The University of Oklahoma Board of Regents approved an ambitious plan in Tulsa today to incrementally increase enrollment in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program in the OU College of Medicine at OU Health Sciences by more than 40% over the next five years – a strategic initiative designed to address the critical demand for additional health care professionals in Oklahoma.

A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology demonstrates that when the diabetes drug metformin is given to the mother during pregnancy, fetus growth is restricted, including a slowed maturing of the kidneys, which has been linked to a higher risk of obesity and insulin resistance in childhood.

A University of Oklahoma neonatologist and researcher has earned a five-year, $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to further her studies on retinopathy of prematurity, a serious eye disease that can affect babies born prematurely and cause lifelong complications, including blindness.

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine has appointed Kristina Booth, Christina Henson and Mubeen Shakir as assistant deans in its Graduate Medical Education program. The expansion of the leadership team will support advancements in program management, learner assessment and wellness initiatives for residents and fellows.

Pregnant women with obesity face an increased risk of complications, including the need for a cesarean section, which carries its own set of risks. A University of Oklahoma physician-researcher recently earned a $3.1 million National Institutes of Health grant to lead a multicenter national clinical trial studying whether antibiotics given at the beginning of labor induction result in a decrease in C-sections. The trial is thought to be the first large-scale study of its kind in the United States.