OMRF has received a $6,000 grant from The Kirschner Trusts.
The one-time grant will help OMRF scientist Jian Li, Ph.D., with start-up costs and laboratory equipment to help launch his new lab at the Oklahoma City-based nonprofit.
Li joined OMRF’s Functional and Chemical Genomics Program in 2017 from Northwestern University in Chicago. At OMRF, Li is studying the basic cellular mechanisms underlying cancer and neurodegeneration. Li studies these diseases using cellular and animal models, including a type of roundworms called C. elegans.
“We are thrilled to have received this support from the Kirschner Trusts this year,” said OMRF Vice President of Development Penny Voss. “They made their first gift to OMRF in 1985, and since that time they have contributed more than $56,000. The Kirschners’ generosity continues to make a difference and is part of the fabric of what makes OMRF such a success. For that, we are truly grateful.”
The five Kirschner Trusts have supported charitable projects in the Muskogee area since 1979. In 2013, the assets of three of the Kirschner Trusts were transferred to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to establish the E. Phil and Roberta Kirschner Foundation Affiliated Fund. Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations that provide direct services in the areas of social services, youth and education, health and disabilities, and Jewish culture and religion, with a preference for programs in Muskogee and the surrounding area. For more information, visit www.occf.org/kirschner.
“I am extremely grateful to receive this grant from the Kirschner Trusts. This funding will play a critical role in getting my lab up and running at OMRF, and supplying us with the equipment we need to make impactful discoveries,” said Li.
