Brian Druker, M.D., president of Knight Cancer Group, oversees strategy, sets priorities and guides the overall direction of the Knight Cancer Institute. In this role, he leads the board of directors as president and works closely with OHSU executive leaders. An internationally renowned physician-scientist, Druker developed Gleevec, which transformed chronic myeloid leukemia from a fatal disease into a manageable condition and launched the era of precision medicine.

Since joining OHSU in 1993, Druker has helped build the institute into a globally recognized leader in cancer research, prevention, early detection and patient care. In 2025, following a historic $2 billion commitment from Phil and Penny Knight, Druker embarked on an ambitious new chapter for the Knight Cancer Institute. This investment is intended to create a fully integrated cancer care model that will expand and accelerate diagnostics, ensure access to innovative clinical trials informed by Knight research and simplify the experience for patients and families.

Druker earned his medical degree from University of California, San Diego. He completed his internship and residency at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, followed by fellowship training in medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences and has received many of medicine’s highest honors, including the Lasker-DeBakey Award, Japan Prize, Tang Prize, Warren Alpert Prize and Sjöberg Prize.

Joel Helmke, M.H.A., chief executive officer for cancer healthcare, is responsible for enterprise performance and operational execution across the clinical cancer program at the Knight Cancer Institute. He is a nationally recognized healthcare leader with 30 years of experience advancing cancer care delivery, operational excellence, strategic growth and patient-centered innovation at leading oncology institutions.

Before joining the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Helmke served as chief operating officer of cancer services at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University Health System, where he oversaw operations for the National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and helped guide the organization’s oncology strategy. Previously, he was senior vice president of clinical operations at City of Hope National Medical Center, leading major facility development projects. Earlier in his career, Helmke served as system vice president for WellStar Cancer Network, where he strengthened oncology governance and expanded supportive care services. He also spent 14 years at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, ultimately serving as executive director and division administrator of internal medicine.

Helmke holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Texas State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Houston. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, he has served as board chair of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers and received the 2026 Marsha Fountain Award for Excellence in Oncology Administration.

Shivaani Kummar, M.D., FACP, director of the Knight Cancer Institute and chief scientific and academic officer, Knight Cancer Group, is responsible for leading the institute's research, clinical and educational missions and overseeing the National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant and associated infrastructure. An internationally recognized physician-scientist and medical oncologist, her work focuses on early-phase cancer drug development and novel cancer therapeutics. In addition to serving as director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, she is the Margaret and Lester DeArmond University chair of molecular oncology, and the co-director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics.

Kummar earned her medical degree from Lady Hardinge Medical College in 1992, completed her residency in internal medicine at Emory University, and went on to a fellowship in medical oncology and hematology at the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Before joining OHSU in 2020, Kummar held faculty positions at Yale University and Stanford University, where she led innovative clinical research programs advancing new cancer therapies. Her research has helped shape the development of targeted therapies, immunotherapies and other innovative treatments for patients with cancer. A fellow of the American College of Physicians, Kummar is also a member of the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Stephen Petersen, M.B.A., chief financial officer, is responsible for financial stewardship and long-term sustainability across the Knight Cancer Institute's research, clinical and educational programs. He has more than 20 years of executive financial leadership experience across leading academic health systems and cancer centers. Prior to joining the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, he served as vice president of finance at City of Hope Cancer Center, where he led strategic financial planning for the organization and provided financial leadership across its medical center, medical foundation, medical group, clinical trials and graduate medical education programs.

Before City of Hope, Petersen spent more than a decade at University of Utah Health, ultimately serving as executive director of health system finance. There, he helped guide financial strategy for a $2.6 billion academic health enterprise. Petersen began his healthcare finance career at OHSU, serving in roles within the hospital and school of medicine from 2001 to 2005. His experience spans financial planning, capital strategy, operational improvement and governance support across complex, mission-driven healthcare organizations.

Petersen holds an M.B.A. from Portland State University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Utah. His early years at OHSU helped shape his professional path, and he is proud to return to support the Knight Cancer Institute’s mission.

