Community Outreach & Engagement

The Knight Cancer Institute Community Outreach & Engagement team works to reduce cancer burden in Oregon communities through development of programs and partnerships to enhance cancer prevention, cancer screening and access to cancer care.

For general inquiries, email the Knight Community Outreach & Engagement team

Community Research Liaisons

Community Research Liaisons live and work in five, mostly rural, regions in Oregon.  They work alongside community leaders and health and wellness stakeholders in their region and have an established network.  Guided by the principles of community engaged research, they support research best practices, provide training and education and have a key role in developing projects and community-academic collaborations in their regions. 

Reach out to the Community Research Liaison Team Manager

Community Cancer Control Specialists

The Knight Cancer Institute Community Cancer Control Specialists are part of Knight Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) and serve four Oregon regions. The specialists facilitate partnerships between the Knight Cancer Institute and their communities and implement cancer prevention and control activities in alignment with the Oregon Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan.  Aligned with the Knight Cancer Institute’s efforts to ensure reach to Oregon’s largest ethnic group (Hispanic and Latino individuals), two of the specialists are bilingual in English and Spanish.

Reach out to the Community Cancer Control Specialist Team Manager

Scientific Research Advocates

Scientific Research Advocates are a trained group of cancer survivors and caregivers who work with Knight Cancer Institute investigators to ensure that research at OHSU reflects the needs and interests of the cancer community. Advocates also support dissemination of research findings via community outreach and partnerships with community organizations.

Reach out to the Scientific Research Advocates Program Manager

Community Health & Research Advisory Council

Council members are people who hold some level of authority at the agencies in which they are employed. Members are connected to tribal, rural and underrepresented minority populations across the state. The Council advises the Knight Cancer Institute and OHSU researchers about priorities in their regions or alongside populations with whom they work. 

For more information about The Council, please email Steven Blakesley blakesls@ohsu.edu, or Paige Farris farrisp@ohsu.edu.

Community Partnership Program

The Knight Cancer Institute supports the development of sustainable collaborations with Oregon communities to address community-identified cancer needs. The Community Partnership Program is designed to grow and change with the evolving needs of Oregon communities. 

Reach out to the Community Partnership Program Manager

CORE Internship

The OHSU Community Outreach, Research and Engagement's (CORE) Interns include undergraduate and graduate students that are involved in a wide range of community engaged research projects and partnerships.  Projects use research best practices, data-driven decision-making, evidence-based approaches, program evaluation, and community assessments to advance public health issues confronting local communities. CORE Interns may also support OHSU investigator-led community-engaged research studies. Learn more.

Reach out to the CORE Internship Manager

Knight Scholars Program

The Knight Scholars Program is a new program designed to provide ninth and tenth graders with up to a three-year introduction to careers in cancer.  The program encourages youth whose communities are underrepresented in cancer research, healthcare and public health – including those of diverse races and ethnicities and those from rural areas – to consider making a career out of the fields of cancer research, treatment and prevention. 

Reach out to the Knight Scholars Program Manager