Tour of OMRF opens up possibilities for Commerce High School students

OKLAHOMA CITY, March 16, 2009 — Students from the Commerce High School Science Club took a closer look at the high-tech field of medical research Friday, and they liked what they saw.

The 30-member club, led by science teacher Kim McLain, toured labs at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Friday to get an idea of the kinds of exciting jobs available in scientific research.

“I had been to OMRF before and told the club about it,” McLain said. “This was their first time getting to see laboratories on this level, though.”

Her hope is, by exposing students to the kinds of research being done at OMRF, she can inspire students to consider careers in science.

“I want them to know they can do these things if they put their minds to it,” she said.

Sarah Mercer, a 16-year-old junior, said she was impressed by OMRF’s state-of-the-art MRI center, which uses a pair of powerful magnetic resonance imaging scanners to track the progression of disease and the effects of potential drugs.

“I was surprised to find out that this kind of work is going on in Oklahoma,” she said. “I was already planning to study to become a pediatric nurse, but this visit has me even more convinced that I want to pursue medicine as a career.”

Senior Kevin Black, 18, said that while he is more interested in art, the trip to OMRF showed him how medicine and the arts intersect.

“I thought this trip was really cool and I was impressed at all the scientists who explained what they were researching and how it can connect to human health,” he said. “I don’t know how they ever figured how similar the human nervous system is to that of a nematode worm.”

Located in Oklahoma City, OMRF is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding and developing more effective treatments for human disease. Its scientists focus on such critical research areas as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, lupus and cardiovascular disease.

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