Brian Druker, M.D., is president of Knight Cancer Group and leads its Board of Directors. He is an internationally renowned physician-scientist who developed Gleevec, the first targeted therapy to successfully treat cancer at its molecular source. Gleevec not only changed chronic myeloid leukemia from a fatal diagnosis to a manageable condition but also ushered in the era of precision medicine. 

Dr. Druker joined OHSU in 1993 and became director of the OHSU Cancer Institute in 2007. Under his leadership, the institute evolved into the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, building a national and international reputation for innovative cancer research, prevention, early detection and nationally recognized care focused on patient needs.

In 2025, Dr. Druker and the Knight Cancer Institute entered an even more ambitious chapter following a historic $2 billion commitment from Phil and Penny Knight. The investment is intended to help create a new model of cancer care in which every patient can have access to innovative clinical trials and comprehensive support, including genetic, psychological and financial counseling, symptom management and survivorship care.

Dr. Druker earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry and his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego, graduating from medical school in 1981. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He did his fellowship training in medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.

Ed Benz, M.D., is the Richard and Susan Smith Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He is a hematologist and physician-scientist.

Benz previously led one of the nation’s premier cancer centers as president and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He also served as director of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.

He was previously chair of medicine and physician-in-chief at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has held leadership roles across major medical societies and is widely recognized for his research on the genetics of blood disorders and his contributions to academic medicine.

Peter Bragdon, J.D., is president of Columbia Sportswear Co., where he oversees international markets, emerging brands and a range of corporate functions. He has more than two decades of leadership experience with Columbia, including as executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, managing complex regulatory, governance and corporate affairs.

Bragdon brings public policy and communications experience from his early career as a political journalist. He brings national industry leadership experience through board service with the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry and other industry organizations.

 He previously served as chief of staff to Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and as a Port of Portland commissioner. He chairs the Oregon Community Foundation board and is on the board of directors for NW Natural and the Portland branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

David Brailer, M.D., Ph.D., is founder and chairman of Health Evolution, a national healthcare leadership forum. He served under President George W. Bush as the nation’s first national health information technology coordinator. In that role, he led the federal effort to digitize healthcare and establish a national strategy for electronic health records.

Brailer is a physician, economist and former senior executive at The Cigna Group. He has also founded and led healthcare investment and advisory organizations, bringing deep expertise in health system transformation, policy and innovation.

Shereef Elnahal, M.D., M.B.A., president of OHSU, oversees a budget of more than $6.2 billion and more than 22,000 employees at the city of Portland’s largest employer and one of the largest employers in the state. He is responsible for strategic planning, financial sustainability and excellence and quality across OHSU's healthcare, research and education missions to ensure the university continues to thrive.

Before joining OHSU, he was appointed by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as under secretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He led the largest integrated health system in the nation alongside a team of nearly 400,000 professionals, delivering world-class care to 9 million enrolled veterans. He oversaw the largest expansion of veteran benefits and care in a generation, enrolling more than 800,000 new veterans into healthcare and upgrading coverage for more than 900,000 veterans.

Dr. Elnahal also previously served as president and chief executive officer of University Hospital in Newark, N.J. University Hospital is a Level I trauma center, the principal academic medical center for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and New Jersey’s only public hospital. Dr. Elnahal led University Hospital through the COVID-19 public health emergency and turned around the hospital’s finances.

Dr. Elnahal received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School and his M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School.

Mark Ganz, J.D., is the founder and principal of Lion Creek Partners, a healthcare-focused advisory and investment firm. He is former president and CEO of Cambia Health Solutions, which he led from 2003 to 2021. At Cambia, he drove significant strategic and cultural transformation while expanding its focus on consumer-centered healthcare innovation.

Ganz previously held senior leadership roles across Cambia, including chief legal officer and head of public policy. He continues to bring extensive governance experience through board service with national health organizations, public companies and nonprofit institutions.

Susan Hedlund, M.S.W., LCSW, is the director of supportive care initiatives for the Sheri and Les Biller Foundation, a philanthropic organization focused on health and community well-being. She is the former director of Patient and Family Services at the Knight Cancer Institute.

She has more than 30 years of experience supporting individuals and families facing serious illness, loss and end-of-life care. A longtime educator and national leader in oncology social work, Hedlund has held faculty roles at OHSU, Portland State University and University of Washington. She has led a national professional association and contributed extensively to scholarship and innovation in palliative and psychosocial care.

David M. Reese, M.D., chairs the board for the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. From 2005 to 2026, he worked at Amgen, where he ultimately led research and development, and became the firm’s first chief technology officer.

Previously, Reese was director of clinical research for the Breast Cancer International Research Group. He was a co-founder, president and chief medical officer of Translational Oncology Research International, a not-for-profit academic clinical research organization.

Reese is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He completed training in internal medicine and hematology/oncology at the UCLA School of Medicine. He subsequently served on the faculty at UCLA and the University of California, San Francisco.

Sheryl WuDunn, M.B.A., M.P.A., is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, best-selling author and banker. She worked at The New York Times as a foreign correspondent and at Goldman Sachs before advising mission-driven growth companies in healthcare and technology, and supporting women-focused initiatives.

WuDunn recently was elected vice chair of Harvard University's board of overseers and previously served as a trustee of Princeton University and Cornell University.