of selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase (TR1) in melanocyte homeostasis
Collaborator: Arup Indra, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

 


Rosalie Sears

Rosalie Sears, Ph.D.

Professor

Bcl-2 converters for breast cancer
Collaborators: Shiuh-Wen Luoh, M.D., Ph.D. (OHSU) | Christiane V. Löhr, Ph.D. (OSU) | Siva Kumar Kolluri, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

Shiuh-Wen Luoh

Shiuh-Wen Luoh, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant professor

Bcl-2 converters for breast cancer
Collaborators: Rosalie Sears, Ph.D. (OHSU) | Christiane V. Löhr, Ph.D. (OSU) | Siva Kumar Kolluri, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

 

 

Skye Mayo

Skye C. Mayo, M.D., M.P.H. 

Assistant professor, surgery

Early Detection of Colorectal Liver Metastases and Recurrence to Direct Hepatic Regional Therapy
Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

Jackilen Shannon

Jackilen Shannon, M.P.H., Ph.D.

Associate professor

Phytanic acid, a branched-chain fatty acid in dairy, and risk of cancer
Collaborator: Yumie Takata (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

Owen McCarty

Owen McCarty, Ph.D.

Associate professor

Role of platelets activation in colon cancer metastasis under coagulation and shear
Collaborator: Travis Walker, Ph.D. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative

Brandon Hayes-Lattin

Brandon Hayes-Lattin, M.D.

Associate professor, hematology and medical oncology

Patient-centered communication to meet the needs of AYA survivors
Collaborator: Jessica R. Gorman, Ph.D., M.P.H. (OSU)
                                             Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative  

Pepper Schedin

Pepper J. Schedin, Ph.D.

Professor, cell, developmental and cancer biology

Phytanic acid, a branched-chain fatty acid in dairy, and risk of cancer
Collaborator: Veronica Irvin, M.P.H., Ph.D.(OSU)
                                            Funded by: OHSU/OSU Cancer Prevention and Control Initiative