Technology expert joins the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute’s center for cancer early detection – PR Newswire (press release)

"A leader steeped in technology is crucial for the growth of our early detection initiative," said Brian Druker, M.D., director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. "Early detection is a nascent field, which requires us to extend the limits of what we think is possible. Dr. Heller brings a wealth of leadership, industry and technical experience to this vitally important role."

In addition to his academic experience, Heller previously served as chief technical officer at Nanogen, a company he co-founded with Sadik Esener, Ph.D., director of CEDAR. While at Nanogen, the two partners came up with the idea to use electro-kinetic devices to screen blood for early signs of cancer. Esener says Heller's in-depth expertise in sample preparation and point of care instrumentation, along with his seasoned mentorship abilities, will be advantageous to CEDAR.

"Dr. Heller is unique in that he's been highly successful in academia as well as the biomedical industry," said Esener. "Because he is at the forefront of technology, his inventions have been innovative and easily made the transition to the industry. A leader with this range of experience will be invaluable to our team."

Heller says he is looking forward to taking on one of the biggest unmet needs in cancer care today.

"Early detection is one of the biggest cancer challenges," said Heller. "There's an enormous amount of work going on in cancerresearch, therapeutics and diagnostics but not many people are focusing on early detection research. This is what drew me to OHSU. It's the right approach, the right team, the right time and there's excitement here that I haven't seen anywhere else."

To date, more than 20 people with expertise in engineering, cancer biology, informatics, and computer science have been recruited to the CEDAR team.

Esener and colleagues have outlined six key areas of focus for CEDAR, including:

The recruitment of Heller is made possible through OHSU's successful completion of the $1 billion Knight Cancer Challenge by Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny. Heller's recruitment signifies an important step in the Knight Cancer Institute's goal to recruit 20 to 30 top researchers and their teams.

Heller's official start date is July 3.

About the Knight Cancer Institute

The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University is a pioneer in the field of precision cancer medicine. The institute's director, Brian Druker, M.D., helped prove it was possible to shut down just the cells that enable cancer to grow. This breakthrough has made once-fatal forms of the disease manageable and transformed how cancer is treated. The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center between Sacramento and Seattle an honor earned only by the nation's top cancer centers. It is headquarters for one of the National Cancer Institute's largest research collaboratives, SWOG, in addition to offering the latest treatments and technologies as well as hundreds of research studies and clinical trials. For additional information on the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute visit http://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/cancer or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.