Research and Impact

Research

Accelerating scientific discovery and its translation into real-world applications

Advancing bioengineering research, biomedical data science and high-tech workforce training — transforming human health, accelerating commercialization of new technologies and preparing PhD and master’s students for scientific and industry leadership.

Knight Campus Research Focus Areas

The Knight Campus is home to 15 independent, faculty-led bioengineering labs spanning 3D printing, microphysiological systems, tissue regeneration, and biomaterial development. Our researchers work in state-of-the-art facilities within a collaborative environment, and many of our faculty are entrepreneurs themselves, actively involved in building startups alongside their research.

Biomaterials

Combining materials chemistry and biomedical engineering to design new functional materials, 3-D structures, tools and devices that address key challenges in the clinic.

See how the Dalton Lab is creating biomaterials with a wide applications →

Potential impact: 

Medical Sensors & Devices

Combining materials, data science, and device architecture to create implantable and wearable medical sensors and devices that change the study and treat diseases and injuries.

See how the Ong Lab develops implantable wireless sensors  →

Potential impact: 

Protein Engineering & Synthetic Biology

Developing new proteins, peptides, nucleic acids and systems with designed properties and predictable behaviors. We repurpose biological cells as factories allowing simple large-scale low-cost manufacturing of complex macromolecules.

See how the Plesa Lab creates large biological datasets →

Potential impact: antibiotic resistance

Neural Engineering

Developing novel implantable interfaces for the brain and peripheral nervous system.

See how the Deku Lab creates a high density neural interface →

Potential impact: alzheimers, Parkinsons disease, vision loss

Biomedical Artificial Intelligence

Combining curated datasets and the latest in machine learning to develop models of complex biological systems trained to make automated, repeatable, data-driven decisions.

See how the Gardner Lab created an AI tool that automatically parses birdsongs →

Potential impact: cancer, cognition, 

Regenerative Rehabilitation & Human Performance

Integrating engineered technologies to measure, model, regenerate and enhance the performance of tissue systems.

See how the Hettiaratchi Lab builds microstructures to help muscle cells grow →

Potential impact: aging, female athletes

Knight Campus Research Labs

Bala Ambati

Bala Ambati

Research Professor, Bioengineering

neural engineering

Danielle Benoit

Danielle Benoit

Lorry Lokey Chair of the Department of Bioengineering

biomaterials

portrait of colin brendenberg

Colin Bredenberg

Assistant Professor, Bioengineering (starting September, 2026)

biomedical artificial intelligence

zoe christenson wick

Zoé Christenson Wick

Assistant Professor, Bioengineering (starting September, 2026)

neural engineering

Bill Creeks

Bill Cresko

Lorry Lokey Chair Professor of Bioengineering

protein engineering & synthetic biology

Paul Dalton

Paul Dalton

Bradshaw and Holzapfel Research Professor; Associate Professor, Bioengineering

biomaterials

Felix Deki, Knight Campus courtyard

Felix Deku

Betsy and Greg Hatton Assistant Professor in Neuroengineering, Bioengineering

neural engineering

Tim Gardner

Tim Gardner

Associate Professor, Bioengineering

neural engineering

Robert Guldberg portrait

Robert Guldberg

Vice President and Executive Director

regenerative rehabilitation & human performance

Marian Hettiaratchi

Marian Hettiaratchi

Lary Simpson Professor; Associate Professor, Bioengineering

biomaterials

Parisa Hosseinzadeh

Parisa Hosseinzadeh

Assistant Professor, Bioengineering

protein engineering & synthetic biology

Sara Keller

Sara Keller

Assistant Professor, Bioengineering

medical sensors & devices

Gabby

Gabriella Lindberg

Assistant Professor, Bioengineering

biomaterials

keat ghee ong

Keat Ghee Ong

Professor, Bioengineering

medical sensors & devices

David Peeler

David Peeler

Assistant Professor, Bioengineering

biomaterials

Calin Plesa

Calin Plesa

Assistant Professor, Bioengineering

protein engineering & synthetic biology

headshot of nick willett

Nick Willett

Associate Professor, Bioengineering

regenerative rehabilitation & human performance

Research Grants, Gifts and Funding

Our research is supported through a combination of large philanthropic gifts, competitive fellowships, and externally funded grants. Through combining philanthropic funding with grants and industry partnerships, the Knight Campus provides financial support that allows students and faculty to pursue long-term research projects, develop new technologies, and move discoveries from the laboratory to commercialization more rapidly.

75.8* Million

in cumulative research awards (known full award amounts, with awards anticipated out to FY31).

50% 

of our Bioengineering graduate students are supported by external fellowships and awards, including NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, NIH T32 training grants and F31 fellowships.

$1 billion +

of funding for Knight Campus made possible by two $500 million gifts from Penny and Phil Knight, $80+ million in directed state funds and gifts from hundreds of donors.

$11.7M

total funding received in FY25

Recent Faculty Grant Highlights

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NIH UG3 Award

Granted to Danielle Benoit for the project "Bone-Targeted Nanoparticles to Accelerate Fracture Healing in Aging Populations".

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Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) Award

Granted to Tim Gardner for advanced neural interfaces for chronic electrophysiological studies of brain injury and repair. 

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NSF Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems Award

Granted to Paul Dalton for the project "POSE: Phase I: MEW Ecosystem for Transformative Research (METR)".

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CZI Scaling Up Synthetic Biology Award

Granted to Calin Plesa to support scaling up DropSynth’s capacity by more than sixfold.

Collaborative Research Centers

The Knight Campus connects discovery and innovation through our leading research centers and initiatives, each driving progress in human performance, biomedical data science, advanced technology, and semiconductors.

WuTsai Human Performance

Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance

A collaborative research initiative accelerating discovery in human performance and recovery, spanning genetics, physiology, and engineering.

Explore the Alliance →

CBDS workshop

Center for Biomedical Data Science

CBDS bridges biology and computation to advance data-driven insights in genetics, imaging, and biomedical innovation.

Explore CBDS →

Student in Biofoundry lab

Knight Campus Core Facilities

Shared facilities offering rapid prototyping, 3D printing, a clean room, and X-ray imaging for researchers and partners.

Explore Core Facilities →

Semiconductor students in lab

Powering Our Semiconductor Future

Hands-on training from the classroom to the cleanroom, preparing industry-ready talent for Oregon's growing semiconductor workforce.

Explore Semiconductors Initiatives →

Research News

Explore the latest stories, events, and scientific advancements.

runners in race
Peak Oregon

The University of Oregon announces Peak Oregon, a Partnership to Supercharge Sports with Science. The $5 million lead gift will unite scientists, engineers, clinicians, and performance experts in translating research into real-world results starting with Oregon's student-athletes and expanding to athletes at all skills and ages.

Student working at a computer
Knight Campus Researchers Engineer Molecules That Stagger the Release of Regenerative Cues

By engineering highly targeted molecules, called affibodies, and controlling when they release regenerative cues, researchers from the Marian Hettiaratchi Lab, are developing ways to help muscle, bone, and spinal cord injuries heal better and faster.

Headshot of Colin and Zoe
Knight Campus Department of Bioengineering to Welcome Two New Faculty Members

Neuroscientists Colin Bredenberg and Zoé Christenson Wick will join the department in September 2026, bringing research with the potential to deepen understanding of the neural basis of learning and neurodegenerative aging.

More News »