OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - The American Heart Association (AHA) is putting research dollars to work here in Oklahoma City. Almost $800,000 has gone toward brain and heart related research in the past year.
"We're grateful for AHA's support,” Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) Vice President of Research and Professor Courtney Griffin said.
"It's always nice to kind of say these have multiple experiences with really pushing somebody's project forward,” OMRF’s Research Assistant Professor Chris Schafer said.
Both Griffin and Schafer know first hand the benefits of grants from the AHA. They said since 2023, about $788,000 has helped them with cardiovascular area research.
"Funding scientists at early stages really shows their commitment toward building the next generation of scientists,” Griffin said.
Schafer got $300,000 when Griffin nominated him for it. That was after his research into blood vessels discovered our immune system’s response to viruses or infections can last too long and possibly lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Schafer said since then, it’s helped him with purchases for other cardiovascular projects and more.
"There's also the side of it, which is just helping our careers move along,” Schafer said. “Our career is kind of live and die based on how we we're able to get funding."
"It's going to open doors for him,” Griffin said.
According to Griffin, they strive to be good stewards of the grants by getting more science done and publishing findings. She said the funding also helps them pay for salaries and make hires to contribute to the research. It’s all work that Griffin said can potentially lead to more investments in the future and hopefully spark more findings into one of the most important areas of the human body.
“It's a privilege and we're grateful for grants from places like AHA that let us continue to pursue this this career,” Griffin said.
More on the AHA funded projects can be found here.
The OKC Heart and Stroke Walk is Saturday, June 1. The event opens at 8 a.m. but the walk starts at 9 a.m. in Bicentennial Park near the Civic Center. The OMRF also puts a team together and participates yearly with captains making shirts for their group.
