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Research News

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Research News

OU researchers pursue discovery in areas that shape our shared future. Our strategic focus areas are informed by our excellence and the needs of the state. Explore the university’s strategic focus areas below.

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June 18, 2026

Experimental Treatment Strategy Shows Promise Against Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

An experimental treatment strategy for metastatic pancreatic cancer may help patients live longer by making tumors more visible to the immune system, according to a study published in Nature Medicine. OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center enrolled patients on the clinical trial, which studied a new drug called quemliclustat.


Research
June 18, 2026

OU Study on Children’s Digital Media Use Named Top-Viewed Wiley Article

June Abbas, Ph.D is the co-lead author of a study on how parents make digital media decisions for their children. She and her collaborators have offered nuanced guidance to families and experts on how resources like the Internet and television can be managed effectively.


Research
June 17, 2026

Microplastics May Worsen Fatty Liver Disease, New Study Suggests

Microplastics – minuscule pieces of plastic broken down from larger plastic waste – are a growing concern for human health, especially for the liver. A study from the University of Oklahoma, published today in Science Advances, demonstrates that a common type of microplastics is particularly harmful to the liver under high-fat dietary conditions.


Research
June 16, 2026

Family History of Vision Loss Inspires OU Researcher’s Fight Against Macular Degeneration

University of Oklahoma researcher Wenjing “Lily” Wu, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology at the OU College of Medicine, was recently awarded a two-year, $200,000 grant from the BrightFocus Foundation Macular Degeneration Research Program.


Research
June 11, 2026

OU Receives $11.5 Million NIH Award to Establish Statewide Immunoengineering Research Center

The University of Oklahoma has received an $11.5 million award from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Oklahoma Center of ImmunoEngineering, a new research center designed to accelerate the study and treatment of diseases rooted in the immune system, led by principal investigators Wei Chen, Ph.D., and Chongle Pan, Ph.D.


Impact
June 09, 2026

OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center Names New Director to Lead Fight Against Diabetes

Building on its two-decade journey from a philanthropic vision to a worldwide research enterprise committed to preventing, treating, and curing diabetes, the University of Oklahoma Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center has named John P. Kirwan, Ph.D., FACSM, a world-leading translational scientist, as its next director, effective Sept. 1, pending approval from the OU Board of Regents.


Research
June 04, 2026

Do Chia Seeds During Breastfeeding Improve Both Mom and Baby’s Health?

As childhood obesity and diabetes continue to rise worldwide, a researcher at the University of Oklahoma is investigating whether a simple addition to a breastfeeding mother’s diet – chia seeds – could help lower a child’s future risk of these conditions while improving the mother’s own health.


Research
May 28, 2026

Obesity May Influence How Breast Cancer Spreads

Obesity may change how early-stage breast cancer becomes invasive, according to a study by University of Oklahoma researchers published in The American Journal of Pathology.


Research
May 27, 2026

TSET Health Promotion Research Center Awards FY27 Seed Grants

The TSET Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC) within the National Cancer Institute-Designated OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Campus (OUHC) has awarded four FY27 seed grants to support innovative research aimed at improving the health of Oklahomans.


Research
May 18, 2026

OU Data Scientist Unveils Free Software for Researching Human-AI Interactions

A University of Oklahoma data scientist has created a free research tool to facilitate this process. Called ECHO – Evaluation of Chat, Human Behavior, and Outcomes – the open source, low-code platform enables scholars to design and run behavioral experiments involving conversational AI, Web search and human-AI interaction.


Impact
May 11, 2026

University of Oklahoma Launches Project 200, a Generational Investment in Oklahoma’s Future

The University of Oklahoma today announced Project 200, a generational investment in research, talent and infrastructure designed to move Oklahoma forward by strengthening the health of its people, growing the state’s economy and expanding opportunity for the future.


Research
May 08, 2026

Training the Leaders Who Will Shape Special Education in Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education is launching a powerful new initiative aimed at strengthening special education leadership across the state.


Research
May 08, 2026

USDOT Awards $10 Million to OU-Led Autonomous Freight Movement Project

Researchers from the University of Oklahoma’s Gallogly College of Engineering are helping address logistical and safety challenges on American roadways throough a major research project backed by federal funding.


Research
May 01, 2026

Blocking Stress Signals Could Limit Harmful Inflammation After Heart Attack

After a heart attack, the body rapidly floods the injured heart with neutrophils — white blood cells that help repair damage but can also make it worse when too many arrive too quickly. The discovery also identifies a potential way to limit their harmful surge.


Research
April 29, 2026

The Lancet Paper Calls for Earlier Diagnosis as Leprosy Persists Globally

Although often considered a disease of the past, leprosy remains a global health issue, causing preventable disability due to delayed diagnosis and gaps in care. In a paper published in The Lancet, a professor of infectious diseases from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine calls for stronger awareness, earlier detection and improved long-term management.