William L. Redmond, PhD
Providence Portland Medical Center - Portland, Oregon

Dr. Redmond graduated with a BS in Biology from the University of California, Davis. He then attended The Scripps Research Institute, where he received a PhD in macromolecular and cellular structure and chemistry. He currently continues his scientific research at Oregon’s Providence Portland Medical Center in the Laboratory of Basic Immunology, where he is working on “overcoming CD8 T cell tolerance to prostate tumors via OX40 engagement.”

From an early age, Dr. Redmond was interested in pursuing a career in medicine and/or biomedical research. His personal experience of losing loved ones to cancer, including his grandmother and several friends, fueled his desire to work towards finding a cure for this terrible disease, and ultimately ending cancer-related suffering and death. He also credits his parents, especially his father (who is also a doctor) for developing his desire to work in the field of cancer research.

“For many years, my father worked in the field of public health and disease epidemiology. Even as a child I began to appreciate the importance of disease research as well as the potential benefits for people suffering from various diseases, whether infectious disease, autoimmunity, or cancer,” says Dr. Redmond. His interest in “developing novel therapies for the treatment of human disease” would lead him to his work in prostate cancer research.

In addition to his PCF Young Investigator Award, Dr. Redmond has received several other honors. He was awarded the Sam E. and Kathleen L. Henry Post-doctoral Fellowship from the American Cancer Society, and multiple Trainee Abstract Awards from the American Association of Immunologists. His work can be found in 13 publications, including the Journal of Immunology, and the European Journal of Immunology.

When Dr. Redmond is not working in the lab, he engages in activities such as hiking and traveling with his family. He also enjoys roller hockey, basketball, tennis, and playing guitar. His family is extremely important to him, and he credits them for playing a huge role in achieving his goal of working as a cancer researcher.

“With my parents’ support and encouragement, I pursued both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in biomedicine and continue that work today,” says Dr. Redmond. “My current studies are focused on developing new therapies that can stimulate the patient's immune response in order to eliminate prostate cancer.”