According to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, Indigenous mothers, or those who self-identify as American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Native American, are three times more likely to die during or following pregnancy as non-Hispanic White mothers, and more than 90% of those deaths are preventable. The Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma is organizing data to attempt to change these trends.

Doris Benbrook, Ph.D., a Presbyterian Health Foundation Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, has been named Associate Director for Translational Research at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, the only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center in Oklahoma.

The Harold Hamm Diabetes Center (HHDC) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences will gain a new deputy director, Matthew Potthoff, Ph.D., effective January 1. Potthoff will also hold the title of Harold Hamm Endowed Chair in Clinical Diabetes Research and professor of biochemistry and physiology, with a secondary appointment in the division of neurology in the OU College of Medicine.

Two University of Oklahoma Health Sciences faculty members were recognized by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) during its annual meeting Dec. 7-10.

Increasing degree completion to strengthen Oklahoma’s workforce pipeline in education, health care and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields continues to be the state system of higher education’s top priority. That was the message delivered by Chancellor Sean Burrage as he presented the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education’s 2025 legislative agenda and FY26 budget request to an audience of lawmakers, community leaders and educators at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences campus on Dec. 17.