Nilda Bonet, M.B.A., chief human resources officer, is responsible for shaping and operationalizing the Knight Cancer Institute’s people strategy. She brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across healthcare, higher education and hospitality. Throughout her career, she has led large-scale workforce initiatives, organizational transformation efforts and talent strategies that support mission-driven organizations and complex employee populations.

Before becoming Knight Cancer Group’s chief human resources officer, Bonet served as director and human resources business partner for OHSU’s School of Medicine, aligning people strategies with strategic priorities for more than 5,000 employees. Earlier, she led the integration of human resources across Women’s and Children’s Services.

Prior to OHSU, Bonet was a senior human resources business partner at Stanford University, where she supported enterprise technology transformations, including the implementation of Oracle Financials and PeopleSoft systems. She also held human resources leadership roles with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, helping establish HR functions at properties across the United States, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Germany. She holds an M.B.A. with a focus in international business from Loyola University in New Orleans, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in economics from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.

Alison Soileau, Ph.D., FACHE, chief experience officer, is responsible for patient, family and caregiver experience strategy and advancing a culture of service excellence at the Knight Cancer Institute. She is a nationally recognized healthcare executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience in patient experience, organizational culture and healthcare transformation. Before joining the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, she served as system vice president of patient experience and service excellence at Ochsner Health, where she led initiatives focused on patient and caregiver experience, advocacy, coaching, analytics, spiritual care, and volunteer, guest and language services.

Soileau is known for advancing patient-centered strategies that strengthen communication, engagement and service quality across complex healthcare organizations. Her expertise spans executive coaching, strategic planning, market analysis, experience analytics, change management and human-centered design, helping leaders create cultures that prioritize empathy, collaboration and continuous improvement. She has led multidisciplinary teams and developed innovative programs that enhanced organizational performance and the care experience for patients and families.

A three-time honoree on Becker’s “Chief Experience Officers to Know” list, Soileau serves on The Beryl Institute Patient Experience Advisory Board and is a frequent national speaker on patient experience, physician partnerships, leadership and organizational culture. She holds a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from National University, a master’s degree in psychology with an industrial and organizational focus, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southeastern Louisiana University.

Graciela Gomez Cowger, J.D., chief transformation officer, is responsible for integration and transformation efforts across the cancer enterprise at the Knight Cancer Institute. She is an accomplished executive, attorney and engineer with more than 30 years of leadership experience in business, technology, law and organizational transformation. She is recognized for guiding complex organizations through strategic growth, operational excellence and cultural change.

Most recently, Gomez Cowger served as chief executive officer of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, one of the Pacific Northwest's leading law firms. During her tenure, she led a significant cultural and operational transformation, strengthened collaboration, increased employee engagement and enhanced organizational performance. She also developed and executed a multi-year strategic plan, oversaw growth initiatives and led acquisitions across three states. Earlier in her career, Gomez Cowger founded an intellectual property law firm serving technology clients, from emerging companies to international enterprises. She began her career as an engineer with Hewlett-Packard, and brings a unique combination of technical, legal and business expertise to her leadership roles.

Gomez Cowger serves in governance roles with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's Portland Branch, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Providence Health Plan. She previously served as a director on the board of the Portland Metro Chamber, the Oregon Business Council, and Oregon Business & Industry. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from San Diego State University.

Anna Rodriquez, M.S.N., M.H.A., RN, OCN, chief nursing executive, is responsible for providing strategic direction for the oncology nursing practice across the Knight Cancer Institute. A nationally recognized oncology nursing leader, Rodriguez brings more than 30 years of progressive nursing and health care leadership experience, including more than two decades dedicated to cancer care in academic medical centers, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers and complex health systems.

Before joining OHSU, Rodriguez served as chief nursing officer and vice president of nursing and patient care services at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, where she led integrated patient care services across inpatient, ambulatory, infusion and specialty oncology programs. Throughout her career, she has championed nursing excellence, quality, safety, innovation and patient-centered care while building high-performing teams and advancing professional nursing practice.

Rodriguez is the recipient of the Association of Cancer Care Centers Innovator Award and has been recognized by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the nation’s “CNOs to Know” for three consecutive years. She holds a master of science in nursing and a master of health administration from the University of Phoenix and is pursuing a Ph.D. in nursing at the University of Colorado Anschutz.