Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny Knight have pledged a monumental $2 billion gift to the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)—marking the largest single donation ever made to a U.S. university or academic health center.

The funds will support a comprehensive transformation of cancer care. Patients will gain access to integrated services such as genetic, psychological, and financial counseling, symptom management, nutritional and survivorship support—delivering a more holistic and patient-focused care experience.

Additionally, the donation enables the Knight Cancer Institute to become a self-governing entity within OHSU, overseen by its own board of directors. Dr. Brian Druker, a pioneering cancer researcher known for developing the leukemia drug Gleevec, will serve as the inaugural president of the newly formed Knight Cancer Group.

OHSU officials view this gift as a defining moment for the university and Oregon. University leaders and state officials herald this as both transformative and a symbol of trust in local medical innovation.