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Evening of Excellence Honoring Two at 2020 Gala
Robert E. “Gene” Anderson, M.D., Ph.D.
Evening of Excellence Honoring Two at 2020 Gala
A distinguished ophthalmology researcher and a leader of the community and finance sector will be honored during the 2020 Evening of Excellence.
The dinner, sponsored by the OU College of Medicine Alumni Association to raise funds for research by junior investigators, will be held Jan. 23, 2020, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. For information or tickets, contact Lindsey Manning at 405-271-2353 or Lindsey-Manning@ouhsc.edu.
The Dean’s Award for Distinguished Medical Service will be presented to Robert E. “Gene” Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., and the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Community Service will be presented to David Harlow.
Robert E. “Gene” Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., serves in multiple capacities for the Dean McGee Eye Institute and the OU College of Medicine.
Anderson arrived on campus in 1995, after serving in several faculty positions at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where he earned his medical degree in 1975. Prior to that, he had earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. In 1968, he completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
In the OU College of Medicine, he holds several professorships: James P. Luton Professor, George Lynn
Cross Research Professor, Professor of Ophthalmology and Professor of Cell Biology. In addition, he serves as interim chair of the Department of Cell Biology.
He served as director of the Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience at the OU Health Sciences Center from 1995 to 1999, and from 1998 to 2007, he served as founding chair of the Department of Cell Biology. He also served as Director of Vision Research at the Dean McGee Eye Institute from 1998 through 2018. During his 25-year tenure on campus, Anderson has maintained an active research laboratory and has received more than $62 million in grant support from the National Institutes of Health, placing him among a handful of top investigators at the OU Health Sciences Center. In addition, he has received more than $6 million in non-NIH support. Among vision scientists in Departments of Ophthalmology in the United States, Anderson ranked second in the nation in NIH grant support in 2009 and third in the nation in 2010 and 2011.
Anderson’s research focuses on retinal degenerations and the roles of lipids and lipid metabolism in retinal structure and function. He has published more than 300 articles in high-impact journals. His contributions to the field are significant and include the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in the visual system, which led to the Food and Drug Administration’s inclusion of long-chain n-3 fatty acids in human infant formulas, and a landmark discovery regarding the role of the insulin receptor in retinal photoreceptor cells.
“Dr. Anderson’s contributions to research in biomedical science have been truly monumental at every conceivable level,” said Gregory Skuta, M.D., president and CEO of Dean McGee Eye Institute. “These achievements can be attributed to Dr. Anderson’s personal success in the scientific arena but also to his extraordinary skills as a leader, mentor and teacher.”
Mentoring students and junior researchers has been a priority throughout Anderson’s career. Thus far, he has mentored 15 pre-doctoral students, 29 post-doctoral fellows and countless young faculty members, many of whom now have distinguished academic careers.
Anderson has held numerous leadership positions within his profession, including president of the International Society for Eye Research; vice president of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology; chair of the National Eye Institute’s Board of Scientific Counselors; and a member of scientific advisory panels for Research to Prevent Blindness, BrightFocus Foundation, and The Foundation Fighting Blindness.
David Harlow, an Oklahoma City native, serves as CEO of BancFirst Corporation. With assets of $8.4 billion, BancFirst Corporation is parent to Oklahoma’s largest state-chartered bank with locations in over 50 Oklahoma communities.
After receiving his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Southern Methodist University, Harlow returned to Oklahoma to earn his master of business administration degree from the University of Oklahoma. He began his career in the financial sector in 1986 with Liberty Bank and Trust, where he served as a loan administration officer. Eleven years later, he left Liberty as senior vice president and manager of the Metropolitan Lending Division.
After two years as executive vice president of Dorchester Capital Corporation, Harlow joined the BancFirst organization in 1999, serving as executive vice president and manager of commercial banking for BancFirst Oklahoma City. In 2003,
he was named regional executive and president of BancFirst Oklahoma City, and his responsibility grew to include the overall management and administration of BancFirst Corporation’s largest bank. In May 2017, he was named CEO of BancFirst Corporation.
Harlow’s community board of director commitments include the Oklahoma City Innovation District, United Way of Central Oklahoma, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, Kirkpatrick Family Fund and YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City. He and his wife, Aimee, are parents to Kristina, age 23, and Will, age 21.
Harlow serves as board chair for the Innovation District, of which the OU Health Sciences Center plays a crucial role. “We are grateful for David’s dedication to the Innovation District and his vision for increasing opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation and community growth,” said Jason Sanders, M.D., MBA, senior vice president and provost of the OU Health Sciences Center. “He sees the tremendous potential of the Innovation District and is a leader in developing strategies for its success.” .
David Harlow
