Biomedical Research
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Dr. Lee Rickords' work focuses on pre-implantation genetics as the solution of the future for genetically linked diseases. |
The small size of the basic science program at this college
has resulted in the faculty forming alliances with one another
and outside researchers to maintain productivity in the area of
research. This size factor has also been an important determinant
in the development of our interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences
graduate program. There are several areas of focus for ongoing
biomedical research at OSU-COM and one of the largest of these
is the area of neuroscience. Investigators are working on questions
of pain perception, neuroimmunology, artificial vision, and the
neuroscience of aging. A second area is cardiovascular research
in which various members of the faculty from several disciplines
are working independently or as teams on such questions as (1)
the effects of diet on the cardiovascular system; (2) the protective
effect of estradiol on the cardiovascular system of women; (3)
the effects of stress on the cardiovascular system; and (4) renal
physiology as it pertains to hypertension and stroke.
Other areas of interest include arthritis, alcoholism/alcohol
metabolism, tumor immunology, reproductive endocrinology, and
several studies relating to infectious diseases (i.e., immunology,
virology, bacteriology, and parasitology). Examples of externally
funded projects include a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded
study on the effect of nerves on kidney function; two OCAST funded
studies on, 1) the genetic analysis of IVF oocytes and embryos,
and 2) the effect of peptide YY on collecting duct function; a
National Institutes of Health, FIRST Award that is studying cytomegalavirus
in baboon tissues for potential use in human transplantation;
and a Cancer Research Institute funded project which is studying
a melanoma vaccine. A hypobaric chamber, provided by the U.S.
Air Force, serves as a core facility at OSU-COM and provides hypobaric
testing for pilots in the armed forces and private airlines as
well as a research tool to attract research dollars in the aviation
health sciences. Another core laboratory maintained by OSU-COM
is an Electron Microscopy Core Laboratory, which supports faculty
research and is available for contract work with outside programs.
OSU-COM is also expanding its horizons via collaborations with
scientists at Tulsa University and the H.A. Chapman Institute
for Human Genetics. Four scientists at The Chapman Institute have
been given adjunct faculty status in our Department of Biochemistry
and Microbiology and have received graduate faculty status at
OSU. These actions all represent additional steps by OSU-COM to
become the hub for biomedical research in northeastern Oklahoma
and the Tulsa metropolitan area.
In an increasingly competitive market for funds to perform research, the biomedical research program at OSU-COM has been able to continue its slow but steady growth, contributing to the academic environment of the college and also making contributions that should ultimately improve the quality of life for the citizens of Oklahoma. It is hoped that as this College continues to grow through the addition of new research faculty and programs, the OSU-COM campus will become a foundation for northeast Oklahoma's growth and expansion of health-related industries and technologies.