Oregon Health & Science University

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For years, Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) has led medical breakthroughs for better health. I tell the stories of those breakthroughs as a means to inspire donors and give hope to the patients that need it most.

This profile of female researchers at OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute is one such example.

Forces of Change

In the world of cancer research, OHSU continues to break new ground — not just in medical discoveries, but also in building a world-class team of female scientists.

Mary Stenzel-Poore, PhD, chief of research operations at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, is one of those scientists. With more than 20 years’ experience as an NIH-funded researcher, Stenzel-Poore has a background in neuroimmunology, and is an expert in protecting the brain against damage caused by stroke.

In addition to running her own lab focused on immunotherapy research, she has held many roles at OHSU, including dean of research at the School of Medicine. Today, she responsible for strategic leadership of the Knight Cancer Institute’s research mission.

According to Stenzel-Poore, the advancement of women in science is more than the right thing to do — it’s critical to our ability to innovate.

“What women bring to the scientific world is so different and powerful,” she said. “In the age of needing to solve problems that are transdisciplinary and team-based, women excel. We know how to collaborate.”

We recently caught up with a few of the women at the Knight Cancer Institute who are making significant advancements in their chosen fields. While these eight remarkable scientists have very different backgrounds and interests, they all share one common trait: a fierce determination to conquer cancer.

Here are their stories.