OSU Press Release
(STILLWATER, Oklahoma, Aug. 21, 2020) — Eight Oklahoma State University health researchers have been awarded funding through the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST).
Their projects are among 29 health related research projects to receive a share of $1.24 million in funding from the state agency’s Oklahoma Health Research Program. The projects were approved last week following a review process of 130 submitted applications.
“In this day and time, the importance of medical, biomedical and health research is on the forefront of everyone’s minds,” said Dr. Kenneth Sewell, OSU vice president for research. “OSU researchers from a wide array of basic and applied disciplines are making groundbreaking discoveries to improve human health. This OCAST funding is a critical resource to ensure these breakthroughs continue in Oklahoma research institutions.”
OCAST is a state agency with a mission to expand and diversify Oklahoma’s economy by supporting research and development of new projects, processes and industries. The Oklahoma Science and Technology Research and Development Board approved Oklahoma Health Research Program proposals ranging from ways to prevent Type 2 diabetes to those exploring strategies to reduce the rate of suicide and other significant health issues.
This year’s OSU recipients and the focus of their research projects include:
Ramesh Kaipa — the role of altered auditory feedback and principles of motor learning in improving speech intelligibility in people with Parkinson’s disease
Aurelie Azoug — a smart skin to treat and prevent pressure ulcers
Tony Wells — identifying concealed suicide risk via implicit cognition
Matthew Cabeen — regulation of P. Aeruginosa biofilm formation by a DNA-binding protein
Erika Lutter — manipulation of host kinases by chlamydia trachomatis
Sam R. Emerson — validity and reproducibility of clinically feasible postprandial testing
Veronique Lacombe — the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase pump as a major regulator of glucose metabolism: a novel target for diabetic patients
Lin Liu — role of Tankryase 2 in lung innate immunity
Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 34,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 100 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 275,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
ABOUT OCAST: The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology is a state agency tasked with leading Oklahoma’s technology-based economic development efforts, supporting the efforts of start-ups and entrepreneurs to transform promising innovations from concepts into commercial products. OCAST also is an active supporter of STEM education across Oklahoma and provides funding to support internships between local industries and two- and four-year colleges and universities. Visit ocast.ok.gov to learn more.
Get Local News!
