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Discoveries That Make a Difference

OMRF receives grants for Alzheimer’s, eye disease research

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The BrightFocus Foundation has awarded a pair of grants totaling $500,000 to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation: one to study Alzheimer’s disease, the other to investigate macular degeneration.

Sarah Ocañas, Ph.D., and Eric Ma, Ph.D., were among 69 scientists in eight countries to share in $16 million BrightFocus awarded this year. The nonprofit funds early-stage research around the world to discover cures for diseases of mind and sight.

Ocañas received a three-year, $300,000 grant to investigate why more women than men develop Alzheimer’s. She suspects our immune systems may hold the key.

“This study will explore how immune cells in aging ovaries send signals to the brain,” Ocañas said. “We believe this process may worsen memory problems and drive the disease.”

By studying those particular cells in mice with an Alzheimer’s-like condition, Ocañas hopes to discover novel targets for protecting women’s memory as they age.

More than 7 million Americans 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, a progressive, terminal brain disorder that has no known cause or cure. Unless scientists can unlock the secrets of this disease, the number of U.S. cases is expected to double by the year 2050.

Ma received a two-year, $200,000 grant to conduct studies aimed at protecting a layer of blood vessels below the eye’s light-sensing neurons. These vessels deliver the oxygen and nutrients needed for clear vision, Ma said.

“In macular degeneration, these vessels wear out, much like tires lose their tread,” Ma said. “This project aims to uncover molecular pathways that protect these vessels from disease damage.”

An estimated 20 million American adults have macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in those 65 and older. Early detection and treatment are crucial to slowing the disease progression and preventing permanent vision loss.

“Defeating Alzheimer’s and macular degeneration will require bold thinking and sustained investment in innovative science,” said Stacy Pagos Haller, president and CEO of BrightFocus Foundation. “The ideas being explored by this year’s grant recipients reflect the kind of forward-looking research that moves us closer to protecting vision and ultimately finding a cure

OMRF receives $3.1 million for lupus research

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The human body has responses in place to fight viral infections. However, a mutation in a single gene may alter the normal response and instead promote autoimmune diseases like lupus. 

With a new four-year, $3.1 million federal grant, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Jacquelyn Gorman, Ph.D., will investigate this mutation. Her study ultimately could lead to more effective treatments for lupus, which has no known cure.

In lupus, the immune system’s attack on its own tissues causes widespread inflammation that can affect organs and joints. Lupus most often features periods of flares and remission. In some cases, it can lead to organ failure.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common form of lupus affects more than 200,000 Americans, primarily women. Scientists believe lupus is linked to the interaction of a person’s genetics with environmental exposures and other factors. It can remain dormant for years before the onset of symptoms.

Gorman’s lab will conduct experiments aimed at determining how a specific mutation leads to an overactive immune system, promoting lupus development.

In previous studies, mice with this gene variant generally showed increased inflammation and were able to fight off viral infection but were more susceptible to autoimmune diseases.

“This suggests the gene alteration may accelerate lupus by driving the immune system into a heightened state,” Gorman said. “Through our study, we hope to learn how this variant increases inflammation and whether it increases the risk of lupus progression.”

Gorman’s lab also will analyze human patient samples housed at OMRF and donated through the Lupus Family Registry and Repository and the Oklahoma Cohort of Rheumatic Diseases.

According to OMRF Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., Gorman’s research could lead to ways to better identify which people will transition into active lupus.

“Her work could even lead to new lupus treatments and better prediction of how patients will respond to certain lupus therapies,” James said.

Gorman’s grant, No. 1R01AI190169-01, was awarded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, both part of the NIH. Prior research that made this grant possible was supported by NIH grant No. P20GM139763 and funding from the Oklahoma Center for Stem Cell Research, a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.  

OMRF Board welcomes new directors, recognizes scientists

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At its spring Board meeting and honors celebration on May 20, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation welcomed two new Directors and recognized scientists for their work.

Additionally, OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D., honored a retiring school superintendent for his district’s longtime support of OMRF.

The new OMRF Board members are Gary Brooks of Oklahoma City and Dori Smith of Duncan.

Brooks is a commercial real estate developer whose work includes the restoration of the downtown First National Center.

“My understanding of OMRF and its mission became much more intimate through my passion project of helping Oklahoma City become one of the healthiest cities in the nation,” Brooks said. “That passion aligns perfectly with the goals of OMRF’s healthy-aging research.”   

