Translational Oncology Research

Speeding new cancer treatments with collaborative teams
Translational Oncology (TO) is a trans-disciplinary program that transforms scientific discoveries into clinical applications that improve treatment, survival, and quality of life for people with cancer.
Research Themes
- Target Validation: TO houses multiple platforms to perform comprehensive analyses of patients and primary specimens that inform therapeutic development, both at the level of individual patients and across larger cohorts. We use custom-built, integrated analytical platforms. These leverage trans-programmatic collaborations and expertise, create new datasets that improve our understanding of cancer, provide the basis for pre-clinical therapeutic validation, and inform Theme 2, the design of high-impact interventions. Examples of our integrated advances include Beat AML, the largest multi-omic and functional dataset on primary tumors to date, and a translational platform focused on solid tumors that feature implementation of real-time analytics with unparalleled breadth and depth to facilitate deployment of novel drug combinations in a clinically relevant timeframe. Additional work is focused on precision early detection with novel diagnostic and monitoring tools and innovative, cancer-agnostic early detection workflows.
- High-impact Interventions: Seminal advances derived from investigator-driven identification of new biological opportunities drive intervention strategies with novel therapeutics. Examples include standard of care-changing therapeutic advances in the treatment of sarcoma, prostate cancer, and hematologic malignancies. Theme 1 research has spawned clinical trials addressing fundamental questions related to therapeutic resistance, inclusive of combination therapies and newly identified targets. Theme 2 activities translate KCI research findings into clinical interventions that improve outcomes for patients with cancer, meet community needs, and broadly educate and inform the field. Further, biologic specimens collected during Theme 2 clinical interventions reciprocally provide prospective opportunities for Theme 1 and other KCI investigations.
Program Leaders
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- Lara E. Davis, M.D.
- Cancer, Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology and Medical Oncology and Hematology Portland
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Program Members
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- Christopher Amling, M.D., F.A.C.S
- Cancer, Urology and Bladder Cancer Portland
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- Tomasz M. Beer, M.D., F.A.C.P.
- Cancer and Prostate Cancer Portland
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- Charles D. Blanke, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.S.C.O.
- Professor of Medicine, Knight Cancer Institute; Chair, SWOG
- Portland
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- Ted Braun, M.D., Ph.D.
- Cancer, Internal Medicine and Blood Cancers Portland
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- Jeremy Paul Cetnar, M.D., MSHPR
- Cancer, Bladder Cancer and Genitourinary Cancers Portland
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- Bill Hoon Chang, M.D., Ph.D.
- Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology (Pediatric) and Leukemia Portland
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- Emerson Y. Chen, M.D.
- Cancer and Blood Disorders and Oncology Portland
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- Daniel Robert Clayburgh, M.D., Ph.D.. F.A.C.S.
- Otolaryngologist
- Cancer, Otolaryngology (ENT) and Head and Neck Cancer Portland
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- Rachel J. Cook, M.D., M.S.
- Clinician, Center for Hematologic Malignancies; Site Director, Acute Leukemia
- Cancer, Bone Marrow Transplant and Myelodysplastic Syndrome Portland
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- Lara E. Davis, M.D.
- Cancer, Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology and Medical Oncology and Hematology Portland
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- Brian J. Druker, M.D.
- Cancer and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Portland
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- Mark Garzotto, M.D.
- Cancer, Urology and Genitourinary Cancers Portland
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- Erin W. Gilbert, M.D., M.C.R., F.A.C.S.
- Associate Professor of Surgery
- Cancer, Digestive Health and Surgery Portland
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- Kenneth R. Gundle, M.D.
- Cancer, Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedics and rehabilitation Portland
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- Michael C. Heinrich, M.D.
- Cancer, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Portland
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- Arthur Y. Hung, M.D.
- Cancer, Bladder Cancer and Kidney Cancer Portland
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- Adel Kardosh, M.D., Ph.D.
- Cancer and Gastrointestinal Cancer Portland
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- Aimee Kohn, M.D., Ph.D.
- Cancer, Hematology and Oncology Portland
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- Ryan Kopp, MD
- Cancer, Urology and Bladder Cancer Portland
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- Shivaani Kummar, M.D., FACP
- Cancer and Medical Oncology and Hematology
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- Jessica Leonard, M.D.
- Cancer, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Bone Marrow Transplant Portland
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- Jen-Jane Liu, M.D.
- Cancer, Urology and Bladder Cancer Portland
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- Charles D. Lopez, M.D., Ph.D.
- Cancer, Colorectal Cancer and Esophageal Cancer Portland
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- Shiuh-Wen Luoh, M.D., Ph.D.
- Cancer and Breast Cancer
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- Skye C. Mayo, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S.
- Associate Professor of Surgery
- Cancer, Surgery and Biliary Tract Cancer Portland
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- Richard T. Maziarz, M.D.
- Cancer, Bone Marrow Transplant and Immunology Portland
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- Eva Medvedova, M.D.
- Cancer, Cancer and Blood Disorders and Plasma Cell Disorders Portland
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- Timur Mitin, M.D., Ph.D.
- Cancer and Radiation Oncology Portland
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- Arpana M. Naik, M.D., F.A.C.S.
- Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery
- Cancer and Breast Cancer Portland
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- Eneida R. Nemecek, M.D., M.S., M.B.A.
- Director of Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Program; Co-director of the Northwest Marrow Transplant Program
- Cancer, Cancer and Blood Disorders and Pediatrics Portland
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- Craig Okada, M.D.
- Cancer, Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (CTCL) and Lymphoma Portland
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- Tanja Pejovic, M.D., Ph.D.
- Gynecologic Oncology, OB/GYN and Gynecologic Oncology Portland
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- Rodney F. Pommier, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.S.S.O
- Professor of Surgery
- Cancer, Surgery and Breast Cancer Portland
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- Flavio G. Rocha, M.D., FACS, FSSO
- Physician-in-Chief of Knight Cancer Institute
- Cancer, Neuroendocrine and Pancreatic Cancer Portland
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- Christopher W. Ryan, M.D.
- Cancer, Genitourinary Cancers and Sarcoma Portland
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- Jennifer Saultz, D.O.
- Portland
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- Joseph Shatzel, M.D.
- Portland
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- Evan B. Shereck, M.D., M.Ed
- Cancer, Pediatrics and Bone Marrow Transplant Portland
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- Rebecca Silbermann, M.D., M.M.S.
- Cancer, Hematologic Malignancies and Myeloma Portland
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- Alison Skalet, M.D., Ph.D.
- Cancer, Ophthalmology and Eye Cancer Portland
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- Stephen E.F. Spurgeon, M.D.
- Cancer, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Lymphoma Portland
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- Linda C. Stork, M.D.
- Pediatrics and Hematology/Oncology (Pediatric) Portland
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- Ronan Swords, MD., Ph.D., FRCPI, FRCPath
- Cancer, Hematologic Malignancies and Hematology Portland
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- George V. Thomas, M.D.
- Pathology, Molecular Genetic Pathology and Surgical Pathology
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- Elie Traer, M.D., Ph.D.
- Cancer, Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Leukemia Portland
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- V. Liana Tsikitis, M.D., M.B.A., M.C.R., FACS, FASCRS (she/her)
- Professor and Division Head of Gastrointestinal and General Surgery
- Cancer, Digestive Health and Surgery Portland
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- Jacqueline Vuky, M.D.
- Cancer, Cancer and Blood Disorders and Bladder Cancer Portland
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