Grace Gill, Ph.D., Director

Dr. Gill is an Associate Professor in the Division of Oncological Sciences and the Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology and Associate Director of Cancer Research Training & Education Coordination at the Knight Cancer Institute. Grace is an accomplished scientist whose research has advanced understanding of molecular mechanisms of transcription factor function and regulation. She is a CIMER Certified Facilitator of Entering Mentoring and has helped faculty and trainees to improve their mentoring relationships. Grace has extensive experience in basic and translational science research and education, and she is passionate about providing supportive mentoring to advance professional development of the next generation of scientists.

Josh Walker, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Director

Dr. Walker is an assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University in the Departments of Radiation Medicine and Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology and is Assistant Director of Cancer Research Training & Education Coordination at the Knight Cancer Institute. Dr. Walker completed his MD/PhD here at 博彩网站 and, in his clinical practice,  he specializes in the treatment of thoracic and central nervous system malignancies. His basic science lab develops novel strategies to target and kill malignant cells for use in cancer therapeutics. He directs the clinical research program in the 博彩网站 Department of Radiation Medicine and is the faculty mentor for OnTrack at the Knight.

Alexis Champagne, CRTEC Project Coordinator

Alexis started working with the 博彩网站 Knight Cancer Institute in 2022 after a 30-year background in the veterinary industry, working as a vet technician and manager. She was a literal cat wrangler! Alexis has also volunteered with the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon and farmed with Raceme Farm Collective and the Errant Carrot Collective. Exploring the relationship between food, weeds, and growing medicine is one of her favorite learning tools. Alexis joined 博彩网站 to continue supporting others and began working with CRTEC in 2023. When not supporting others, Alexis supports herself by enjoying time with her dogs, laughing with her friends, and visiting as many Portland food carts as possible.

Amanda Braley M.S., Research Project Coordinator

Amanda joined the CRTEC Team in September 2024. Amanda has over 25 years of experience working as a biologist and teaching science in higher education. She is passionate about giving students authentic introductions to the fundamentals of scientific research, no matter their age.  When not working with undergraduate or high school aged scientists, Amanda can be found volunteering at youth science events, such as FIRST Lego League.

Sarah Jaquez, CRTEC Project Coordinator

Sarah Jaquez is passionate about career, academic, and personal development, with a deep interest in leveraging tools and resources to connect, empower, and support others in achieving their goals. Through her own career experiences and her dedication to assisting community members, she has discovered that her greatest strength lies in linking people to resources and streamlining processes for greater efficiency and success. Sarah joined the CRTEC team in February 2025 and is excited to support a variety of education programs across the Knight.

Yoli Flores, CRTEC Project Coordinator

Yoli has 10 years of community health education and training experience. She received her BS at the 博彩网站-PSU School of Public Health and is currently working on her MPH in Epidemiology. She is passionate about cancer early detection and prevention, and honors her late grandmother that fought bravely against metastatic breast cancer. She is a champion for quality health care, higher education, and access to fresh food. She enjoys traveling, cooking, gardening, and spending time with her loved ones.