School of Medicine - OHSU News

OHSU researchers secure $12.5 million to explore ubiquitin, a fundamental driver of health, disease

Angela Yeager — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:02:00 GMT

OHSU researchers, from left, Michael Cohen, Ph.D., Tim Nice, Ph.D., Isabella Rauch, Ph.D. and Jonathan Pruneda, Ph.D., have received more than $12.5 million in grants to study ubiquitin, a cellular molecule that helps regulate some of the body's most essential functions. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

What do foodborne bacteria, inflammatory bowel disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and cancer have in common?

At Oregon Health & Science University, researchers are finding they share a connection through ubiquitin, a tiny cellular molecule that helps regulate some of the body’s most essential functions. New investments totaling approximately $12.5 million from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations are allowing OHSU scientists to follow those connections, showing how a fundamental biological system may shape a wide range of diseases.

The awards support a growing collaboration among Jonathan Pruneda, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology; Michael Cohen, Ph.D., professor of chemical physiology and biochemistry; Isabella Rauch, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology; and Tim Nice, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology, all in the OHSU School of Medicine. Together, the researchers are studying how cells use ubiquitin to stay healthy, how bacteria and other germs hijack the system to cause disease, and what happens when the process goes wrong.

“Most people think of ubiquitin as a tag for protein degradation,” Pruneda said. “But it can do a lot more than that, and a lot of what ubiquitin actually signals for is still a mystery.”

Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D.

Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., professor and chair of microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine, said the collaboration across disciplines is critical to advancing science.

“We have the most creative and rigorous minds working on ubiquitin and various aspects of biology right here at OHSU,” he said. “What sets them apart isn’t just their individual brilliance, it’s what happens when they bring their science together.”

Learning from bacteria

In the multi-lab ubiquitin collaboration, Jonathan Pruneda approaches the problem from one angle: infectious disease. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

Ubiquitin acts like a molecular tag, attaching to proteins and helping direct what happens to them inside cells. Scientists first recognized its role in protein recycling decades ago, but more recent research has revealed that ubiquitin also influences many other cellular processes.

Pruneda approaches the problem from one angle: infectious disease.

His laboratory studies bacterial pathogens that have evolved ways to manipulate the human ubiquitin system. By hijacking these cellular signals, bacteria can disable immune defenses and create conditions favorable for infection.

“Bacteria recognize the importance of manipulating that ubiquitin system,” Pruneda said. “That allows them to rewire our cells to support infection.”

Understanding how pathogens exploit ubiquitin provides insight into infection, and also offers a window into broader cell biology. The same pathways targeted by bacteria often play important roles in diseases that appear entirely unrelated to infection.

Breakthrough collaboration

Michael Cohen, Ph.D., joined an unlikely partner in Pruneda to discover a protein modification that combines ubiquitin with another cellular signal known as ADP-ribosylation. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

One of those discoveries emerged from a collaboration between Pruneda and Cohen.

In 2025, the researchers reported the discovery of a previously unknown protein modification they named “MARUbylation,” which combines ubiquitin with another cellular signal known as ADP-ribosylation. The finding challenged a long-standing assumption that proteins receive only one type of molecular tag at a time, and opened a new area of investigation into how cells communicate and respond to stress.

“We realized that two completely different fields” — infectious disease and chemical physiology — “are actually looking at the same thing,” Cohen said.

The discovery has already attracted substantial support, including a new NIH award and funding from the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation to map where MARUbylation occurs, identify the enzymes that create and remove it, and determine its role in cellular signaling. Pruneda and Cohen hope the work could eventually provide insights into diseases driven by abnormal protein regulation, including cancer, inflammation and neurodegeneration.

Connecting discoveries to the gut

Tim Nice, Ph.D., joined the Pruneda-Cohen collaboration when he noticed genes involved in the newly discovered pathway appeared altered in intestinal tissue from people with IBD. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

The collaboration expanded when Nice noticed that genes involved in the newly discovered pathway appeared altered in intestinal tissue from people with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD.

“We found that genes involved in this pathway are altered in epithelial cells from individuals with IBD,” Nice said. “That suggests this pathway might be altering either susceptibility to inflammatory disease or recovery from inflammatory disease.”

With funding from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Nice, Cohen and Pruneda are conducting early investigations on whether disruptions in the pathway contribute to chronic inflammation in the intestine.

The work relies on a growing biobank of intestinal organoids, miniature laboratory-grown versions of the gut lining developed from tissue donated by both healthy individuals and people with IBD. These organoids allow researchers to study how human intestinal cells respond to inflammation and injury in ways that more closely mirror what happens in the body.

“This is a discovery project,” Nice said. “We’re exploring a totally brand-new question, and we don’t know where it’s going to lead us, which is really exciting.”

Infection to inflammation

Isabella Rauch, Ph.D., joined the collaboration working with Pruneda on pathogenic E. coli, which also links to Nice's research on IBD. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

Rauch’s laboratory uses many of the same organoid models to understand how disease-causing bacteria exploit ubiquitin pathways during infection. Her team studies how cells naturally protect themselves from harmful bacteria and other germs, and how those germs find ways to break through those defenses.

“We have found multiple examples where we know of a defense pathway in the human body, and Jonathan helped us find bacteria that mess with this to their advantage,” Rauch said.

The NIH-funded collaboration between Rauch and Pruneda centers on pathogenic E. coli and the molecular tools the bacteria use to manipulate host cells. By understanding those mechanisms, researchers hope to identify potential therapeutic targets that could stop infection without relying on traditional antibiotics.

Beyond infection, Rauch believes the findings may also help explain what goes wrong in chronic inflammatory diseases, which is where her work intersects with Nice’s.

“To a certain extent, the surface of the intestine in people with inflammatory bowel disease behaves as if they had an infection, although they don’t,” she said. “If we can understand better what’s going on there, maybe we can find where to intervene and allow the tissue to heal.”

Building connections

For Pruneda, the awards highlight more than scientific progress. They demonstrate the value of bringing together researchers with different areas of expertise to tackle common biological questions.

“I think what’s emerging is the collaborative nature of research at OHSU and that conversations about what someone down the hall is doing can lead to new ideas, new funding and new discoveries,” he said.

That collaborative spirit has turned a small molecular signal into a unifying research theme spanning infectious disease, immunology, neuroscience, cancer biology and gastroenterology. As the newly funded projects move forward, OHSU researchers hope that understanding one of biology’s most fundamental signaling systems will reveal new opportunities to improve human health.

“This kind of collaborative research,” Rauch said, “is what will lead to the best outcomes for patients.”

This study was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, award number R35GM142486, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, award numbers R01AI184933 and R01AI194691, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, award number R01NS150625. Additional support was provided by an Innovator Award from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation and an award from the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.

All research involving animal subjects at OHSU must be reviewed and approved by the university’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The IACUC’s priority is to ensure the health and safety of animal research subjects. The IACUC also reviews procedures to ensure the health and safety of the people who work with the animals. No live animal work may be conducted at OHSU without IACUC approval.

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OHSU celebrates its 2026 graduates

Seth Preuss — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 22:30:00 GMT

The 2026 OHSU commencement ceremony honors 1,206 newly minted health care professionals. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

Oregon Health & Science University today graduated its next generation of healthcare, research and education professionals. A total of 1,206 degrees and certificates were awarded.

Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, Ph.D., M.B.A., RN, NEA-BC, FAAN (OHSU)

Graduates assembled for the all-school commencement ceremony Friday, June 5, at the Oregon Convention Center. The keynote speaker was Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, Ph.D., M.B.A., RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, assistant professor of clinical nursing in the OHSU School of Nursing. Mensik Kennedy was recently named to the 2026 TIME100 Health List of the World's Most Influential Leaders in Health.

The ceremony was followed by separate hooding ceremonies for the OHSU schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, and for the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. The OSU/OHSU Doctor of Pharmacy Program also held a reception, in addition to a separate graduation ceremony that will be held in Corvallis on Friday, June 12. The OHSU School of Nursing will hold additional commencement events at its Ashland, Klamath Falls, La Grande and Monmouth campuses.

“OHSU leads Oregon in educating the next generation of health and science professionals,” said OHSU President Shereef Elnahal, M.D., M.B.A. “Our graduates leave not only as experts in their respective fields, but also as innovative, compassionate and collaborative leaders deeply committed to our tripartite mission of teaching, healing and discovery. Embodying these values, the class of 2026 is ready to take the next step in shaping the future of human health and science. Congratulations, graduates!”

Marie Chisholm-Burns, Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FCCP, FASHP, FAST (Courtesy)

“OHSU’s class of 2026 brings me great pride. I look forward to all the wonderful things they will accomplish as health professionals in Oregon and beyond.

Congratulations class of 2026! We cannot wait to celebrate with you, your families, friends and the OHSU community,” said OHSU Provost Marie Chisholm-Burns, Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FCCP, FASHP, FAST, FNAP, FACHE.

The OHSU School of Nursing awarded 515 degrees this year.

Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Ph.D., RN, FAAN (OHSU)

“School of Nursing class of 2026 graduates will contribute to and improve health and health care through direct care as Registered and Advanced Practice Nurses, as formal leaders through quality improvement, as nurse educators teaching next generations of nurses and as nurse scientists. These graduates are vitally needed across the nursing workforce and across the state of Oregon, and we’re so proud of what they’ll accomplish,” said Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, dean of the OHSU School of Nursing.

The OHSU School of Medicine awarded 424 degrees and certificates this year.

Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D. (OHSU)

“OHSU’s 2026 graduates in medicine and biomedical science are compassionate, curious, skilled and capable of meeting the considerable challenges of the moment in American medicine,” said Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the OHSU School of Medicine. “Healing and science have never been more important than in today’s world. The physician and biomedical scientist in many ways hold the welfare of our communities and society in trust for the future. I’m deeply proud of our graduates who will carry out this work for decades to come. I congratulate them and I thank them. We should all pledge to support their ongoing journeys and invite them to maintain a deep and familial connection with us at OHSU.”

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health awarded 109 degrees and certificates.

Paul K. Halverson (OHSU)

“While public health continues to face both fiscal and structural challenges, our commitment to graduate leaders who protect and improve the health and wellbeing of our neighbors and communities remains our foundation,” said Paul K. Halverson, Dr.P.H., M.H.S.A., dean of the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. “Today’s landscape demands more than just standing firm or analyzing the data; it requires leaders who can turn science into systemic action. I am entirely confident that our graduates will rise to this challenge, using their newfound skills and their voices to support healthy communities where everyone can thrive.”

The OHSU School of Dentistry awarded 87 degrees this year.

Ron Sakaguchi, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.B.A. (OHSU)

“Congratulations to the OHSU School of Dentistry class of 2026,” said Ron Sakaguchi, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.B.A., dean of the OHSU School of Dentistry. “Our profession, and the communities we serve, need clinicians who are grounded in ethics and science, guided by professionalism and committed to something greater than themselves. Members of the class of 2026 will embrace these qualities as they deliver excellent care. They will advocate for patients, serve through volunteerism and lead with integrity in a rapidly changing health landscape. We celebrate their accomplishments and are confident in the difference they will make.”

The OSU/OHSU Doctor of Pharmacy Program awarded 71 degrees this year.

David Bearden, Pharm. D. (Courtesy)

"The graduating class of 2026 has been a tremendous source of pride for the College of Pharmacy,” said David Bearden, Pharm.D., FIDP, FCCP, dean of the OSU College of Pharmacy. “As they enter the profession, these graduates are exceptionally well prepared to serve patients, advance health care, and help shape the future of pharmacy in communities across Oregon and beyond. On behalf of our faculty and staff, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2026. It has been a privilege to support their journey and witness their growth into the next generation of pharmacy leaders.”

Meet some of OHSU’s 2026 graduates

Christopher Clairmont (Courtesy)

Christopher Clairmont, D.M.D., OHSU School of Dentistry

By Rhonda Morin

Chris Clairmont loves school. He likes taking tests, going to class and learning. Where the fourth-year student struggled early in his dental training was the hand skills.

It was during his third year when Clairmont experienced a significant shift from book knowledge to application.

“That’s when my perspective started to shift from consuming all this information and taking tests to focusing on what can I do for my patients.”

He finds a deep sense of fulfillment in the immediate improvement his work brings to patients’ lives.

“It’s honestly so rewarding to see the change you’re making for patients.”

Clairmont, who grew up in Oregon and earned his bachelor’s in bioengineering from Oregon State University, is one of 70 who will graduate with their doctor of dental medicine, or D.M.D., degree from the OHSU School of Dentistry on June 5 at the Oregon Convention Center.

Aesthetics are a significant part of dentistry, but the true value of what Clairmont has learned is how restoring essential function improves a patient’s overall quality of life.

For many patients, especially those requiring dentures, the transition from having painful, infected or missing teeth to having a functional set of teeth changes their lives.

“If your teeth are infected and broken down, you’re insecure about your smile, but you’re also not able to function. You can’t enjoy food, and then it starts to impact the rest of your body,” he said.

Clairmont’s central motivation, in his life and career choice, is relationships. They’ve helped him choose to study dentistry, kept him energized during the four-year learning experience and helped get him through a period early in his education where he felt like an imposter.

Clairmont’s interest in dentistry was sparked by a long-term relationship with his childhood dentist. They talked about how his bioengineering studies aligned with dentistry.

Later, when he was at OHSU struggling with the manual skills of dental anatomy and making tooth models out of wax during his first year, he found camaraderie with his peers. They “shared all the struggles of dental school,” he said, by helping him realize everyone was in the same boat, and given time, he’d learn the skills.

Developing a rapport with his patients over time and seeing tangible results — like when a patient’s profile returns to normal and they regain the ability to smile and chew with confidence — is the most rewarding aspect of his clinical experience.

Third- and fourth-year students provide care for patients in the School of Dentistry’s general clinic in the Skourtes Tower on the South Waterfront in Portland during the week.

Clairmont values the relationships he built with his patients over two years. In fact, he prefers these interactions over the single-day experiences of short-term rotations performed at community clinics.

The school’s general dentistry clinic provides the opportunity to emphasize his communication style rooted in calmness and respect to build trust with anxious individuals.

As part of his practice, he explains to patients that he takes things slowly and explains every step.

He empowers patients by suggesting non-verbal signals during procedures.

“I (encourage them) to raise their left hand at any time if they feel pain, need a break or need to stop for any reason, and I will pause,” he said.

The self-described “huge nerd” who genuinely enjoys academic study, feels he’s prepared to provide a holistic approach to patient care. He will carry a dedication to technical excellence and patient connection when he joins Midwest Dental practice in Milwaukie, Wisconsin, following graduation.

Anna Rozzi (Courtesy)

Anna Rozzi, M.D./M.C.R., OHSU School of Medicine

By Mariana Phipps

After a winding journey to medical school shaped by advocacy and reinvention, Anna Rozzi became an OHSU M.D./M.C.R. student in 2023. She is earning her Master of Clinical Research today, and will return to the School of Medicine to earn her M.D. degree. She expects to graduate as a doctor in the spring of 2028.

“I am a deeply curious person and hope to have a career as a clinician-researcher in academic medicine,” Rozzi said. “The M.C.R. empowers me in this path of curiosity and learning to have the skills to be a better researcher, teacher, mentor and clinician.”

Rozzi is the first woman in her family to graduate from college. Before coming to OHSU, she worked in policy, teaching, campaign management and reproductive health advocacy. For her, medicine is a values-based calling, not a sudden change, and it allows her to keep advocating for equitable healthcare.

The main goals of the M.C.R. program are to train investigators who can compete for funding from federal, foundation and industry sources and to help them conduct research and publish their findings.

“She has been an outstanding student in the Physician-Scientist and Human Investigations programs, and has taken part in a number of research projects during her year out from medical school,” said Katie Mosack, Ph.D., director of the Human Investigations Program and associate director of workforce development at Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute.

“When something captures my interest, I tend to dive in deeply, and the teacher in me naturally wants to share what I’m learning and explore questions collaboratively,” Rozzi said. “As a West Coast native, I’ve witnessed the growing impact of climate change, especially wildfires on communities and the firefighters who protect them. And as a budding health services researcher, I’ve found a way to connect my interests in climate health, public policy and clinical care through a project that examines how education can strengthen real-world systems to improve access, quality and equity in cancer risk recognition and screening for firefighters.”

Anna has distinguished herself by leading a multi-state project, FIRE-SAFE: Firefighters’ Initiative for Risk Education on Screening and Awareness of Fire-related Exposure. The project evaluates how a tailored educational intervention influences understanding of bladder cancer risk and screening intention and behavior among career, volunteer and wildland firefighters.

During her year away from medical school, she contributed to other studies, expanding her research experience to include qualitative methods and economic health modeling.

She has also investigated professional identity formation, advocacy curricula, and near-peer mentorship among medical students, earning a Gender Equity in Academic Health Medicine Trainee Award. And she has contributed to other projects associated with improving undergraduate medical education, receiving an OHSU Flame Award for Leadership and Service.

Lastly, Rozzi was inducted this year into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a community of medical students, physicians and other leaders who have been recognized for their compassionate care.

Zachary Zouyed (Courtesy)

Zachary Zouyed, B.S., School of Nursing

By Seth Preuss

Zachary Zouyed is an OHSU School of Nursing student and is pursuing an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. He will graduate later this summer with the summer 2026 cohort on Sept. 11.

Zouyed knew that he was interested in healthcare as he earned his B.S. in microbiology from Oregon State University, but he was initially unsure of which career path interested him most. After earning his degree in 2018, Zouyed spent time working numerous jobs, ranging from elementary teacher to an account executive role for Phoenix Bioinformatics.

Zouyed said his brother had known he would be a great nurse since he was an undergrad student at OSU, but it took him several years of working various jobs before coming to the same conclusion.

“I think there’s an immense value in going into a career that you’re fully confident and excited about,” Zouyed said. “I think that time spent working other jobs was well spent because I could rule out other paths and gain that experience.”

It was his time working as a research assistant and clinical research coordinator on an infectious disease team during the COVID-19 pandemic for OHSU that gave him clarity. That experience pushed him toward an interest in nursing once he realized the career flexibility it would give him in the future.

“The accelerated program will give me a chance to pivot later in my career,” Zouyed said. “I can start working sooner, and then I can use that experience to know whether I should pivot toward becoming a nurse-practitioner, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, psychiatry, academia — it gives me a lot of flexibility to grow or pivot.”

The time spent at OHSU as a research assistant showed Zouyed the value he’d get from the faculty, facilities, and easy access to patients. He considered other programs like Linfield University, but his other experiences reinforced for him how valuable the culture of OHSU’s program would be for his education.

He is frequently busy, as one might expect in an accelerated program, but Zouyed also has taken time to network and join OHSU groups like the MEND program, Men Embracing Nursing Diversity. Zouyed recently had a 40-minute phone conversation with one of the instructors who helps mentor those in the MEND group, and said that kind of experience and conversation is why he values the program so highly.

“The faculty here are amazing — they want to be here, they build incredible relationships with us as students, and the academic resources and camaraderie among the students are all what helped make that decision [to attend OHSU],” he said.

Zouyed has gained appreciation for how the OHSU missions of academics and healthcare overlap, making it a place where people come to learn and stay to work afterward.

“The thing I appreciate about OHSU’s mission as a whole is building the healthcare provider workforce for Oregonians,” Zouyed said. “That’s definitely a mission that aligns with my own values as far as being born and raised in Oregon.”

Zouyed appreciates how many clinical hours he and his fellow students are able to get because the program is integrated into OHSU’s care system in a way other universities don’t offer. Those clinical hours have helped Zouyed narrow in on his preferred landing spot after graduating.

“Eleven-K has been a floor that I've been drawn to with an amazing team culture and they're focused but broad,” said Zouyed. “They treat cardiac and vascular patients, and when I pair what most interests me with their team culture, that’s where I’m hoping to land.”

Vivian Ngo (Courtesy)

Vivian Ngo, Pharm.D., OSU/OHSU College of Pharmacy

By Seth Preuss

Vivian Ngo is a first-generation college student with a strong interest in science who wants to know why things work the way they do. And once she learns how something works, she wants to find ways to bring others along and give them that same knowledge.

Her father was the one who suggested pharmacy as a career option, but Ngo had already developed a keen interest in chemistry, most especially, and science generally. Once she began researching more about a career in pharmacy, she was hooked.

“It is amazing how just one pill can also dictate so much to be able to just improve someone's blood pressure or improve someone's mood,” Ngo said.

Her family has always been supportive and plays a huge role in her life, but she is a trailblazer in the realm of academics and has taught herself how to find mentors and build a network of support beyond family ties. Finding that support also motivates her to seek out leadership positions where she can pay it forward and offer support to others.

Ngo has served as a student ambassador for the program and as an outreach coordinator for the Oregon State Student Pharmacists organization, as well as a variety of roles for pharmacy-oriented chapters on campus, Phi Delta Chi and Phi Lambda Sigma.

“I want to be a mentor and help people, especially future generations,” Ngo said. “I [sought out different opportunities] because I wanted to help others navigate the transition from undergrad to the program, help remind them why the chose the program when it gets hard, and to be supportive.”

Reflecting on her time in the program, Ngo is thankful for the interdisciplinary exposure that the joint OSU-OHSU program offers. She believes it allowed her to consider her field more deeply after looking at it from the lenses of other programs.

There were challenging moments and rotations, she said, but she was able to learn deeply about both the subject matter and herself by going through those challenges. Ngo credits her family and the support offered by faculty, peers and preceptors in different rotations for getting her to the finish line of the program.

After graduation, Ngo will enter residency and has already been matched to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center RiverBend, a hospital in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon.

“I’m glad I was able to be matched to my hometown because I have always wanted to come back and serve my community,” Ngo said.

After she completes her residency, she hopes to work in a critical care or emergency medicine setting, and she also plans to be a preceptor someday.

“I like showing people things and the actual application of what we learn in our knowledge in the real-world application,” Ngo said. “There is so much detail and nuance that you won't be able to ever see [from theory or a textbook] until you can put that into practice.”

Micah Mizushima (Courtesy)

Micah Mizushima, M.P.H., OHSU-PSU School of Public Health

By Kelly Malakaua

While studying global health and nutrition at University of British Columbia, Micah Mizushima found his calling not in a textbook, but in the creation of infant nutrition resources designed specifically for migrant Latinx communities. It was there that he first realized how deeply systemic structures dictate the well-being of entire populations.

“My early studies gave me insight into the impact that systems can have on health outcomes at a large scale,” he said.

For Mizushima, a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion degree from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health is more than a degree; it is the culmination of a journey dedicated to turning systemic theory into community-centered action.

While his academic journey has been rigorous, his greatest achievement wasn’t found in a classroom, but at a dining table with elders. At Ikoi no Kai, a Japanese community lunch program that has served Portland’s older adults since 1979, Mizushima has found a sense of belonging that had previously felt out of reach.

Like many students of color, navigating the complicated relationship with a mixed-race identity and living in the city of Portland can feel isolating and disconnected from his cultures, he said.

“Despite being Sansei (third-generation Japanese) and raised in Portland, I wouldn’t consider myself part of this community until my practice experience began,” Mizushima said. “It has been an absolute honor to feel accepted.”

Early in Mizushima’s graduate program, he overcame his isolation by joining BREATHE — or BIPOC Resilience, Empowerment, and Affirmations Towards Health Equity.

“At BREATHE, I felt like I had space to share my experiences being a person of color around a community that could understand me,” Mizushima said. “It was a very formative part of my graduate experience.”

Behind every aspiring public health professional is a source of inspiration. For Mizushima, that is his abuela, Alejandra. Though not a public health worker by trade, Alejandra embodies the spirit of the public health field through her commitment to collective action and mutual aid for anyone and everyone she meets.

“My abuela should be a model of what community-based public health professionals should strive to be,” Mizushima said. “She operates with a mindset that shared responsibility is necessary to support the needs of individuals and the community.”

From Portland to Japan, Dr. Betty Izumi served as an influential mentor, encouraging Mizushima to bridge the gap between public health nutrition and community-based action. Through a faculty-led course in Tokyo, Kobe and Kyoto, he saw firsthand how community nutrition functions across cultures, a lesson he was able to practically apply during his time at Ikoi no Kai.

“Thanks to Dr. Izumi, both of these experiences have deeply impacted my appreciation for community-based programming and ultimately influenced my future career goals,” said Mizushima.

As Mizushima prepares to make his mark in the professional world, his vision is clear: Public health is about relationships. He dreams of a career built on trust, respect and empowerment of the communities that raised them.

“I dream of my work one day helping facilitate collective action and community empowerment through health equity,” Mizushima said. “I hope to one day have as big of an impact on my community as my abuela.”

OHSU 2026 Degree Data

Total degrees and certificates given during 2025 to 26 school year – 1,206

OHSU School of Nursing – 515 total degrees

Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) – 60

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner – 2

Family Nurse Practitioner – 16

Nurse Anesthesia – 14

Nurse Midwifery – 5

Nursing – 4

Pediatric Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner – 2

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – 17

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.) – 4

Master’s degrees – 33

Master of Nursing in Health Systems & Organizational Leadership – 2
Master of Nursing in Nursing Education – 31

Bachelor of Science in Nursing – 418

OHSU School of Medicine – 424 total degrees and certificates

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) – 138

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – 75

Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience – 4

Behavioral Neuroscience – 1
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology – 1

Biomedical Engineering – 24

Biomedical Sciences – 23

Cancer Biology – 1

Cell and Developmental Biology – 1

Clinical Psychology – 3

Molecular and Medical Genetics – 1

Neuroscience – 14

Physiology and Pharmacology – 2

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) – 6

Master’s degrees – 131

Master of Business Administration – 16

Master of Clinical Research – 14

Master of Physician Assistant Studies – 39
Master of Science in Behavioral & Systems Neuroscience – 1

Master of Science in Bioinformatics and Computational Biomedicine – 2

Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering – 5

Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences – 1

Master of Science in Food Systems and Society – 2

Master of Science in Health and Clinical Informatics – 12

Master of Science in Healthcare Administration – 14

Master of Science in Human Nutrition – 3

Master of Science in Medical Physics – 6

Graduate certificates – 28

Dietetic Internship – 7

Health and Clinical Informatics – 10

Human Investigations Program – 11

Bachelor’s degrees – 46

Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science – 37

Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy – 9

Associate of Applied Science in Paramedic – 16

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health – 109 total degrees and certificates

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – 5

Community Health – 1

Epidemiology – 3

Health Systems and Policy – 1

Master’s degrees (M.P.H., M.S.) – 102

Master of Public Health in Biostatistics – 6

Master of Public Health in Environmental Systems and Human Health – 5

Master of Public Health in Epidemiology – 24

Master of Public Health in Health Management and Policy – 25

Master of Public Health in Health Promotion – 17

Master of Public Health Practice – 17

Master of Science in Biostatistics – 8

Graduate certificates – 2

Public Health – 2

OHSU School of Dentistry – 87 total degrees

Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) – 70

Master’s degrees – 7

Master of Science in Orthodontics – 4

Master of Science in Periodontics – 3

Advanced Education – 10

Endodontics – 3

Orthodontics – 4

Periodontics – 3

OSU/OHSU Doctor of Pharmacy Program, OSU College of Pharmacy – 71 total degrees

Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) – 71

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OHSU aims to continue improvements in nutrition training in medical education

OHSU News — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:35:00 GMT

For students in the OHSU School of Medicine, nutrition education remains prominent and interwoven throughout their whole curriculum. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

Oregon Health & Science University’s School of Medicine has been recognized as part of a nationwide effort among America’s leading medical education organizations to incorporate comprehensive nutrition education and training into their curricula.

OHSU’s School of Medicine, home to the OHSU Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness, has long incorporated nutrition education into its training programs.

Kelly Caverzagie, M.D. (OHSU)

“Nutrition is one of the most effective tools we have for disease prevention, which is why it’s been a cornerstone of our educational program for such a long time,” said Kelly Caverzagie, M.D., senior associate dean for education in the OHSU School of Medicine. “We’re encouraged to see this being discussed on a national level, and that nutrition education it is a priority for so many educational institutions. We’re proud to be one of them.”

Instead of one standalone lesson, nutrition is a thread the OHSU School of Medicine has identified to remain prominent and interwoven throughout the whole curriculum, alongside 18 other key principles, including immunology, genetics and anatomy.

Nutrition is covered at various points throughout students’ education journey — first more generally in the introductory “Foundations of Medicine” series, and then again throughout core intersession courses, Caverzagie says. This provides real-world, clinically applicable knowledge of how nutrition fits into various areas of practice.

There are additional opportunities for students to focus on nutrition at more concentrated level within the Graduate Programs in Human Nutrition, which offer a variety of flexible degree pathways focused on nutrition, food systems and dietetics.

And the Moore Institute’s mission is to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases by promoting healthy, nutrient-rich diets based on whole foods across the lifespan — before conception, during pregnancy and lactation, and in infancy and early childhood. The institute offers nutrition-focused programs that engage the community through professional training, community outreach, research, clinical care and public policy for the well-being of current and future generations.

Consistent with the HHS’s initiative, OHSU School of Medicine faculty continuously evaluate how to expand nutritional core competencies and are currently seeking new opportunities to further incorporate nutrition throughout the length of the curriculum.

“Our curriculum is strong; we’re proud of our students and the nutrition skills and knowledge they enter the field with,” Caverzagie said.

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OHSU enrollment reaches 10-year high

OHSU Communications — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 19:58:00 GMT

With this record enrollment, OHSU is progressing toward the 30-30-30 goal of preparing more graduates to serve communities across the state. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

As of fall term 2025, the total number of OHSU-registered students, across all Oregon Health & Science University campuses, increased more than 3% compared to last year. This achievement is a 10-year record high, according to data provided by OHSU’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.

“Growth of more than 100 students compared with fall term 2024 was driven by increases in nursing and public health, as part of OHSU 30-30-30 initiative,” said OHSU Provost and Executive Vice President Marie Chisholm-Burns, Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., MBA, FCCP, FASHP, FAST, FNAP, FACHE. “This exceptional accomplishment demonstrates the incredible effort by many OHSU staff and faculty to educate Oregon's future workforce.”

With this record enrollment, OHSU is progressing toward the 30-30-30 goal of preparing more graduates to serve communities across the state. The 30-30-30 initiative, with funding from the Oregon Legislature, supports OHSU’s goal of graduating more students to increase the number of health professionals providing care in our communities.

Of note, an additional 1,290 students are registered at partner universities and are in joint academic programs with OHSU, through Oregon State University, Portland State University and Oregon Institute of Technology. Total fall 2025 enrollment including these students is 4,337.

“I want to thank each of our partner institutions and all who are participating in these efforts, and I look forward to our continued, collective success,” said Provost Chisholm-Burns.

OHSU-Registered Student Headcount

Schools	Fall 2024	Fall 2025
Dentistry	313	314
Medicine	1,269	1,234
Nursing	1,127	1,227
Public Health	233	272
Total	2,942	3,047

Total Student Headcount*

Fall 2024	Fall 2025
4,206	4,337

_{*includes students registered at OHSU’s partner institutions (Oregon State University, Portland State University and Oregon Institute of Technology) and in joint academic programs with OHSU.}

_Sources:_{Public website: OHSU by the numbers: 2025-26, The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness.}

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OHSU honors 2025 graduates

Seth Preuss — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Oregon Health & Science University is graduating 1,197 new healthcare, research, and education professionals during its all-school commencement ceremony today. (OHSU/Jordan Sleeth)

A new generation of health care, research and education professionals are graduating from Oregon Health & Science University today. A total of 1,197 degrees and certificates will be awarded.

Peter Barr-Gillespie, Ph.D. (OHSU)

Graduates will assemble for the all-school commencement ceremony at 1 p.m., Friday, June 6, at the Oregon Convention Center. The keynote speaker will be OHSU Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer Peter Barr-Gillespie, Ph.D.

The ceremony will be followed by separate hooding ceremonies for the OHSU schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, and for the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. The OSU/OHSU Doctor of Pharmacy Program will also hold a reception that day, in addition to a separate graduation ceremony that will be held in Corvallis on Friday, June 13. The OHSU School of Nursing will hold additional commencement events at its Ashland, Klamath Falls and Monmouth campuses.

Steve Stadum, J.D. (Courtesy)

"The Class of 2025 is skilled, courageous and ready to build its legacy,” said OHSU Interim President Steve Stadum, J.D. “Having been trained in a mission-driven environment where teaching, healing and discovery converge, each one of our 1,197 graduates is capable of helping to shape the future of human health and well-being, and I am confident their contributions will make the world a better place.”

“Graduation marks an incredible milestone in the lives of OHSU students, filling all of my colleagues and I with the hope and promise of a bright future ahead,” said OHSU Provost Marie Chisholm-Burns, Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FCCP, FASHP, FAST, FNAP, FACHE.

Marie Chisholm-Burns, Pharm.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., FCCP, FASHP, FAST (Courtesy)

“At OHSU, we are so proud of the Class of 2025 as they set forth on their professional journeys to improve health and well-being for all. We look forward to celebrating with the graduates, their families, friends and the OHSU community.”

The OHSU School of Dentistry will award 90 degrees this year.

“This class has made remarkable progress since beginning their journey during the pandemic,” said Ronald Sakaguchi, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.B.A., dean of the OHSU School of Dentistry.

Ron Sakaguchi, Ph.D., D.D.S. (OHSU)

“Their focus on patient-centered oral health care and their strong commitment to community service shape who they are. They have dedicated dozens of hours to delivering oral care to low-income and houseless individuals in rural and frontier regions in Oregon, as well as in Cambodia, Thailand and the Dominican Republic. The COVID-19 pandemic showed this class how rapidly health care evolves. They have demonstrated professionalism by adapting to changing circumstances while remaining warm, compassionate and dedicated to delivering outstanding oral health care.”

The OHSU School of Medicine will award 433 degrees and certificates.

Nathan R. Selden, M.D., Ph.D. (OHSU)

“OHSU’s 2025 graduates in medicine and biomedical science are launching their careers at a time of challenge and importance,” said Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the OHSU School of Medicine. “Every great society leverages the value of outstanding science and health care to elevate its people and their success. I’m deeply proud of our graduates who now have the skills, wisdom and creativity necessary to move our communities forward, in Oregon, and around the world. Society’s duty now is to provide them the venues and the opportunities to do their great work. Congratulations to all our graduates on their incredible accomplishments.”

The OHSU School of Nursing will award 511 degrees.

Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Ph.D., RN, FAAN (OHSU)

“OHSU School of Nursing graduates are well-prepared to provide care as Registered and Advanced Practice Nurses, prepare future nurses, lead, improve health care and outcomes, and discover new science. They are welcome additions to the nursing workforce and will lead wherever they are,” said Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, dean of the OHSU School of Nursing.

The OSU/OHSU Doctor of Pharmacy Program will award 64 degrees.

David Bearden, Pharm. D. (OHSU)

“The graduating class of 2025, with their outstanding accomplishments, has been a source of pride and inspiration for the college,” said David Bearden, Pharm.D., FIDP, FCCP, dean of the OSU College of Pharmacy. “Their contributions to health care in communities throughout Oregon and their work across the region signifies their readiness to step into the profession as the role of pharmacists continues to evolve. Together with our entire faculty and staff, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to them. Their dedication and commitment to patient care have equipped them to not only propel the profession of pharmacy forward but also to emerge as innovative leaders in collaborative health care. Working with them and watching their growth has been a pleasure.”

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health will award 99 degrees and certificates.

Paul K. Halverson (OHSU)

"Though we face unprecedented challenges in public health, our commitment to improving health and assuring health equity remains our foundational principle,” said Paul K. Halverson, Dr.P.H., M.H.S.A., dean of the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. “Today, the work of the past several decades — building a resilient public health infrastructure and creating systems that serve all communities — faces threats both structurally and fiscally. Now, more than ever, our graduates will be called upon to stand firm and be accountable for the collective efforts toward safeguarding the right of every individual to a long and healthy life. We are confident our graduates will rise to the challenge, drawing upon all they've learned and the skills they’ve built, to further advance the important values that we hold so dear in public health."

Meet some of OHSU’s 2025 graduates

OHSU School of Dentistry — Tiffany Tep, D.M.D.

By Rhonda Morin

Tiffany Tep, D.M.D. (Courtesy)

Tiffany Tep first considered dentistry early in her life, but it wasn’t until she began working with children that she found her passion for the field.

While in high school, the Beaverton local resident took part in the OHSU School of Dentistry’s Dental Explorers year-long program. In college at Oregon State University, she joined a pre-dental club while studying biology with minors in chemistry and business. She also gained insight by shadowing at a dental clinic, where she observed patient care.

When Tep began dental school in 2021, she found it challenging to adjust to the isolation of online learning. Pandemic protocols — face masks, social distancing and virtual classes — made it harder to connect with classmates. To cope with the tough moments, Tep got involved in extracurricular groups to build a community of shared interests. Once in-person activities resumed, her cohort strengthened, and she began to thrive by finding connection and renewed motivation.

“I like staying busy and engaging with my community,” said Tep, who volunteers for Voices for Inclusion, Belonging and Equity, or VIBE, the American Student Dental Association, Bridges Collaborative Care Clinic, the School of Dentistry student government and a Pediatric Interest Group.

Tep is a child of two Khmer Rouge genocide survivors. In December 2024, a service trip to Cambodia solidified Tep’s decision to specialize in pediatric dentistry. She traveled to Phnom Penh with two School of Dentistry peers and trip leader Michael Lacey, D.M.D, M.A.G.D., assistant professor in the School of Dentistry Restorative Dentistry department. The experience also linked the group with dental students from the University of Health Sciences in Cambodia.

Tep isn’t going far once she graduates. Ten days later, she has an orientation for her OHSU Advanced Education Program in Pediatric Dentistry residency program, which starts July 1.

“After my first rotation in the pediatric clinic, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I left every day feeling so happy, and I couldn’t wait to come back the next day,” Tep said, referring to her training during the D.M.D. program.

OHSU School of Medicine — Calvin Jara, M.D.

By Karen Bishop

Calvin Jara, M.D. (OHSU)

Calvin Jara came from a household where stories mattered. His father was an immigrant from Ecuador and his mother is from Iran. Growing up in New York meant living at the crossroads of these worlds — learning to shift between languages, expectations and ways of seeing. His family name, Jara, means rockrose: a rose that grows on rock. It’s an image that has stayed with him as a private north star — to endure and become something beautiful not despite the difficulty, but because of it.

After graduating from Boston College, he spent a year traveling the world to understand how others live. Through his travels, he became passionate about how environmental conditions can prevent children from playing outdoors, as he did as a kid in upstate New York. He saw the beauty of humanity and the ache of inequity.

His journey into medicine began shortly after that trip, when he started working at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. There, he began to concentrate on research to better understand how environmental factors influence health for communities in the city.

Through his work, he became inspired to pursue a medical education that would allow him to serve as a physician-leader at the intersection of medicine, legislation and community. He applied and was accepted at OHSU.

“OHSU has been the most meaningful chapter of my life,” Jara said. “Here, I found an education that emphasizes the crucial responsibility to use one’s knowledge to better serve the world, and one that is emboldened by health policy, translational research and delivery of care to communities across the great state of Oregon. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to have served as president of my medical school class, a member of OHSU’s School of Medicine’s admissions committee, and as a member of OHSU’s board of directors.”

Jara quotes Mark Twain when contemplating his experience at OHSU: “Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

“I’ve been surrounded by people who believed in me before I believed in myself — who reminded me, through their example, of what it means to lead with humility, courage and heart,” Jara said. “Looking back, I recognize now what I felt, but perhaps could not entirely see during that first interview: a quiet certainty that this was the place where I would grow toward the person I was meant to become.”

Jara will be staying at OHSU for his residency in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery. “I feel deeply fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to continue my journey here,” he said.

OHSU School of Nursing — Hailey Hughes, B.S. - Monmouth campus

By Seth Preuss

Hailey Hughes, B.S.N. (Courtesy)

Hailey Hughes will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in nursing this year after attending the OHSU School of Nursing Monmouth campus. Hughes’ interest in health care stems from childhood. She suffered a knee injury when she was growing up and had a very positive experience in physical therapy, so her first inclination was a career in physical therapy.

Her high school had a health services program, and her focus shifted to nursing after touring the OHSU Monmouth campus as part of that program. She completed an associate’s degree at Chemeketa Community College, but the OHSU nursing program was always the goal.

“From the moment I set foot on campus for the first time in high school, I saw that OHSU faculty are very supportive. They will do anything to help you succeed, and there was a collaborative learning culture there that I really enjoyed,” Hughes said. “I never even applied to another nursing school. I was like, ‘I will wait to get into this program because this is the one I want to be in.’ It has more clinical hours than any other program in the state, so you're more practice-ready, and those are just things I really valued in my education.”

She credits her peers and the supportive atmosphere at her campus for her success, even in challenging times or after hard conversations. By way of example, she shared that she was assigned to an intensive care unit, or ICU, team for her final practicum over her first choice of working with an emergency room unit. After the initial frustration, she was met with support and an honest conversation from her adviser.

“He told me, ‘You know how to work in an ED. You've never worked in an ICU, and I think you would learn more being in a new situation, in a new environment, than you ever would if you went to an ER.’ And so, I ended up doing my practicum in the ICU and ended up getting a job there because I absolutely fell in love with the ICU,” Hughes said.

That kind of mentorship is what Hughes highlighted the most when reflecting on her time in the program.

“Having instructors who aren't just pushing you along — they really see something in you and try to make that connection because they really care about your life after school,” Hughes said. “It's not just, ‘OK, let's get you through to graduation,’ they want you to succeed in your future practice and want you to be in the best fit possible.”

Hughes plans to build her foundational and critical care skills and is considering furthering her education in the future. “I loved my experience so much that it's in the back of my mind to come back to OHSU for my Doctor of Nursing Practice someday,” said Hughes.

OSU/OHSU Doctor of Pharmacy Program, OSU College of Pharmacy — Bryan Le, Pharm.D.

By Seth Preuss

Bryan Le, Pharm.D. (OHSU)

Bryan Le has always been curious about science and how it can explain and improve people’s lives. He earned his Bachelor of Science in biology and health sciences at Oregon State University and was part of his high school’s feeder program, which led to his acceptance into the pharmacy program.

“I've always had a really big interest in chemistry, so when I found that health care was attached with chemistry to pharmacy, I thought it was a no-brainer because it's using these small pills, these small drugs to help make big changes in people’s lives,” Le said. “We do so many cool things in society — sports, art, music — and this is my way of trying to help push the world forward so society can continue on and keep innovating.”

Le is passionate about improving the quality of life for humankind as a whole and feels that he’s learned something from each interaction he’s had in the program. Whether they were faculty, peers or patients, Le felt shaped by those interactions daily.

Le has already been accepted by the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill for his residency and looks forward to working on their high-acuity ICU team.

Le hopes to bring the knowledge he gained back to Oregon one day so he can help train the next generation of clinicians.

“I’d really like to be a practicing faculty member one day, teaching and working in an emergency room, just to give back in some way because so many people have helped me realize my potential, and I want to pay that back down the line,” he said.

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health — Vincenzo José Cornacchione Peña, M.P.H.

By Kelly Malakaua

Vincenzo José Cornacchione Peña, M.P.H. (Courtesy)

When Vincenzo José Cornacchione Peña was a child, he dreamed of becoming a doctor because science captivated him, and the only path he knew at the time that promoted health was medicine. Everything changed when Cornacchione Peña discovered sociology and gender studies in his undergraduate education.

“Those courses truly spoke to what I cared about — understanding how social structures shape health outcomes,” Cornacchione Peña said. Once his university launched a public health major, he signed up without hesitation. “I never looked back.”

Graduating from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health will be his proudest achievement, a milestone shaped by resilience and identity. Born in Venezuela, Cornacchione Peña intimately knows the barriers that come with immigration.

“It's been a blessing in disguise,” Cornacchione Peña said. “It taught me how to practice cultural humility, speak multiple languages and connect with communities in a meaningful way.”

For Cornacchione Peña, this moment is more than a degree; it’s a tribute to the people and places that have shaped him.

Cornacchione Peña's journey hasn't been without its challenges. Personal hardships in undergraduate and graduate school meant taking time away from academics — periods that tested his self-confidence and fueled imposter syndrome. But Cornacchione Peña credits his growth to the support networks that carried him through — faculty and staff grounded in antiracism, friends in BREATHE, a BIPOC student-led group, and his chosen family in Oregon.

“They’ve all reminded me there’s no one ‘right’ way to do public health and that building community and giving back is essential to the work,” he said.

Looking ahead, Cornacchione Peña hopes to become an epidemiologist and educator, focusing on the intersection of language, power and health. He wants to explore how linguicism — discrimination based on language — impacts population health and find ways to measure and disrupt those systems in public health practice.

“Ultimately, I want to democratize this field,” Cornacchione Peña said. “There’s so much knowledge in our communities, and public health should be accessible to everyone who wants to be part of it.”

OHSU 2025 Degree Data

Total degrees and certificates given during the 2024 to 2025 school year – 1,197

OHSU School of Dentistry – 90 total degrees

Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) – 73

Master’s degrees – 7

Master of Science in Orthodontics – 4

Master of Science in Periodontics – 3

Advanced Education – 10

Endodontics – 3

Orthodontics – 4

Periodontics – 3

OHSU School of Medicine – 433 total degrees and certificates

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) – 126

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – 63

Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience – 1

Behavioral Neuroscience – 2

Bioinformatics and Computational Biomedicine – 1

Biomedical Engineering – 12

Biomedical Sciences – 6

Cancer Biology – 6

Cell and Developmental Biology – 2

Clinical Psychology – 7

Health and Clinical Informatics – 2

Microbiology – 3

Molecular and Medical Genetics – 2

Neuroscience – 13

Physiology and Pharmacology – 6

Master’s degrees – 131

Master of Business Administration – 18

Master of Clinical Research – 13

Master of Physician Assistant Studies – 41

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – 1

Master of Science in Bioinformatics and Computational Biomedicine – 3

Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering – 1

Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences – 1

Master of Science in Cancer Biology – 1

Master of Science in Food Systems and Society – 2

Master of Science in Health and Clinical Informatics – 15

Master of Science in Healthcare Administration – 19

Master of Science in Human Nutrition – 10

Master of Science in Medical Physics – 6

Graduate certificates – 43

Dietetic Internship – 13

Health and Clinical Informatics – 13

Human Investigations Program – 17

Bachelor’s degrees – 49

Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Services Management – 2

Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science – 37

Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy – 10

Associate of Applied Science in Paramedic – 21

OHSU School of Nursing – 511 total degrees

Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) – 72

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner – 8

Family Nurse Practitioner – 14

Nurse Anesthesia – 13

Nurse Midwifery – 13

Nursing – 5

Pediatric Primary and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner – 6

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner – 13

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.) – 2

Master’s degrees – 23

Master of Nursing in Nursing Education – 23

Bachelor of Science in Nursing – 414

OSU/OHSU Doctor of Pharmacy Program, OSU College of Pharmacy – 64 total degrees

Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) – 64

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health – 99 total degrees and certificates

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) – 10

Community Health – 1

Epidemiology – 4

Health Systems and Policy – 5

Master’s degrees (M.P.H., M.S.) – 80

Master of Public Health in Biostatistics – 3

Master of Public Health in Environmental Systems and Human Health – 6

Master of Public Health in Epidemiology – 21

Master of Public Health in Health Management and Policy – 16

Master of Public Health in Health Promotion – 21

Master of Public Health Practice – 13

Master of Science in Biostatistics – 8

Graduate certificates – 1

Public Health – 1

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Match Day excitement: M.D. students celebrate a career-defining moment

Karen Bishop and Mariana Phipps — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:21:00 GMT

OHSU's Class of 2025 discovered their residency placements during the annual Match Day event on March 21, 2025. Graduating medical students from throughout the country simultaneously found out where their next steps in their medical careers would lead. These placements are determined by a national residency matching program. (OHSU/Jordan Sleeth)

Spring is in the air and today marks a new beginning for Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine M.D. students as they find out where they "matched” for residency training after graduation.

Led by M.D. Student Affairs Assistant Deans Benjamin Schneider, M.D., and Rebecca Cantone, M.D., the 2025 Match Day ceremony kicked off around 8:25 a.m. People gathered in anticipation as the Robertson Life Sciences Building atrium filled with family, friends, faculty and staff members.

In keeping with a long-standing tradition that unfolds at the same exact moment at all accredited medical schools in the United States, the class of 2025 tore open their match envelopes at precisely 9 a.m. Pacific Time. This moment defines their careers and their personal lives, as they find out which specialty they will pursue and where they will go to continue their medical training as residents.

“We are incredibly proud of the MD25 class as a cohort,” Schneider said. “They have demonstrated incredible resilience. Most of the class interviewed for medical school in the early days of the pandemic, so they began their journey at OHSU not knowing what their educational experience would be like. They’ve carved their own paths, leveraging remote experiences when in-person activities were impossible.”

The matching algorithm

Through a sophisticated computer algorithm, the National Resident Matching Program pairs graduating M.D. students with residency programs. Training programs create a rank list of their desired applicants. Applicants create a rank list of their desired training programs. The match is determined by an algorithm that sorts through each medical student’s list of residency programs they’d like to attend and aligns their preferences with the student chosen by the directors of residency programs.

The 126 graduating M.D. students at OHSU posted a 100% placement rate. If there was a student who didn’t match, the M.D. Program would work with them to identify alternatives, such as research or other training opportunities that will allow them to continue careers in medicine.

For 87% of the 2025 class, today also marks the last day of medical school. Because of OHSU’s time-variable, competency-based Your M.D. curriculum, the majority of fourth-year students complete their graduation requirements by the end of the third quarter. The graduation ceremony will be held in June, and most residency training programs begin in July.

“The excitement and pride we feel for our students just pumps through us at this moment when we see the results of these students’ incredible dedication,” Schneider said. “This is the first cohort to have experienced the OHSU Outreach, Advising, Support, and Identity formation for Students (OASIS) support platform across all four years of medical school. The success of this year’s class in the match is in part due to the dedication of our OASIS advising team!”

By the numbers

The M.D. Class of 2025 placements include:

Students placed in 22 specialties in all regions of the U.S., with 38% of students placing to institutions in Oregon.
41% are entering primary care specialties, including internal medicine, family medicine or pediatrics.
33% of the M.D. students are staying at OHSU for their residency programs.
18% and 17% are entering internal medicine and family medicine, respectively — the most popular specialty picks for this class.

View the Match Day recorded livestream

OHSU's 27 graduate medical education residency programs that take part in the match also posted a 99.5% match rate, with 215 out of 216 slots filled. These include programs that prepare physicians for entry into specialties such as radiology, anesthesiology, ophthalmology, dermatology, radiation oncology and others.

Welcome, new alumni!

Match Day also signals students’ transition to alumni status, as many students close out their formal schooling today and look ahead to their residency training and practice as physicians.

Jasmine Fernandez

Jasmine Fernandez (Courtesy)

“My first introduction to health systems came from growing up with a brother with autism. I was encouraged by my parents to be curious, embrace uncertainty, and always do what I could to uplift others,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez is a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. She says her ancestors have fought for the self-determination and health of their communities, yet so few are represented within medicine. According to the AAMC, in 2023, 0.3% of active physicians identified as American Indian or Alaska Native.

Looking to change this, Fernandez attended the University of Portland to pursue a degree in biology and got a job as an emergency department scribe. A scribe does real-time documentation, capturing and transcribing medical histories, physical examinations, diagnostic test results and treatment plans as they unfold during a patient’s emergency room visit. Fernandez liked the challenges and the dynamic environment of the emergency department. She has witnessed health disparities in her own family and was familiar with how they manifest in medical emergencies. She learned to appreciate the frontline teams that face our greatest public health challenges.

Around this time, Fernandez crossed paths with OHSU’s Northwest Native American Center of Excellence, known as NNACoE, and met for the first time a Native physician. It was a pivotal moment for her. As a NNACoE intern and later Wy’east scholar, she worked on projects aimed at dismantling systemic barriers to increase the number of indigenous students into medicine, like a novel text mentorship service. Also around this time she crossed paths with Jared Delaney. Fernandez and Delaney shared a passion for Native health and forging community on campus with other Native students. As they went through medical school, their paths aligned even more as they were drawn to emergency medicine.

“As I continue this journey, I hope to mentor the next generation of healers, especially those who come from underrepresented groups in medicine,” Fernandez said. “I’d be thrilled to match at a residency that has a strong commitment to underserved populations and health equity — but also anywhere I can bring my partner, who is also matching into emergency medicine.”

Jared Delaney

Jared Delaney (Courtesy)

Delaney, a member of the Klamath, Modoc, Yaqui, Tohono O’odham tribe and a Wy'East scholar, is Fernandez’s partner. He is the former OHSU president of the Association of Native American Medical Students, and says he is grateful for NNACoE and the Wy'East pathway.

“The entire staff supported me not only through the post-baccalaureate process but also through medical school,” he said. “They helped me foster a community and were an invaluable resource when it came to fostering opportunities for career development.”

Delaney is applying into emergency medicine. He chose the specialty because it occupies a special place within the health care system, serving as a safety net for vulnerable populations.

“What inspires and motivates me most is being a role model for Native American youth. I was told I would never make it to medical school, let alone graduate,” Delaney said. “Showing through my actions that it's possible and interacting as a mentor for others brings me joy.”

Any two applicants can participate in a Match as a couple. Fernandez and Delaney applied as a couple, which allowed them to link their rank ordered lists. A couple will match to the most preferred pair of programs on their rank order list where each partner has been offered a position.

Megan Barney

Megan Barney (Courtesy)

For Megan Barney, Match Day came early. She knew last year where she would match because she participated in the military match, which took place on Dec. 11, 2024.

“I got matched to my top-choice residency as an orthopedic surgery intern at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas,” she said. Because of that, she had to withdraw from the civilian match, but still plans on attending this year’s celebration with her classmates.

Barney’s journey to medical school was clear in her mind, even as a young girl growing up in Temecula, California. In 8^th grade, she needed orthopedic surgery on her ankle because of an injury sustained in cheerleading. She was amazed at how such a quick surgery could improve her ankle pain and instability, allowing her to continue in her sport. That year, she participated in a career development course and proclaimed she wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon. “And I never wavered from that path,” she said.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, where she earned an athletic scholarship in her sport of acrobatics and tumbling, Barney began applying for medical schools. Once she was accepted to OHSU, she applied for the Health Professionals Scholarship Program, a program that helps the Veterans Health Administration meet its need for qualified health care professionals for which recruitment or retention is difficult. That includes physicians.

“After filling out an application with a recruiter, I was able to earn a scholarship through the military to attend medical school,” Barney said. “I commissioned into the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant during my first month at OHSU.”

Match options in the military are more limited than in the civilian match. She looked at seven military training facilities with orthopedic surgery residency programs across the country and rotated at five of them as sub-internships. She ultimately chose Texas as her top choice.

“BAMC is the only level 1 trauma center in the Department of Defense,” she explained. “I felt as though doing my training there would give me an unparalleled experience, preparing me for both general and deployed medicine, with a focus on complex trauma.”

Tyler Yeager

Tyler Yeager (Courtesy)

Tyler Yeager never thought he would become a doctor. As a first-generation college student, he was considering a career in engineering. Both his parents are self-employed and in the building trades.

“I had always loved science, but it wasn’t until high school that I discovered my interest in medicine,” he said. “I was trying to find a class that would fit into my schedule and the only one that worked was an early morning anatomy and physiology class.”

From there, Yeager graduated with a degree in bio-health science from Oregon State University. As an undergraduate he didn’t think medical school was even a possibility, but he continued exploring his medical interests. While working as a phlebotomist at Bay Area hospital in Coos Bay, a coworker encouraged him to apply to medical school, which he decided to do — and was accepted to OHSU in 2021. During his time in Coos Bay, Yeager crossed paths with Paul Michaels, M.D., who inspired him to think about pathology as a specialty.

At OHSU, he worked with Guang Fan, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of pathology and laboratory medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine. His exposure to the field solidified his love for pathology.

“I know I want to work in pathology,” Yeager said. “But there are so many types of pathology. I’m not sure yet what area I’ll eventually work in. Residency will give me four years to explore my options.”

Yeager applied broadly to 11 programs and matched to his number one choice: Massachusetts General, where he plans to complete his pathology residency and eventually return to Oregon.

“I will be eternally grateful for OHSU and everything I’ve learned here,” he said. “I love academic medicine, which can only be found in urban settings, but rural Oregon also has my heart. I hope to pursue a career in academic medicine while maintaining my ties to rural Oregon and finding ways to support the community where I was raised.”

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M.D. Class of 2028 welcomed into medicine by OHSU

Seth Preuss — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:34:00 GMT

Oregon Health & Science University welcomed 150 new OHSU School of Medicine students into the medical community and cloaked them with their first white coats during a ceremony on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. This cohort of students will graduate in 2028. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

At the conclusion of the first week of medical school, M.D. students slip on their white coats for the first time as part of long-standing tradition to signify the beginning of their journey in medicine.

This tradition continued Aug. 16 as 150 Oregon Health & Science University medical students donned their coats for the first time at Portland State University’s Viking Pavilion.

Tracy Bumsted, M.D., M.P.H. (OHSU)

The 2028 White Coat Ceremony marks the 10^th anniversary of the YourMD White Coat celebration at OHSU, and was led by Tracy Bumsted, M.D., M.P.H., professor of pediatrics and associate dean for undergraduate medical education in the OHSU School of Medicine. Of the 150 M.D. students who are starting this fall:

80% are Oregonians or of Oregon heritage
68% come from a disadvantaged background
57% identify as female
46% come from racial or ethnic backgrounds other than white
21% come from a racial or ethnic group underrepresented in medicine
20% come from a rural background
9 have completed military service
6 are Wy’east Pathway Scholars

Family, friends, faculty and staff cheered and waved from the audience or watched a live video stream of the event.

Watch a recording of the event.

“I welcome you to the White Coat Ceremony for the OHSU School of Medicine Class of 2028,” Bumsted said in her opening remarks. “We are so glad to be here to honor and celebrate you.”

Bumsted gave a nod to the encouragement and support required to achieve admission to medical school and invited the incoming class to applaud and thank those in the audience and virtual attendees. “None of us who have ever taken this journey in medicine has done so without the support, guidance and wisdom of others. The transformation from student to physician truly does take a village.”

Nathan R. Selden, M.D., Ph.D. (OHSU)

Bumsted also acknowledged the attendance of Sandy Reinschmidt — daughter of J.S. and Maxine Reinschmidt, who established the J.S. Reinschmidt Endowment Fund for Excellence in Medical Education to support the annual J.S. Reinschmidt Lecture and the advancement of medical education at OHSU — before turning the podium over to OHSU School of Medicine Dean Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D.

“This White Coat Ceremony and the journey you will take with us in the OHSU School of Medicine will change you and mark you forever,” Selden said. “Our goal is not just to train you, but also to welcome you to a community and a calling that will become a truly important part of your identity and of your life, that will enhance your sense of purpose and mission and give you and those around you pride.”

The OHSU School of Medicine is committed to increasing the diversity of its student body. Selden celebrated the diversity of the incoming class, emphasizing both its significance and importance for serving communities in the future.

“Medicine is a difficult and challenging profession. Excellence matters. To find you, we needed to look everywhere and in every community for those who have the talent and the commitment to succeed,” he said. “Each and every one of you has that ability and that energy. You are exceedingly capable and tremendously deserving of your place in our community. Secondly, in your careers, we want you to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and pluralistic society. Your patients need to see themselves in the ranks of our profession, and they will.”

Lucas Meuchel, M.D., Ph.D. (OHSU)

Lucas Meuchel, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine, gave the annual J.S. Reinschmidt Lecture. The J.S. Reinschmidt Endowment Fund for Excellence in Medical Education supports the lectureship and the advancement of medical education at OHSU.

Meuchel recently completed his first year as an attending physician at OHSU. He completed both his fellowship in critical care medicine and residency in anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at OHSU, after graduating among the first class of OHSU medical students in the YourMD curriculum in 2018. In his youth, Meuchel considered careers as a farmer, welder or fly-fisher before a summer biotechnology internship focused on vaccine development changed his course.

Meuchel shared his journey and encouraged the incoming class to push past their feelings of inadequacy or imposter syndrome. He shared a story of saving the life of a patient by relying on his training, when their life was at risk for unknown reasons following a procedure. He recalled how much it meant to him when the patient thanked him and told others he was the reason she was alive, instead of criticizing him or questioning the treatment after complications.

“The next few years are going to be hard, and they are supposed to be hard,” Meuchel said. “But it’s not made difficult just for the sole purpose of academic rigor. It’s difficult because you earn your M.D., move on to residency, and become an attending — you need to be ready to be the person who is there to help; the doctor with knowledge, experience and answers. Today you formally start to become that person.”

Robert Cloutier, M.D., M.C.R. (OHSU)

Robert Cloutier, M.D., M.C.R., professor of emergency medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine and assistant dean for undergraduate medical education admissions, offered some brief words of wisdom and read each student's name in a symbolic handoff from the admissions team to the medical school team, before Becca Cantone, M.D., associate professor of family medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine and assistant dean for undergraduate medical education student affairs, helped each student don their coat as they walked across the stage.

Karen Gunson, M.D. (OHSU)

Following a video presentation, the students listened to Karen Gunson, M.D., president of the OHSU School of Medicine Alumni Association Council and member of OHSU’s M.D. Class of 1981.

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will,” Gunson said as she shared a quote from Irish author James Stephens. “Being curious can protect you from yourself. Even when the record seems conclusive or indicative of a particular diagnosis — stay curious! Curiosity can be your superpower; it has been for me.”

Amy Kwon, M.D. (OHSU)

Amy Kwon, M.D., assistant professor of medicine (general internal medicine and geriatrics) in the OHSU School of Medicine, led the students in the Oath of Geneva.

“The next time that you recite this oath, you’ll likely be at graduation to receive your doctoral hood; there will be a lot of changes between now and then,” Kwon said. “But I hope that some things about you never change, particularly the empathy, caring and basic decency that have brought you here today. Keep these values close and let them be your guiding light.”

“Breath, just breathe,” Bumsted said in closing. “Learn — from us, from your patients, and help us learn from you; observe carefully; take a pause and reflect; ask questions; and be curious!”

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Nate Selden, M.D., Ph.D., appointed School of Medicine dean

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:39:00 GMT

Nathan R. Selden, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed dean of the OHSU School of Medicine. (OHSU)

OHSU President Danny Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., shared this message with the OHSU community on Thursday, June 20, 2024.

Dear Oregon Health & Science University members,

It is my pleasure to announce that I have appointed Nathan R. Selden, M.D., Ph.D., as dean of the OHSU School of Medicine, effective immediately. Dr. Selden has had an accomplished record of contribution to our clinical, scientific and educational missions during his 24-year tenure at OHSU. His demonstrated leadership and deep connections across the School of Medicine, the university and the community make him the right person to serve in this role during a time of rapid change, significant challenges and important opportunities.

Dr. Selden joined OHSU and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in 2000 as an assistant professor of neurological surgery. He has led major expansions of the neurosurgery residency training program, the division of pediatric neurosurgery and the department of neurological surgery, where he served as chair for the past 8 years. He is a professor of neurological surgery, holds the Mario and Edith Campagna Chair in Pediatric Neurosurgery and has served as interim dean of the School of Medicine since February of this year.

In addition, Dr. Selden has led the creation of impactful partnerships in the clinical neurosciences with Legacy Health. The relationships he has built with key Legacy Health leaders and his own experience as a staff neurosurgeon at Randall Children’s Hospital provide a strong foundation as OHSU and Legacy embark on the next steps of our groundbreaking integration.

Dr. Selden’s scientific research has focused on central mechanisms of pain sensation. He was the co-principal investigator and surgeon for the first-ever trial of human neural stem cell therapy. He also researches outcomes for neurosurgical care delivered to children with spinal congenital malformations and is an author of the Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Guidelines, which are used around North America and in many countries around the world to improve the care of seriously injured children.

Dr. Selden has a national and international reputation for studying new methods of neurosurgical education and continuing education that promote patient safety and quality. He is a past-president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, one of the largest neurosurgical professional organizations in the world, is currently president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons, the world’s oldest academic neurosurgical society, and is vice-chair of the American Board of Neurological Surgery. In 2013, he received the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Parker Palmer Courage to Teach Award.

Dr. Selden earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a Ph.D. from Cambridge University as a British Marshall Scholar, and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He completed a residency in neurosurgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, and a fellowship in pediatric neurological surgery at Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago.

Dr. Selden asked me to share this message with you: “I am grateful to serve the university that has encompassed my entire career and the state in which I grew up. While this is a time of real challenge in health care, it is also a time of generational change and opportunity for OHSU. I am delighted to join Dr. Jacobs’ leadership team as a permanent member. OHSU is its people, and you are the engine of our success. I will do everything I can to help as you advance our missions.”

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Selden.

Sincerely yours,

Danny Jacobs, M.D., M.P.H., FACS
President

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