Smith is chief executive officer of Inland Empire Tech Center, a real estate investment company. She also is president of the H.M. Lewis Medical Research Foundation, which has provided significant philanthropic support to OMRF.

“The ability to serve OMRF, where research and clinical applications can move directly to the patient, is both exciting and deeply rewarding,” Smith said. “I have worked with other research institutions where that has not been the case, which makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me.”

Also rejoining the Board is Gary Pierson, who previously served from 2004 to 2019. Pierson, an attorney, served as president and chief executive officer of OPUBCO.

The Board gave its Distinguished Service Award to Harrison Levy, an OMRF Director since 1995. Earlier this year, Levy’s $1 million gift established the Levy and Ray Family Laboratory for Alzheimer’s Research at OMRF.

In addition, the Board honored the following Directors for their service: Dee Replogle, 50 years; Barbara Braught, 30 years; and Virginia Groendyke, 25 years.

OMRF presented the following awards to foundation scientists:

  • Fred Jones Award for Scientific Achievement: Jacquelyn Gorman, Ph.D.
  • J. Donald & Patricia H. Capra Award for Scientific Achievement: Tommy Lewis Jr., Ph.D.
  • Merrick Award for Outstanding Medical Research: Courtney Montgomery, Ph.D.
  • Stephen M. Prescott Award for the Best and Brightest David Hughes, Ph.D., and Amanda Sharpe, Ph.D.
  • Edward L. & Thelma Gaylord prize for Scientific Excellence: Michael Beckstead, Ph.D.

Weyrich presented the President’s Award to Dr. Fred Rhodes, who is retiring after a 50-year career in public education, primarily in the Putnam City School District. Since 2013 he has served as its superintendent.

OMRF’s partnership with Putnam City Schools dates to 1975, when the district designated the foundation as beneficiary of its annual cancer drive. Since then, the effort has raised $4 million for research at OMRF. That research has led, among other things, to an experimental brain cancer drug now undergoing clinical trials.

“Dr. Rhodes has been an amazing advocate for biomedical research at OMRF that advances human health,” Weyrich said. “We are extremely grateful to him and to everyone from the Putnam City district who has supported our efforts to make meaningful progress in the fight against cancer and other chronic diseases.”

OMRF finds that two common drugs may protect the heart in HIV

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Two widely used medications may prevent heart disease in people living with HIV, an Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist has discovered.

If confirmed through further study, the findings by Jasim Ahamed, Ph.D., could improve both the lifespan and quality of life for those with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Once an automatic death sentence, HIV today is, for most of the 40 million people worldwide who have it, a manageable chronic condition, thanks to a daily drug cocktail known as antiretroviral therapy.

However, HIV patients still face a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease. A 2024 study by the Journal of the American Heart Association found that people with HIV, on average, develop heart failure 10 years earlier than the general population. Specifically, people with the immune system virus that causes AIDS are prone to a type of heart failure in which the heart muscle becomes too stiff to fill with blood properly.

In two separate studies, Ahamed’s lab at OMRF used special types of laboratory mice to understand why this happens. He found that both HIV itself and certain drugs in the daily treatment regimen caused the rodents’ hearts to develop scarring and fat buildup.

This scarring acts like internal callouses, making the heart lose its elasticity. The studies pinpointed a specific protein released by blood platelets as the primary driver of this damage.

Ahamed’s research found that the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin, often prescribed under the brand name Lipitor, protected the rodents’ hearts by “calming” the platelets and inhibiting the protein that triggers scarring.

Most importantly, this benefit happened independently of cholesterol levels, which explains why statins seem to help people with HIV, even those whose “bad” cholesterol is already low.

In a separate study, Ahamed found that the drug dapagliflozin, which is approved for the treating type 2 diabetes, significantly reduced heart scarring and fat accumulation in the HIV mice. It also appeared to block pathways that tell heart cells to turn into scar tissue, effectively preserving the heart’s ability to relax and fill with blood.

“These findings provide a roadmap for protecting the hearts of people living with HIV,” Ahamed said. “By using drugs that many people already take for other reasons, we may be able to block the specific pathways that lead to heart failure.”

For both studies, Ahamed collaborated with scientists at the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. He will discuss these discoveries in July during an international conference to be held in Paris.

