OBI Client Company Recent Wins
- Received a $399,995 National Cancer Institute (NCI) grant, an additional $50,000 in funding from the State of Oregon, and recently appointed Bernadette Greenwood as President and CEO.
- Received recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its Gazelle® sickle cell disease testing platform, which was featured in new WHO guidance on point-of-care testing for sickle cell disease.
Learn more about OBI’s 30 startups by visiting our website!
OBI at BIO International
We were especially grateful to hear Governor Tina Kotek speak about what it takes to build strong innovation ecosystems and support long-term growth in Oregon’s life sciences sector. As she shared, “When people see a future in a place, they want to stay there.” Her remarks reflected the importance of investing in science, talent, and the people who turn breakthroughs into better outcomes for patients.
Governor Kotek highlighted key priorities including workforce development, commercialization, innovation-friendly policy, and strong collaboration between industry, academia, and government to ensure Oregon remains competitive on a global stage.
It was also a pleasure connecting with Oregon companies at the pavilion, including OBI graduate client company Caravel Bio as well as client companies ProMedix and Virogenomics Bio Development.
Moments like these reflect the strength of Oregon’s bioscience ecosystem and the momentum building across our community.
From OBI Intern to Senior Scientist: Katherine Huynh’s Full-Circle Journey
“Say yes to the opportunity in front of you, even if it is not the exact topic or field that you would have chosen initially.”
— Katherine Huynh, Ph.D. | Senior Scientist, Tissue Engineering at e184
Meet the Scientist: Katherine Huynh, Ph.D. | e184
Katherine Huynh‘s scientific career began in 2009, when she joined the Oregon Translational Research and Drug Development Institute (OTRADI) at Oregon Bio Incubator (OBI) as a research intern. During her time there, she screened chemical compounds for anti-bacterial activities, and contributed to anti-malarial research, which gave her an early foundation in independent, hands-on experimental work. Under the mentorship of Dr. Jennifer Fox, Ph.D., this experience kickstarted her passion for science and set the direction for the career that followed.
Since then, she has built her scientific expertise around engineering 3D biomaterial platforms, targeted gene therapy, and drug delivery systems, across large biotech, startups, and translational research environments, such as the Knight Cancer Institute, AstraZeneca, and several early-stage biotechnology companies. She operates in research and development as the bridge between engineering and biology, working across the experimental, analytical, and strategic layers simultaneously to move programs forward.
It’s a full-circle moment: the same curiosity sparked at OBI has carried her to building a novel platform shaping reproductive medicine’s next chapter. Katherine returns to OBI in the role of Senior Scientist in Tissue Engineering at e184, on the Ectogenesis team, where she works on engineering tissue systems to support placental development through controlled vascularization and maternal-fetal interface modeling, part of e184’s broader mission to advance ectogenesis and expand reproductive options for people facing medical risk, infertility, or physiological barriers to gestation.
What do you remember most about your time as an OBI intern?
“What I remember the most is the pace and intensity of the startup environment at OBI, fully immersed in real scientific experiments rather than a classroom simulation. I came in with zero lab experience before I started my undergraduate studies, and within two weeks I was designing and running my own high throughput drug screening experiments using automated robotic systems. That was the first time science felt like a profession rather than a subject, and that trial-by-fire experience is something I am passionate about and still think back on whenever I am ramping up on something unfamiliar.”
Did your experience at OBI influence your career path? If so, how?
“Yes, my experience OBI initiated my long term career path as a scientist. OBI taught me that I have the capability to walk into a completely unfamiliar technical environment and become independently productive fast, and that has been the through line of my whole scientific career, from tissue engineering to therapeutic development, I keep choosing roles that require learning new systems quickly and efficiently. I am passionate about these fast pace environments where I can join a team, address the technical gap and keep the science moving. OBI was also my first exposure to translational research, science built toward real, applied outcome. That is what has continued to draw me to the biotechnology industry specifically: I was to be immersed in the work that moved toward tangible impact for patients, not just theoretical studies.”
What led you to your current role at e184?
