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Lifting the Health of All Oklahomans

Health Focused Research in Biomedical Discovery, Translation, and Precision Medicine

The University of Oklahoma Health Campus anchors Project 200’s commitment to improving health outcomes through discovery, translation, and precision medicine at scale. Oklahoma’s high burden of chronic disease, health disparities, and rural and underserved populations create both urgency and opportunity, positioning OU as one of the most consequential places in the nation to advance precision medicine, prevention, and new models of care. By recruiting nationally competitive research leaders and teams, OU will build integrated, disease-focused research engines that move seamlessly from molecular discovery to clinical trials, health systems implementation, and population-level impact.

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Cancer

The Stephenson Cancer Center is already changing healthcare outcomes for Oklahomans right at home. Expanding this research ecosystem with a focus on reducing incidence, improving early detection, and delivering more effective, personalized therapies for cancers that disproportionately affect Oklahomans, will give more and more Oklahomans the strongest possible fighting chance against cancer, no matter where they live in the state.

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Diabetes and Metabolic Disease

OU’s diabetes efforts have a core mission in understanding, preventing and treating diabetes and metabolic disease, some of the most pressing and costly health challenges facing Oklahomans and the nation. Through the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center OU will advance solutions to reduce disease burden and improve long-term outcomes.

A Gallogly College of Engineering researcher working with a student and an electronic head piece.
Neuroscience and Brain Health

Through a new Neuroscience Institute and Initiative, OU will advance discovery and translation across the full spectrum of brain health, addressing neurological and psychiatric conditions that profoundly affect quality of life, productivity, and health equity.

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Drivers of Chronic Disease and Population Health

OU will lead in identifying and addressing the biological, social, environmental, and systemic drivers of chronic disease and bridge precision medicine with public health to improve outcomes at population scale.

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Accelerating Clinical Trials and Translation

OU will expand its capacity to rapidly translate discovery into patient benefit by building an integrated, next-generation clinical trials and translational research ecosystem. Key to this initiative is the creation of an integrated Clinical Trials Office and recruitment of investigators focused on Clinical Trials.

An aerial view of O U Health in Oklahoma City.
Health Campus Wide Priorities

OU will expand across the Health Campus in additional priority areas aligned with the strategic plans of each of the colleges (Allied Health, Dentistry, Graduate, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health)

The Seed Sower statue on the OU Health campus in Oklahoma City.
Cross-Campus Initiatives in Engineering, Data Science, and Molecular and Cellular Biology

Cross-campus initiatives at OU unite biomedical data science and AI, molecular and cellular biology, and engineering to accelerate discovery, enable precision healthcare, and develop next-generation diagnostics, therapies, and technologies for all Oklahomans. 

Health Research News

Research
October 27, 2026

OU researcher’s discoveries could help predict unknown drug interactions

Wei Yue, Ph.D., a professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the OU College of Pharmacy, has received a $1.9 million National Institutes of Health award to uncover new ways to predict when multiple medications taken together could cause dangerous side effects.


Research
October 26, 2026

Weight-loss surgery produces lasting diabetes remission, long-term study finds

People with type 2 diabetes were much more likely to achieve remission after weight-loss surgery than after intensive medical and lifestyle management, according to a long-term study. Researchers also identified patient characteristics linked to remission and to the likelihood of diabetes returning.


Research
October 19, 2026

OU researcher to study CAR T-Cell and opaganib combination in clinical trials for ultra-high-risk multiple myeloma

A University of Oklahoma physician-researcher recently received $2.9 million in funding from the National Cancer Institute to study whether RedHill Biopharma’s drug opaganib, given after CAR T-cell therapy, can help the immune cells fight cancer more effectively.


Impact
October 08, 2026

MITRE, University of Oklahoma to collaborate on critical national priorities

From strengthening severe-weather preparedness to advancing national security, MITRE and the University of Oklahoma (OU) are joining forces to tackle some of the nation’s most critical challenges.


Research
September 29, 2026

Cell Paper Identifies Subclusters Driving Cancer-Induced Cachexia

Research published today in Cell identifies three small subclusters of cells driving pancreatic cancer-induced cachexia, a muscle-wasting and fat-loss condition that makes patients less tolerant of cancer treatment. The study, led by the University of Oklahoma, holds significant promise for the development of therapeutics to target these subclusters.


Research
September 28, 2026

OU study examines whether blood tests can detect cancer

At OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma, enrollment is underway for the Vanguard Study, which is evaluating whether multi-cancer detection tests can find cancer at an earlier stage than is currently possible.


Impact
September 22, 2026

A Game Changer: Harold Hamm commits largest gift in OU history to lift health of Oklahoma, name Health Campus

The University of Oklahoma today announced an historic $150 million gift from Harold Hamm, the largest single gift in university history, to lift the health of Oklahoma by advancing health education, research and discovery, strengthening the state’s health care workforce and accelerating the pursuit of breakthroughs against Oklahoma’s critical public health challenges.


Research
September 17, 2026

Li named president of International Association of Pancreatology

Min Li, Ph.D., George Lynn Cross Research Professor of Medicine, Surgery and Cell Biology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and Associate Director for Global Oncology at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, has been named president of the International Association of Pancreatology.


Research
August 31, 2026

Study aims to empower parents to prevent teen vaping

A new University of Oklahoma study will examine whether targeted social media messages can give parents the information they need to help prevent their children from vaping nicotine and cannabis.


Research
August 06, 2026

$2 Million NCI Grant Funds Research on How Pancreatic Cancer Uses Cholesterol to Survive

A University of Oklahoma researcher has received a five-year, $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to investigate how pancreatic cancer uses cholesterol to survive chemotherapy.