BioE News

Headshot of two students, cropped in circles, on a green background
Knight Campus Graduate Students Win the Science Coalition Video Challenge

Knight Campus graduate students Anissa Benabbas (Plesa Lab) and Malvika Singhal (Hettiaratchi Lab) took first place in the Science Coalition Student Video Challenge.

Bala Ambati
Ophthalmic Researcher Bala Ambati Receives Federal–Industry Award to Advance Pediatric Myopia Treatment
Bala Ambati has received nearly $500,000 in funding from iVEena Delivery Systems, Inc. and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance a new therapeutic for nearsightedness, the leading cause of vision loss globally.
Tim Gardner
Neuroengineer Tim Gardner Receives Foundation Award to Advance Brain-Injury Research
Tim Gardner has received a $350,000 award from the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) to accelerate the development of next-generation neural-interface technologies for studying brain injury and repair.
marian hettiaratchi lab science image protein 2
Microscopic Scaffolds Could One Day Help Muscles Heal After Devastating Injuries

Researchers from the Hettiaratchi lab at Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact combine 3D printing with molecular cues to guide muscle regeneration.

Danielle Benoit
Benoit Wins Prestigious 2026 Acta Biomaterialia Silver Medal
The mid-career honor recognizes Benoit for her internationally renowned research program in therapeutic biomaterials and her her recent and timely scientific contributions and leadership.
Headshot of Saumya Keremane against a wood wall
Saumya Keremane Receives the Rita Levi Montalcini Scholarship
The award supports promising scientists pursuing STEM degrees and has funded more than 50 graduate students at leading universities across the U.S.
iGEM Team 2025
Knight Campus-based UO iGEM team wins gold at iGEM global synthetic-biology competition
The University of Oregon team based at the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact earned a Gold Medal at the 2025 iGEM Grand Jamboree in Paris, becoming the first UO team ever to achieve the top award level in the international synthetic-biology competition.
group photo of scholars at a conference
Knight Campus Researchers Present at Cascadia Corridor Research Symposium

Researchers from the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact participated in the Cascadia Corridor Research Symposium in Seattle, highlighting the range of research taking place across the Knight Campus. 

Knight Campus Startups Recognized at Oregon Bio 2025
Three Knight Campus Startups Recognized at Oregon Bio 2025
Three Knight Campus–affiliated startups earned top recognition at the Oregon Bio 2025 Conference and Innovation Showcase, held at Portland Community College’s Rock Creek Campus.
Headshot of Cora Ferguson in the lobby of the Knight Campus
Cora Ferguson receives an International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) Fellowship
The bioengineering PhD candidate in the Willett and Lindberg labs, will apply the fellowship to support her graduate work to better understand how hormones influence joint integrity