On Jan. 4, 2022, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in Oklahoma City welcomed Dr. Andrew Weyrich as its new president, replacing highly respected Dr. Stephen Prescott who passed away in 2021 due to complications from his battle with cancer. Prior to joining the OMRF team, Weyrich had been at the University of Utah serving in numerous capacities since 1993, most recently in dual roles as vice president for research over Utah’s entire campus and president of the Utah Research Foundation. His research while at Utah focused on blood clotting as it relates to infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and aging. VeloCity staff recently visited with OMRF’s new leader to learn more about him, both professionally and personally, and to hear his thoughts about OMRF and his new role at there.

VeloCityOKC: If you don’t mind, would you please provide our readers with your academic background?

Dr. Weyrich: I earned my undergraduate degree in biology from Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio, which is just southwest of Cleveland. I also played baseball there for four years. I got interested in exercise science and earned my master's degree at Wake Forest University in exercise science and kinesiology. Then I got very interested in the research side and decided to get a PhD in physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University’s Bowman Gray School of Medicine. That's the point where I really got involved in biomedical research and the blood clotting space. And then I followed that up with a post-doctoral fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Did you know OMRF's former president and CEO Dr. Stephen Prescott?

Actually, one of my first mentors and colleagues was Steve Prescott. He and I go way back. He was my mentor when I first started as a Fellow [at Thomas Jefferson University] and we became friends, colleagues and co-authors on papers as my career progressed. He was phenomenal and super supportive, and he encouraged you to take risks and go after innovative ideas. He was charismatic, as you know, and just a lot of fun to work with. He was really good about being a mentor, but also being that person who passes the torch and fosters the development of young investigators like me who are trying to get an independent program.

Is that how you heard about the opening at OMRF? Through your relationship with Dr. Prescott and his family?

I knew Steve, of course, and have always kept an eye on that foundation, how special it is and how unique it is. It's so attractive because of the community, and there is a commonality that everybody believes in the mission of OMRF to advance human health. Everybody seems to be on board with that mission. So, when the position came open, I inquired and here we are today.

Read the full story on VeloCityOKC.com.