About The Institute

The OU Cancer Institute (OUCI) is located on the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) campus in Oklahoma City (pictured right). Under the guidance of Robert Mannel, MD, Director, the mission of the OUCI is to promote and support cancer research, education care and patient support for Oklahoma.

Members of the OUCI -- including faculty from OUHSC, OU Norman, OU Tulsa and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) -- conduct innovative and nationally-funded cancer research in the basic, clinical and population sciences. Regardless of expertise or home institution, all members of the OUCI share a common goal: reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by cancer in Oklahoma and beyond.

In 2002 the National Cancer Institute awarded the OUCI a P20 Planning Grant to lay the groundwork for Oklahoma's first and only NCI-Designated Cancer Center. Achieving this designation, the gold standard for cancer research and care in the United States, will mean that Oklahomans will no longer need to travel out-of-state for comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care.

Oklahoma moved one step closer to NCI-Designation in November 2004 when state voters approved State Question 713, which restructured and increased the tax on tobacco products. Revenues from this tax are targeted for a number of health care initiatives, including the construction of a $120 million cancer clinical research and treatment facility in Oklahoma City and smaller facility in Tulsa. Set to open in 2009, the new OUCI building will be a major cancer resource for cancer patients, investigators and health professionals from around the state and across the nation.

In 2006, the University of Oklahoma launched a $90 million private / public fundraising campaign to create endowed chairs and establish programs in cancer research and clinical care. Through its innovative matching program, Oklahoma will match privately raised dollars towards endowed chairs. Thus, every dollar raised through private philanthropy for endowed chairs will result in an additional dollar from the state – a true public / private partnership that will benefit all Oklahomans.

The cancer researchers and physicians recruited to the OUCI in the coming years will bring world-class training and expertise to Oklahoma. They will work in many areas, including breast and gynecological cancers, pediatric cancers, and lung, colorectal, bladder and prostate cancer. They will bring research expertise, funding, and the experience necessary to launch innovate clinical trials to test the latest drugs and therapies. They will connect the citizens of Oklahoma with the latest developments in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and cure. 

These newly recruited physician-scientists will build on the strong base of researchers and clinicians already working at OUHSC. Currently, the OUCI has established programs in women's cancers. Its basic research into the molecular and genetic bases of cancer is world-class. And, its prevention and control researchers are building networks with citizens across the state -- with a focus on Oklahoma's often underserved minority populations -- to help empower communities to understand and reduce their risk for cancer.

OU Cancer Institute physicians and researchers have been attacking cancer head on, whether in the laboratory, clinic or community. Their efforts provide a strong foundation on which to build a comprehensive cancer institute for all Oklahomans.