STORIES

Knight Campus Joins WBB as Special Guest Coaches

Meet Marian, Parisa, and Gabriella - three scientists working on life-changing research in the UO Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact.

Not many people know that Title IX affects more than just athletics; it protects against gender discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives funding from the federal government. Much of the momentum to pass Title IX originated because of educational opportunities women were lacking. In the classroom, women were prohibited from enrolling in what were considered “masculine” courses like shop, physical education, and STEM.

Flash forward to today, and it’s inspiring to see the progress we’ve made empowering women to pursue and excel in the same fields they were once denied. To celebrate Oregon women leading the charge in scientific development, three scientists from the UO Knight Campus were “guest coaches” at an Oregon women’s basketball game. Read below to learn more about each scientist and the research they’re doing to impact human health and performance.

MARIAN HETTIARATCHI

Marian leads the Hettiaratchi Lab, which is using new techniques in protein engineering and computational modeling to design more effective biomaterials for protein delivery to injured tissues, such as large bone defects and the stroke-injured brain.

GABRIELLA LINDBERG

Gabriella leads the Lindberg Lab, which is in pursuit of a blueprint to bridge the gap between engineered and native musculoskeletal tissues. A key focus is to engineer constructs with sufficient tissue quality that further replicate the native 3D organization of both healthy and diseased tissues.

parisa hosseinzadeh

Parisa leads the Hosseinzadeh Lab, which is working at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and computer science to design new functional peptides, develop protein-based sensing platforms for early detection of diseases, and generate new enzymes.

“We know that there are a lot of different molecules and cells and proteins that are typically involved in tissue repair…What we don't know is what kind of timing we need to deliver different therapeutics to achieve robust healing.”

“Bioengineering is very multidisciplinary. For me, this is why I love my job so much because I get to combine a lot of my passions. It is biology, but also materials chemistry and then also technology.”

“Proteins are awesome. They do most of the work that our body does. I enjoy studying them and thinking about this complicated tiny world inside us.”

ABOUT THE KNIGHT CAMPUS

The Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact is an ambitious initiative to fast-track scientific discoveries into innovations that improve the quality of life for people in Oregon, the nation, and the world. The campus creates the intellectual infrastructure to establish Oregon as a center for both research and development, making Oregon a place where companies can start-up, grow, and stay.

The Knight Campus believes in science advancing society. Its vision is to dramatically shorten the timeline between discovery and societal impact through world-class research, training and entrepreneurship in a nimble scientific enterprise.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE

Celebrate the achievements of these amazing scientists with gifts to support the Knight Campus and the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.

Or contact:

Callie Johnston

Chief Development Officer

541-346-7133

callie@uoregon.edu

Or contact:

Alexis Cross

Director, Women In Flight

541-346-5464

across2@uoregon.edu