OHSU researchers lead innovation and passion through new discoveries, comradery of the OHSU research community and the drive to improve people’s health and well-being. Get to know some of the researchers who are transforming science every day.
“I remember in graduate school sometimes doing experiments until quite late into the evening – 11 p.m., 12 a.m., 1 a.m. And I get this very exciting result. It actually really is a thrill. It’s a high. And I remember just walking home and sleeping and being incredibly excited to wake up very early the next morning and start the next experiment. And that’s really what keeps me going.”
Steven Mansoor, M.D., Ph.D.
“Science requires patience but every experiment teaches us something. Many small excitements along the way – it keeps you going.”
Fidaku Tafesse, Ph.D. (pictured above in featured image)
“I feel very committed to helping Oregonians live better lives. I think what sets people in Portland [and the region] apart is that people are very generous, patients are very generous with their time and have a willingness to give for research.”
Quin Denfeld, Ph.D., R.N.
“What really gets my blood pumping is the possibility of addressing complex challenges. It’s really thinking of innovative solutions that can actually have an impact on people’s lives and the ability of actually taking things that are complicated and have been challenging for a number of years and just tackling them as best as you can. Here at OHSU, we love the big challenges. We are here to do the hard work, ask the biggest questions. We aren’t just doing this because it’s cool technology. We want to save lives.”
Luiz Bertassoni, D.D.S., Ph.D.
Dive into the research
- Inaugural Faculty Excellence Awards will fund research in marijuana use in pregnancy, new therapies for heart disease, leukemia (Mansoor, Tyner, Lo)
- NIH awards OHSU scientist $1.5 million to understand the molecular basis of touch, hearing (Murthy)
- Dental fillings to get makeover with $7.4 million grant (Pfeifer)
- New research helps explain how inflammation increases COVID-19 vulnerability (Bertassoni)
- OHSU scientists earn $1.5 million to accelerate innovation, collaboration (Bertassoni, Murthy)
- Chronic marijuana use negatively impacts male reproductive health, may decrease testicular function (Lo)