“Throughout my career, I have experienced firsthand that the biggest scientific breakthroughs happen when biologists and engineers work in true partnership on the same project, not in separate silos. That is the program model that e184 built on, and it is what drew me to the role. The position was a great fit, as I could bring my tissue engineering expertise directly into their novel platform. That is also a full circle piece to it. My very first experience in a lab was right here in Portland, as an intern at OBI. Coming back into this same ecosystem now, but as a Senior Scientist with e184, one of OBI startup client companies, building an ambitious reproductive medicine platform, feels like the natural next chapter.”
What advice would you give to students or early-career professionals interested in the bioscience industry?
“Say yes to the opportunity in front of you, even if it is not the exact topic or field that you would have chosen initially. I didn’t choose therapeutic screening, it is what OBI needed at the time, but showing up prepared and genuinely enthusiastic about what I was working on was what open every door after that opportunity.
Find one person willing to actually mentor you, not just supervise you. My internship worked because Dr. Fox invested in me as a person, not just an employee. When someone offers that kind of support, take it seriously and meet it with real effort. Preparation and passion are what turn an opportunity into a mentorship, and a mentorship into a career.”
BioMentor Spotlight:
Scott Eliasof
For more than twenty-five years, Scott Eliasof led multi-disciplinary research teams in both industry and academic settings, responsible for developing research strategy and planning, setting goals, developing and overseeing budgets, overseeing research communication with investors and at public forums, and leading collaborations with other academic laboratories. The research focused on oncology, nanomedicine, neuroscience, and regenerative medicine and involved early research discovery (target identification and validation), lead identification and optimization, development candidate nomination, non-clinical pharmacology and toxicology to support IND filings, and translational research concurrent with clinical trials.
Scott worked as an entrepreneur-in residence at UC Riverside EPIC Small Business Development Center, SVP of Research at Frequency Therapeutics, SVP and CSO of Cerulean Pharma, Director of the Chemical Biology Platform at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, and as a senior scientist at Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Neurocrine Biosciences. Scott received his Ph.D. in neuroscience at UC Berkeley, and his B.S in electrical engineering at MIT. He is mostly retired these days but enjoys advising early-stage startup companies.
OBI Startup Spotlight Expo Returns September 17
Mark your calendar for one of OBI’s most anticipated events of the year: the Annual Startup Spotlight Expo on Thursday, September 17 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the Oregon Bioscience Incubator. This signature event sells out every year and brings together founders, investors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders for an evening dedicated to innovation in biotech and life sciences.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet OBI resident startups, explore emerging technologies, and hear directly from the companies developing solutions that are shaping the future of health and science. The evening will also feature a panel of industry experts discussing timely trends, challenges, and opportunities across the biotech and life sciences sectors.
Startup Spotlight Expo sells out every year, and attendance is intentionally capped to create meaningful conversations and connections. Early registration is strongly encouraged.
Reserve Your Spot at Oregon’s Premier Biotech Startup Showcase
BIP Corp Program Open for Enrollment
Applications are now open for the Biomedical Innovation Program Commercialization Readiness Program (BIP Corp), a six-week virtual training program offered through OHSU’s Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI). The program will run Fridays from September 11 through October 16.
Designed for biomedical scientists, clinician-scientists, and engineers, BIP Corp helps early-stage innovators explore customer discovery, market assessment, regulatory considerations, and commercialization strategies to move research toward real-world impact.
The program is open to individuals or teams pursuing early-stage biomedical innovations, and there is no cost to participate. Non-OHSU participants are welcome.
Submissions can be made HERE.
Step Into the OBI Network: BioMembership Is Here
Want to be part of OBI but do not need lab or office space? BioMembership was created with you in mind. It is designed for startups, service providers, and ecosystem partners who want to stay closely connected to OBI’s community, programs, and momentum without becoming a resident company.
BioMembers gain access to OBI-hosted events, member pricing for select educational programs, opportunities to reserve conference space, and increased visibility within our growing bioscience network. It is a flexible way to stay engaged, build meaningful relationships, and remain plugged into the energy and opportunity happening here every day.
If you are looking for connection, collaboration, and a seat at the table, BioMembership makes it simple to be part of OBI.
Learn More about BioMembership
Upcoming Events at OBI
Think & Drink Trivia Night
Thursday, July 23 | 5:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m.
Reserve Your Spot!
Accelerate Biotech Happy Hour
Thursday, August 6 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Register for Free
OBI Startup Spotlight Expo
Thursday, September 17 | 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Get tickets now!