Knight School

Careers in cancer: Is there a higher calling?

March 19, 2019

Knight School is a series of public science talks designed to educate, entertain, and inspire audiences with stories told by Knight Cancer researchers, clinicians and patients. Register early to secure your seat.

Few people know the wide variety of careers available to those who may be interested in working in the field of cancer. It’s not just doctors and researchers! Knight Cancer Institute scientists will share their experiences, discuss their work, and talk about the ways we mentor and develop young people so they can be a part of the effort to end cancer as we know it. When Phil Knight challenged OHSU to raise a billion dollars for cancer research, he asked: “Is there a higher calling than curing cancer?” We think not, and we think you might be surprised at how many different perspectives we need in this fight.

The one-hour presentation begins at 7 p.m. and concludes with a question-and-answer session. Join us for cookies and lemonade in the lobby following the presentation.

Presenters:

Sadik Esener

Sadik Esener Ph.D., director of the Knight’s Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) center and Wendt Family Endowed Chair in Early Cancer Detection at OHSU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering

Esener leads the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute’s Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) center, one of the largest initiatives in the world focused on translational research to detect and stop lethal cancers at the earliest stage. His research has involved projects in multiple scientific fields, including electrical and optical engineering, nano-engineering and material sciences for biomedical applications. Esener has published more than 375 journal and conference articles, holds 23 patents and co-founded several companies.

Amanda Lund

Amanda Lund, Ph.D., assistant professor at OHSU’s Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology

David Edwards

David Edwards, Ph.D., scientific program communications fellow at the Knight’s Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) center

Edwards is developing a core infrastructure for writing support at CEDAR. His work on scientific communication, writing education, and community outreach accelerates the time to manuscript publication, shares compelling research stories with the public, and strengthens CEDAR’s communication with key stakeholders and the broader community. In 2018, he earned his Ph.D. at OHSU, where he studied under Jeffrey Tyner, Ph.D.

Gabriela Hernandez Duran

Gabriela Hernandez Duran, a student at the University of Portland

Hernandez Duran is a student at the University of Portland studying biology, chemistry and Spanish. She plans to pursue a career as a physician-scientist in oncology or emergency medicine. During high school she participated in the Ted R. Lilley CURE Program where she gained hands-on research experience working in a lab at OHSU. She volunteers with children’s reading programs and works at the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber.