A team of OHSU researchers led by Jared Fischer, Ph.D., and Jose Montoya Mira, Ph.D., have developed a new blood test that identifies hard-to-detect pancreatic cancer with 85% accuracy. Fischer says, “The problem with pancreatic cancer is that we often catch it too late. Our goal with PAC-MANN is to give clinicians a tool that can detect the disease much earlier, when more treatment options are available and there is a better chance of survival.”

Media cover potential impacts to OHSU, Oregon and scientific research in the U.S. if the NIH reduction of indirect costs holds. “There’s 1,900 research workers at OHSU and I don’t think any of them feel safe. I know I don’t feel safe,” says Lynne Swarbrick, B.S.

In an essay for Upfront Magazine, a student-focused publication from The New York Times, Shoukhrat Mitalipov, Ph.D., makes the argument for using gene editing — not to “make better babies,” but rather to use new genetic tools to correct discrete mutations that cause human suffering. He says, “These tools offer hope to families making their own informed decisions about their children’s health and wellbeing. As a scientist and as a father, I am compelled to help them.”

As the top recipient of research funding from NIH in the state, OHSU and its research is included in coverage of Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s lawsuit, along with 21 other states, to stop the NIH’s new policy on reduced indirect costs. Interim president Steve Stadum, J.D., says, “The research conducted at OHSU leads to life-saving therapies and technologies and contributes to the global effort that seeks to improve human health and well-being. Research is a foundational pillar of what makes us an academic health center, and we must do all we can to protect it.”

In a HuffPost article about eye health, Amanda Redfern, M.D., reveals the one thing ophthalmologists say you should never do: ″[Sleeping with contact lenses in your eyes] is bad. It’s real bad. Don’t do it. It’s like a game of Russian roulette.”

The Columbian writes about the potential impact of the proposed OHSU-Legacy integration on Southwest Washington. Nate Selden, M.D., Ph.D., says, “Both institutions have a deep, historic commitment to these communities. It’s one of the reasons I’m so optimistic about this integration.”

Ben Burwitz, Ph.D., and his research team develop the first transgenic nonhuman primate model for studying hepatitis B virus. The breakthrough could lead to the development of new treatments for the disease, which affects about 250 million people globally and results in nearly 1 million deaths annually. Burwitz says, “We’ve seen success with treatments for hepatitis C that wipe out the virus, and that’s the goal here. Developing a drug that’s effective, easy to distribute and affordable for global populations is critical.”

On Oregon’s 166 th birthday, Axios Portland highlights why Oregon is special—including OHSU, the state’s leading research institution driving groundbreaking advancements in medicine, from developing a universal flu vaccine and creating the first artificial heart valve to expanding addiction medicine training and more. Steve Stadum, J.D., says, “The innovations we make today are already shaping the next 166 years of Oregon's story.”

Three Sisters Rural Track family medicine residents visit Madras to connect with the community and get localized training on common medical needs. The program is Central Oregon’s first medical residency program, created in a partnership between OHSU and St. Charles in Bend. “We’ve gotten to connect with the community and learn about all the different aspects of working in a small, rural, diverse community, along with some great didactic training,” says Callie Krewson, D.O.

A team of OHSU researchers led by Jared Fischer, Ph.D., and Jose Montoya Mira, Ph.D., have developed a new blood test that identifies hard-to-detect pancreatic cancer with 85% accuracy. Fischer says, “The problem with pancreatic cancer is that we often catch it too late. Our goal with PAC-MANN is to give clinicians a tool that can detect the disease much earlier, when more treatment options are available and there is a better chance of survival."