“Dr. Ahamed’s research suggests that for people living with HIV, these drugs often do much more than their original labels suggest,” said OMRF physician-scientist Hal Scofield, M.D, who also serves as associate chief of staff for research at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. “They aren’t just lowering cholesterol or blood sugar; they are actively shielding the heart from the unique stresses of HIV and its treatment.”

Ahamed’s discoveries were published in the journals JCI insight and AIDS. His research was supported by grant No. 5R01HL167656 from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

OMRF breaks ground on center for patient care, clinical studies

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The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation broke ground Wednesday on a center aimed at transforming patient care and chronic-disease research.

The three-story building will house the TSET Institute for a Healthier Oklahoma and the David R. Brown, M.D., Advanced Human Imaging Center. It is funded by a $9.9 million Legacy Grant from the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) and a major-gift campaign led by a $3.5 million donation from The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation.

The new building will allow patients in OMRF’s Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence to undergo imaging procedures in the state’s first research-grade MRI. It will also add imaging and research capabilities that will enhance care and understanding of conditions such as arthritis and lupus.

“This building has lived in our dreams for a long time,” OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D., told the audience at the groundbreaking.

The Brown Center, which will house the MRI and other medical imaging technologies, will occupy the first floor of the building. Above it, the new TSET Institute will host lab and clinical studies focused on the three root causes of chronic disease: inflammation, impaired immunity and accelerated aging. A telehealth hub will provide remote specialty care and clinical trial opportunities for patients outside the metro area.

The 15,637-square-foot building is tentatively set to open in late 2027.

TSET is a state agency created by Oklahoma voters following the settlement of a multistate lawsuit against the tobacco industry. Its Legacy Grant to OMRF was one of 14 transformative projects totaling $150 million announced late last year to commemorate TSET’s 25th anniversary.

“Our board believes that the TSET Institute for a Healthier Oklahoma at OMRF will push boundaries,” said Lance Thomas, the agency’s interim director. “It will create a wide and very measurable impact on improving health here and, eventually, around the world.”

The new Brown Center means thousands of Oklahomans receiving care at OMRF will no longer need to travel elsewhere for an MRI.

“This building will enhance our ability to better care for our patients and will give us the resources to be more responsive and more creative in offering immediate answers and long-term solutions,” said Gabriel Pardo, M.D., director of OMRF’s Multiple Center Sclerosis of Excellence.

MS often causes mobility issues, and in severe cases, the autoimmune disease can cause paralysis or vision loss.

“It can be debilitating, as it once was for me, so I can’t overstate the value of having a one-stop shop for patient care,” said Kelsey D’Emilio, a patient in OMRF’s MS Center who spoke at the ceremony.

The Brown Center is named for the late Dr. David R. Brown, an orthopedic surgeon. His son, Dr. Randy Brown, serves on the boards of both the Noble Foundation and OMRF. 

“Being involved with OMRF was a point of pride for my father,” Randy Brown told guests. “He would be thrilled to know that his efforts are still bearing fruit today alongside the work of everyone here.”

OMRF researchers make breakthrough in diabetic heart disease 

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Scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have discovered a way to reverse the effects of heart disease in diabetic mice.

Scientist Chi Fung Lee, Ph.D., and postdoctoral researcher Hina Nizami, Ph.D., made the breakthrough. If confirmed through further study, it could ultimately lead to a drug for the most common cause of death in people with diabetes.

“This discovery has potential to help millions of people worldwide,” said OMRF Vice President of Research Courtney Griffin, Ph.D.

Lee and Nizami made the discovery by inhibiting a specific protein in mice with diabetes. “Everyone has this protein, known as SARM1, and normally it remains in a dormant state within our cells,” Lee said. “For reasons we don’t fully understand yet, SARM1 becomes overactive when people develop diabetes.”

This overactivity causes metabolic changes that result in diabetic heart disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetic patients are twice as likely as the general public to develop heart disease, and that risk increases with each year someone has diabetes. One study found that almost 5 million diabetic Americans live with heart disease. That includes tens of thousands of people in Oklahoma, where one in eight residents have diabetes.

The protein at the center of Lee’s and Nizami’s research, SARM1, appears to interfere with vital heart function and metabolism. “You might think of your heart as the body’s engine and SARM1 as a leak that robs your engine of the oil it needs,” Nizami said.

