Oregon Health and Science University announced Thursday that it’s attracted a top researcher to join the Knight Cancer Institute.
Mike Heller comes to OHSU from the University of California, San Diego, where he established a laboratory centered in both bio-engineering and nanobiology .
Heller has 53 patents and is credited for developing a cancer-detecting computer chip. When a tiny amount of blood is placed on the chip, it identifies markers for cancer.
Heller told OPB he’s coming to Portland to find new biomarkers for cancer, and to figure out how to make the computer chip test cheaper so it can be used every day in clinics.
He likened the Knight Cancer Institute to the United States' quest to put a person on the moon in the 1960s.
“Everything we needed was there to go to the moon," Heller said. "You just had to put a team together and focus on it."
Heller served on the White House National Nanotechnology Initiative panel between 1999 and 2000. He's presently serving on the National Nanotechnology Initiative Review panel.
In addition to working in academia, Heller co-founded Nanogen — a company that specialized in diagnostic kits.
Nanogen filed for bankruptcy during the Great Recession after a failed merger attempt with a French company.
Heller's Nanogen co-founder, Sadik Esener, is the director of Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research within the Knight Cancer Institute.
“Dr. Heller is unique in that he’s been highly successful in academia as well as the biomedical industry,” said Esener.
Esener said Heller is skillful at being at the "forefront of technology" while still being able to bring his inventions to market.
"A leader with this range of experience will be invaluable to our team,” Esener said.
Heller said he's in the process of packing up his home and moving into a condo just a few minutes walk from the Knight Cancer Institute.
His first day of work is July 3.
Copyright 2017 Oregon Public Broadcasting
