The Presbyterian Health Foundation presented a $10,000 check to OMRF on Tuesday.
The funds are proceeds from the fifth annual Presbyterian Health Foundation/Research Park golf tournament, held last month at Oklahoma City’s Twin Hills Golf and Country Club. The money goes to support graduate student scholarships at OMRF.
“We want to support medical education and research because they are the foundation of a healthier state—in every way,” said tournament organizer J.R. Caton, vice president of the Presbyterian Health Foundation. “Training the next generation of researchers is vital, which is why we support the M.D./Ph.D. program at OMRF.”
For Oklahoma to compete with surrounding states in economic growth, said Caton, supporting the state’s graduate students is essential.
“Importing or recruiting science professionals is expensive, and it’s just a bandage on a larger problem,” Caton said. “We would rather invest that money in training Oklahoma students at Oklahoma institutions to make this state a stronger force in biomedical research.”
In partnership with the University of Oklahoma Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, OMRF’s graduate education programs offer scholarships and mentoring for doctoral students in the biological studies. OMRF currently counts more than 30 Ph.D. and M.D./PhD. students working toward their degrees under the mentorship of OMRF scientists. The students’ work covers a wide spectrum of research areas, from Alzheimer’s disease to the development of the immune system.
