Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Robert A. Floyd, Ph.D., will receive the 2007 Discovery Award from the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine at its annual meeting on Wednesday in Washington, DC.
Floyd, a founding member of the Society, will be recognized for his noted contributions to the field of free radical biology, which includes the study of antioxidants and their role in human disease formation, prevention and treatment. Floyd has been a member of OMRF’s scientific staff since 1975 and holds the Merrick Foundation Chair in Aging Research.
Free radicals are destructive molecules that cause oxidation that damages components of cells, much the same way oxidation causes rust to form on iron. Antioxidants help inhibit oxidation in the body so it can fight cellular damage. The effects of free radicals have been linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease, ALS and even some cancers.
“It feels great to receive this award at this stage of my career,” said Floyd. After heading OMRF’s Free Radical Biology and Aging Research Program for 20 years, Floyd stepped down from the position this fall to devote more time to his various research projects.
“Bob Floyd has been responsible for generating immense interest in the medical community regarding synthetic antioxidant compounds for the treatment of stroke and other diseases of the central nervous system,” said Kenneth Hensley, Ph.D., the OMRF scientist who nominated Floyd for the award. “His efforts over two decades led the vanguard of what is becoming a major biomedical effort to develop rational antioxidant therapies for numerous diseases.”
OMRF (omrf.org) is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding and developing more effective treatments for human disease. Its scientists focus on such critical research areas as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, lupus and cardiovascular disease.
