A neurologist specializing in multiple sclerosis research and patient care has joined the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation’s Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence.
Yang Mao-Draayer, M.D., Ph.D., will serve as director of clinical and experimental therapeutics in OMRF’s Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program. She also will treat MS patients and direct OMRF’s neuroimmunology lab.
Before joining OMRF, she was a professor and director of neuroscience research at the University of Michigan’s Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, where she treated more than 1,500 patients.
MS affects nearly 1 million Americans. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the insulating layer that protects nerves in the brain and spinal cord. The resulting inflammation can cause vision issues, muscle spasms, tremors and paralysis. In its most common form, the disease includes periods of stability and relapse. Females are twice as likely as males to be diagnosed.
Since 2011, OMRF’s MS Center of Excellence has provided comprehensive care for those with the disease through neurology, neuro-ophthalmology, physical therapy, case management, wellness education and laboratory services, plus an infusion suite and access to clinical trials. Clinical services act as a catalyst for research, with patient volunteers donating biological samples and participating in studies designed to enable researchers in OMRF’s labs to probe the disease’s mechanisms and causes.
The center is the only source of comprehensive MS care in the region and operates at capacity, treating more than 3,000 patients from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas.
“Dr. Mao-Draayer will enhance our clinical and research capabilities,” said Gabriel Pardo, M.D., a neurologist and neuro-ophthalmologist who has led the MS Center of Excellence since its inception. “She is a physician-scientist who brings expertise in fundamental research to advance knowledge of the disease and compassionate patient care to translate those findings into action.”
Dr. Mao-Draayer holds a Ph.D. in biology and molecular genetics from the University of Iowa and completed a neurology residency and a fellowship in MS/neuroimmunology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.
Under her leadership, the University of Michigan participated in groundbreaking clinical trials, leading to U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval of two drugs: one for relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive MS, the other for neuromyelitis optica. Additionally, her lab identified other new MS therapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers for disease flares and progression.
“OMRF is among the nation’s premier biomedical research institutions, as it combines top-notch patient care with innovative research,” Mao-Draayer said. “The robust MS Center of Excellence clinical care, coupled with its research potential, truly make this an amazing place to work.”
“Dr. Mao-Draayer will make a difference for Oklahomans and people everywhere living with MS,” said OMRF Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D. “I look forward to the progress we can make in understanding and treating this disease through new collaborations with her.”
