Brian Druker, M.D., CEO of the Knight Cancer Institute, revolutionized the treatment of cancer through research that resulted in the first drug to target the molecular defect of a cancer while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Marketed under the name Gleevec®, his discovery turned a once-fatal cancer, chronic myeloid leukemia, into a manageable condition.

Treatment with Gleevec received FDA approval in record time, was featured on the cover of Time magazine, and established Druker as a pioneer in the field of precision medicine. Most important, his discovery became a new proof of principle for targeted therapies, spurring the development of more than 50 similar precision therapies for other cancers.

Dr. Druker now is applying key principles of precision medicine to early detection. Earlier detection of lethal cancers represents the greatest opportunity to increase cancer survival rates. Thanks to $1 billion in philanthropic funding, including $500 million from Phil and Penny Knight, Druker began developing a large-scale early detection program in 2015 that builds upon the scientific strengths of OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute.

In 2025, Dr. Druker launched an even more ambitious initiative to transform cancer care. With a historic $2 billion gift from the Knights — the largest to a U.S. university in history —  he plans to create a new model for cancer care that surrounds patients with support. He envisions every patient having access to innovative clinical trials and to a full range of resources, from psychological, genetic and financial counseling to symptom management and survivorship care.

The Knight Cancer Group will be formed to lead the Knight Cancer Institute in this mission, and Dr. Druker will be the group’s president. The Knight Cancer Institute will become self-governed within OHSU.

Dr. Druker has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Sjöberg Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Warren Alpert Prize from Harvard Medical School, the Lasker-DeBakey Award for Clinical Medical Research, the Japan Prize in Healthcare and Medical Technology, the Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science, and the Prince Mahidol Award for outstanding achievements in medicine and public health worldwide. He has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.