Lee’s lab discovered that by using a molecule to inhibit SARM1, mice recovered 50% of their lost heart function over a four-week treatment period. OMRF has filed for a patent on the work, which has since progressed with support from OKBioStart, a program of the University of Oklahoma funded by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Authority.

The new findings appear in Circulation Research, a journal published by the American Heart Association.

“The findings need additional research, but what’s striking is that these studies show promise for not only stopping tissue damage but reversing it,” Griffin said. “That’s a goal every biomedical scientist hopes to achieve.” 

The research was supported by grant No. 5R01HL164854 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 5P20GM139763 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, and 5R01AG081855 from the National Institute on Aging, all of which are part of the National Institutes of Health; the American Heart Association; and the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research, a program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust.

Mother’s Day: How a ‘helicopter mom’ keeps fish research swimming along at OMRF

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When stay-at-home mother Sarah Ball decided to go back to work, she found a position that made the most of her nurturing experience: parenting 1,600 tiny fish at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.

“I’ve always loved animals,” Ball said. “I’ve passed that down to my kids, so now we have three dogs, two cats and they’re always finding creatures in their natural habitat around the backyard.”

This Mother’s Day, Ball will celebrate with all of her kids – even those with scales.

As the lead caretaker for the lab of OMRF researcher Jaya Krishnan, Ph.D., Ball is charged with the well-being of more than 100 tanks of cavefish. The blind fish, which are native to caves and rivers in Mexico, help Krishnan study metabolic diseases like diabetes.

For those studies, Ball must provide the fish with a stable living environment. That means a daily regimen of cleaning and feeding.

“It’s a constant process, but so is mothering,” Ball said.

Indeed, she said, her schedule with her human children, ages 7 and 10, mirrors her lab work. “Every day it’s bathtime, dinner, sports and homework,” she said. “Keeping a consistent routine is important.”

At OMRF, consistency is also key to success in research. “If the fish aren’t eating enough or have a dirty tank, that can show up in our results,” Krishnan said.

So, when Krishnan set up her lab in 2024, her requirements for the caretaker position were clear: She needed someone reliable, organized and able to multitask. “Motherhood teaches all that,” said Krishnan.

Krishnan said Ball’s years of experience as a stay-at-home mom made her the right choice for the position, even without any previous experience in animal husbandry.

“The term ‘helicopter mom’ gets thrown around, but here it’s necessary,” Ball said. “I keep a close eye on every fish, every single day. They can’t communicate, so if even one gets sick or is acting differently, I notice and act on it.”

Ball said finding a job she was passionate about and flexible with her family schedule felt “far-fetched” until she landed at OMRF.

That passion is evident, said Krishnan, and it leads to success in the lab. “Our work is possible because of the discipline and motherly love Sarah has for these little guys.”

OMRF scientist to lead world’s largest physiology group

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Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Sue Bodine, Ph.D., has begun a one-year term as president of the American Physiology Society. 

She was elected earlier and was installed as the society’s 99th president April 26 at its annual conference in Minneapolis. With nearly 10,000 members, the APS is the world’s largest association of physiologists.

“Physiology is the foundational study of how the body works,” Bodine said. “In essence, it is the bedrock of medicine, because it shows us how all of the body’s parts function and interact. Physiology helps us understand everything from how diseases occur to how athletes can improve performance and prevent injuries.”

Formed in 1887, the APS publishes 16 scientific journals. It serves as a hub for researchers of numerous disciplines, and it advocates for government policies and funding for scientific research.

That latter aspect is what most excites Bodine about her new leadership role. She recently participated in a congressional briefing about the importance of physiology research, which is funded primarily through grants from the National Institutes of Health.

“We recently launched a campaign called ‘The Science Life Depends On’ to highlight physiology as the foundation of health and medical advancement,” Bodine said. “The goal is to raise awareness among the public and policymakers.”

Bodine is a neuromuscular physiologist who studies how muscles respond to positive and negative factors like exercise or the lack thereof. Her lab looks for methods to slow muscle loss to help people maintain strength and independence as they age.

She is among several OMRF scientists tasked in recent years with leading national scientific research groups. For example, Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D., and Benjamin Miller, Ph.D., were elected president of the American Aging Association in 2022 and 2024, respectively, and Vice President of Research Courtney Griffin, Ph.D., was elected president of the North American Vascular Biology Organization in 2021.

“Dr. Bodine’s election to this important position reflects her outstanding reputation within the national physiology community,” Griffin said. “This is an exciting opportunity to showcase the exceptional scientific talent and leadership we have at OMRF.”

