The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation honored seven scientists during this week’s spring board meeting. Several board members also were recognized for long-term service.
Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., received OMRF’s top award, the Edward L. & Thelma Gaylord Prize for Scientific Excellence.
For James, a rheumatologist and one of the world’s leading lupus researchers, 2023 was a watershed year. She was named OMRF’s executive vice president & chief medical officer and was became the first Oklahoma woman inducted into the National Academy of Medicine.
The Merrick Award for Outstanding Research was presented to Darise Farris, Ph.D., who studies Sjögren’s, an autoimmune disease that affects up to 4 million Americans. Her most recent discovery could lead to a more accurate and less intrusive diagnosis.
Sue Bodine, Ph.D., received the J. Donald & Patricia H. Capra Award for Scientific Achievement. A neuromuscular physiologist, Bodine helps lead a major National Institutes of Health study of the molecular benefits of exercise.
The Fred Jones Award for Scientific Achievement was presented to Chi Fung Lee, Ph.D., who last year received his first major five-year grant from the NIH. Lee’s lab studies the mechanisms that contribute to heart disease.
Additionally, Benjamin Miller, Ph.D., was named the G.T. Blankenship Chair in Aging Research. Miller joined OMRF in 2018 and is a national leader in researching how to preserve muscle as we age.
Lastly, OMRF announced Brian Coon, Ph.D., and Jaya Krishnan, Ph.D., as this year’s recipients of funding from the Stephen Prescott Endowment Fund for the Best and Brightest, which supports the recruitment and retention of scientists. The endowment honors Stephen Prescott, M.D., who died in 2021 following a 15-year tenure as OMRF president.
Coon, who studies the cells that line blood vessels, joined OMRF from Yale University. Krishnan, who recently arrived from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, studies potential targets for metabolic conditions like diabetes and obesity.
“The scientists honored today consistently demonstrate excellence and passion, a combination that results in life-changing research,” said OMRF Vice President of Research Courtney Griffin, Ph.D. “They serve as leaders in support of OMRF’s mission to help people live longer, healthier lives.”
OMRF also honored the following board members for longtime service: Ross Swimmer of Tulsa, 35 years; Jack McCarty of Newkirk and Richard Parry of Oklahoma City, 30 years; Michael Carolina of Edmond and Burns Hargis of Oklahoma City, 25 years; Mark Funke of Edmond, 20 years; The Hon. Jerome Holmes and Greg Walton, M.D., both of Oklahoma City, 15 years.
Jim Morris of Oklahoma City, a board member since 2006, received the Distinguished Award.
“Our board’s dedication to OMRF never ceases to amaze me,” said OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D. “Their support makes possible the biomedical research that quite literally is changing lives in Oklahoma and around the world. I’m grateful for their unwavering commitment to advance our mission.”
