College News

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine is proud to announce the appointment Jason S. Lees, M.D., as the new associate dean of Graduate Medical Education (GME) and the college’s Designated Institutional Official (DIO), effective immediately. Lees brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to excellence in medical education, clinical practice, and research to his new role.

Despite the high prevalence of substance abuse and its often devastating outcomes, especially among disadvantaged populations, few Americans receive treatment for substance use disorders. However, the rise of mobile health technologies can make treatments more accessible.

Health professionals regularly screen for five types of cancer — breast, colon, lung, prostate and cervical — yet those five comprise only half of all cancer deaths. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma are studying a new blood test that potentially can identify more than 50 types of cancer, notably the ones that might otherwise go undetected until after the cancer has spread.

Diabetes and heart disease often go hand in hand. People with diabetes face a much greater risk for heart attack and stroke than those without diabetes, and an estimated two-thirds of people with diabetes eventually die because of heart disease. To better understand that risk, University of Oklahoma researchers are studying the role of platelets, tiny blood cells that help the body form clots to stop a wound from bleeding.