OMRF dinner raises $660,000 for MS research, clinical care

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This year’s MS Advocate Award Dinner raised $660,000 to fund patient care and research for multiple sclerosis at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.

OMRF’s vice president of philanthropy, Penny Voss, announced the total to conclude the annual event, which was held Thursday evening at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club.

The event honored the late Lori Dillingham of Enid, a longtime patient of OMRF physician-scientist Gabriel Pardo, M.D., at the foundation’s Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence. She died at age 56 in 2023.

“Lori was an advocate simply by the way she lived with MS – graciously,” said Pardo, a neurologist who treated Dillingham for more than two decades. “She remained resilient throughout her journey, and it was admirable to witness.”

In OMRF’s MS Center, Pardo and his colleagues care for more than 3,000 patients each year from across Oklahoma and the region. All live with MS, a progressive disease of the central nervous system.

At OMRF, patients receive comprehensive, team-based care that includes neurological consultation and disease management, neuro-ophthalmology, infusion services, clinical trials, physical therapy, spasticity and mobility evaluation, and wellness education, regardless of their ability to pay.

Members of Dillingham’s family accepted this year’s MS Advocate Award on her behalf.

“OMRF and Dr. Pardo were an incredible part of Lori’s journey,” said her brother Chad Dillingham. “He was not just a doctor to her. He was a friend and a spiritual leader for the entire family.”

Jed Dillingham said his sister understood that she wouldn’t live to benefit from improved treatment options resulting from MS research conducted at OMRF. “But she knew that her journey would improve the lives of others.”

Serving as presenting sponsors for the dinner were the Chickasaw Nation, the Clyde R. Evans Charitable Trust, the Dillingham Family and the Hume Family Foundation. Jim and Lou Morris served as event co-chairs.

Providing entertainment were The Evasons, a husband-and-wife team who combine telepathy and magic.

“This dinner has become a highlight for so many people,” said OMRF President Andrew Weyrich, Ph.D. “It reminds us of how far we’ve come in helping improve the lives of those with MS – and how much more remains to be done.”

With $2.3 million grant, OMRF will study cell’s ‘powerhouse’ with an eye to Alzheimer’s

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An Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist, backed by a $2.3 million grant, will investigate the many roles of the mitochondria, often called the powerhouse of the cell.

The National Institutes of Health awarded the grant to Tommy Lewis, Ph.D., whose lab studies the importance of mitochondria in brain function.

“Mitochondria are best known for generating the energy a cell needs,” Lewis said. “But they also have other purposes, and we’ve learned over the past decade that there are different types and shapes of mitochondria, even within the same cell.”

By the end of his five-year grant, Lewis hopes to better understand those purposes and how mitochondria interact with each other. His findings could lay the groundwork for better treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and for traumatic brain injuries.

Each neuron contains hundreds and often thousands of constantly adapting mitochondria. Some make energy, some protect the cell, and some have potentially undiscovered roles, Lewis said.

“This raises important questions, like how do they communicate, how do they move to the right place within the cell, and what happens when something goes wrong?” Lewis said.

Answering such questions has been extremely challenging because scientists lacked the tools to watch mitochondria closely or to distinguish one type from another. But recently developed technologies, including high-resolution microscopes and advanced protein analysis, have opened the window for Lewis’s studies.

This research is particularly important in neurons, the brain’s primary cells, because unlike cells in most other parts of the body, neurons don’t regenerate if damaged. This leads to permanent damage in conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s to traumatic brain injuries.

By developing a deeper understanding of the mitochondria, Lewis hopes he can pave the way for strategies that might one day allow for the repair or regeneration of neurons.

And while his project focuses on neurons, Lewis also hopes to test his findings in the mitochondria of muscle cells. That aspect is of particular interest to OMRF scientist Benjamin Miller, Ph.D., who leads the foundation’s Aging & Metabolism Research Program.

“Dr. Lewis’ research is quite relevant to my own work,” said Miller, whose lab studies ways to prevent or reduce the muscle loss that accompanies aging. “Like the neurons in the brain, the muscle has different populations of mitochondria that perform different tasks. We’re still in the infancy of understanding this fascinating division of labor.”

Lewis’s grant, R35GM137921, was awarded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the NIH. He previously received funding from the Presbyterian Health Foundation to purchase equipment that proved critical toward this grant.

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