Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at the University of Oregon

Meet two of our incredible 2025 Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholars (KCUS)! ✨ Lily Francis is the Kip Leonard & Jody Miller Scholar, working in the Libuda Lab. Lia Godino is a Tom & Cathy Hui Scholar, working in the Dreyer Lab. You can read more about this cohort of KCUS scholars, and their research here: https://lnkd.in/gKPDAEhY #UOResearch #KnightCampus

We’re proud to have several students, postdocs, and faculty presenting their research at the 2025 Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting in Chicago! If you’re attending #SFB2025, be sure to stop by their sessions to learn more about the exciting work happening at the Knight Campus. 🧫 A full list of presenter info: https://lnkd.in/dw5SiXHk

I'm thrilled to announce that I'm launching the Biomaterial Research for Immunomodulation, Drug delivery, and Genetic Engineering (BRIDGE) lab in January 2026 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering on the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at the University of Oregon! My group will apply polymer chemistry, pharmaceutical science, and molecular biology to ask research questions linking innate and adaptive immunity. Our focus on bridging barriers to nucleic acid delivery aims to translate novel vaccines and immunotherapies for infectious disease, cancer, and regenerative medicine. Regardless of the political climate, I've dedicated my life to improving medicine, uplifting young scientists, and learning forever--please reach out if you or someone you know is interested in joining the team as a PhD student, postdoc, or research staff! It would be impossible to thank every inspiration that nurtured this lifelong dream, but highest thanks go to my postdoc mentors Molly Stevens DBE , Robin Shattock, John Tregoning and my PhD mentors Suzie Pun, Drew Sellers, Patrick Stayton--I'm beyond fortunate to have you and your lab groups as my academic family. To the many other mentors, friends, and connections who helped me understand that this path was for me, who took time to read my application materials, who encouraged me over the past few years--thank you, you changed my life. Lastly, perhaps the best part of all this is that my absolute legend of a wife Sara Keller will also be starting a therapeutic ultrasound research group in the same department! We are so excited to join the team Robert Guldberg and Danielle Benoit are building on the Knight Campus, and look forward to moving to Eugene towards the end of this year. For now, much to wrap up and much to celebrate with the wonderful communities we've found here in the UK, but we are thrilled to re-join the fight for science in the US soon.

Knight Campus internship program propels students into science careers 🔬 The program offers a cost-effective pathway to well-paying jobs in science-based industries. The Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program is “like a launching pad,” Liam Carls, one of more than 1,200 graduates of the program, said. “It gives you the opportunity to go get real world experience in a job market and grow your skill set.” Learn more 🔗 https://bit.ly/4jlLXkp

Join us on May 1st for our annual free Community Lecture – Science Knight Out!   This year, we’re excited to welcome Dr. Jim Hutchison, Knight Campus Senior Associate Vice President and The Lorry Lokey Chair in Chemistry. A pioneer in green chemistry, Jim has revolutionized how chemistry is taught and applied - eliminating toxic chemicals from teaching labs, creating safer, more sustainable products, and even integrating innovation into the classroom through beer brewing.   Come learn about his groundbreaking work and how he’s redefining chemistry and science education. This event is free and open to the public! Read more about Jim's background, his lecture, and get your free tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gPdFA7Ym

University of Oregon Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholars, Favour Foday and Caroline Foskett are driving breakthroughs in science. Favour, a Biochemistry Sophomore with a Bioengineering minor, aims to develop therapies that heal and empower. Caroline, a Human Physiology Junior (minors in Bioengineering and Chemistry), is on a mission to transform patient care through breakthrough research. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gQ9EG7Vv #UOResearch #KnightCampus

Celebrating the first Knight Campus bioengineering PhD graduate 🎓 Kylie Williams, an Oregon native, began her scientific journey studying biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology as an undergraduate before becoming a member of the inaugural cohort of Knight Campus bioengineering PhD students. Read more about her time in the program 🔗 https://bit.ly/3FFvNnz

Introducing Isabela Espino-Marquez and Ella Fliesler, two standout scholars in the University of Oregon Knight Campus Undergraduate Scholars Program. Isabela, a Tom and Cathy Hui Scholar and Junior majoring in Neuroscience with a minor in Spanish & Latinx Studies, works in the Greenhouse Lab under mentor Corey Wadlsey. She's excited to expand her research skills and prepare for a career as a clinical neuropsychologist enhancing healthcare and education for marginalized communities. Ella, a Thermo Fisher Scholar and Junior studying Biology (minors in Chemistry and Environmental Studies), is advancing her work in the Guillemin Lab with mentor Patrick Horve. She is building the expertise needed to become a competitive candidate for PhD programs in biomedical sciences, with the goal of studying pathogenic microbes at the CDC or NIH. Learn more about these innovators here: https://lnkd.in/gQ9EG7Vv #UOResearch #KnightCampus

Celebrating the first Knight Campus bioengineering PhD graduate 🎓 Kylie Williams, an Oregon native, began her scientific journey studying biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology as an undergraduate before becoming a member of the inaugural cohort of Knight Campus bioengineering PhD students. Read more about her time in the program 🔗 https://bit.ly/3FFvNnz