OMRF Stories

Higher Powers:
How 1,100 nuns, priests and brothers are helping OMRF researchers unlock the secrets of Alzheimer's.

Cooties in the Lab:
Whither the White Lab Coat?

Going With the Flow:
Dr. Margaret Clarke, OMRF Microbiologist.

Research Tower:
OMRF unveils the greenprint for a historic campus expansion.

Meagan's Miracle:
An OMRF discovery saves a dying college student.

Lessons In Philanthropy:
Putnam City School students learn early that giving to OMRF’s cancer research efforts is a good thing.

Prayers Answered:
Two Oklahomans suffering from a rare, life-threatening disease.

The Giver:
Jim Chapman’s generosity helped make OMRF what it is today.

Cancer From Every Angle:
OMRF researchers seeking clues to a variety of cancers.

Next of Kin:
It doesn't matter if you're a banana, fruit fly or writer; DNA is inside all your cells. Join OMRF's Greg
Elwell as he peels back his own genetic skin

The Strange Case of Tom Little
The Strange Case of Tom Little

The Comeback Kid:
An OMRF Discovery helped bring Rayna Dubose back from death, then Rayna had to learn to live again

Mighty Mice
Mighty Mice

Predicting Disease:
Live, Long and Prosper

This Is My Brain on 3-Tesla MRI

Autism: A Personal Story
Bringing up Jeremy

OMRF People
Bon Appetit

A New Birthday

Hitting the Right Note: Bob Floyd

Running Man: Gary Gorbsky

Family Matters: Kathy Moser

The Gospel According to Luke (Szweda)

Autism, Our Story

The Survivor

It's In The Genes

When I pick a movie, it’s always a mystery, because I love having something to solve. It’s no wonder Sjögren’s syndrome fascinates me.

I imagined I’d be a ballerina or a piano teacher. But in a college immunology class, I found a real-life mystery to tackle when I learned how much can go wrong in the immune system.

Most people study a disease because someone they love has it or died from it. It was purely by chance that Sjögren’s turned out to run in my family. My grandmother was the first to be diagnosed. A journal article I read described my mother’s health issues completely, and her physicians agreed—she also had Sjögren’s.

My mother is a classic example of Sjögren’s. The dry eyes and mouth, severe nerve and gastrointestinal problems, asthma and ongoing infections. The things she deals with just to survive are almost unbearable.

Sjögren’s typically strikes women around age 55. While that’s still a few years away for me and my daughter, our family history will certainly keep me vigilant.

Only three or four clinics like our Sjögren’s clinic at OMRF exist. No matter how much research money we have, we must have patients. Without them, the research can’t happen. For the sake of all the patients out there, I hope Sjögren’s is not a mystery that takes 20 years to solve.

In Sjögren’s syndrome, the immune system gradually attacks and destroys the salivary glands and nervous system. Common symptoms include dry eyes, dry mouth, severe fatigue, arthritis, short-term memory loss and kidney problems. To participate in the Sjögren’s research study, call 405-271-2574 or 800-605-7447.