Release: Congresswoman Stephanie Bice Welcomes NIH Director to Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City, OK – Today, Congresswoman Stephanie Bice hosted National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya in Oklahoma City for a series of visits highlighting medical research and innovation breakthroughs.

The visit included tours of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), Stephenson Cancer Center, OU Health Sciences Center, and Dean McGee Eye Institute — all of which showcase advancements in medicine and research taking place in Oklahoma. 

“It was an honor to welcome Director Bhattacharya to Oklahoma,” said Congresswoman Bice. “Our state is driving change in the medical and biotech fields, with researchers and institutions making meaningful progress every day. With 322 active projects and $150 million in NIH funding across Oklahoma, we’re committed to building on this momentum and delivering real results for patients and families.”

At OMRF, Director Bhattacharya and Congresswoman Bice learned about labs focused on autoimmune disease, aging, and genetics research. OMRF currently manages 65 active NIH-funded projects valued at over $40 million. Last year OMRF received $49 million in NIH funding. 

“When people think about medical research, they often don’t realize that OMRF is one of the world’s leaders in studying conditions like aging and autoimmune diseases. Or they may not know that our work has led to life-changing drugs and tests for conditions like sickle-cell disease, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis,” said OMRF President Dr. Andrew Weyrich.

“Thanks to the NIH, the U.S. stands at the center of the world’s biomedical research stage. With leaders like Dr. Bhattacharya and congressional champions like Representative Bice, we are poised to continue making groundbreaking discoveries that improve people’s lives.”

The Stephenson Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center in Oklahoma. During the visit, the delegation discussed advancements in clinical trials, cancer care innovations, and community health outreach. Stephenson is ranked in the top 2% of U.S. cancer centers and currently leads the nation in patient enrollment for clinical trials.

“We are thrilled to welcome Director Bhattacharya to the University of Oklahoma and showcase the incredible momentum we've built as the state’s leading academic health system,” said Gary Raskob, Senior Vice President and Provost, OU Health Sciences. “Partnership is essential to create lasting change for Oklahoma, and today's visit demonstrates our shared commitment with the NIH to advance discoveries, expand access, and improve lives across our state for generations to come.”

To conclude the visit the group also toured the Dean McGee Eye Institute (DMEI), where they discussed NIH-funded research in vision science and toured clinical and training programs. DMEI benefits from NIH funding and is nationally recognized for excellence in ophthalmology and vision research. 

"It is an honor to have the Director of the NIH visit the Dean McGee Eye Institute to see first-hand the value of federal grant dollars at work.  We appreciate the support of Dr. Bhattacharya and Representative Stephanie Bice and their efforts to improve the quality of life for our state and our nation." said R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, MBA CEO of the Dean McGee Eye Institute.

“I am honored to have visited state of the art research facilities with Representative Bice” said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. “New innovations stemming from research here in the fields of aging biology and cancer will aid in the effort to Make America Healthy Again. I am proud of the investment in the NIH IDeA program that supports institutions such as OU and OMRF. These institutions show that great science is happening all around the nation!”