The GROklahoma Podcast Show

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | The Line That Never Crosses: On Milk, Miles, and the Mothers in Between – The One with Jaclyn Huxford: Episode 28 (2026)

Jaclyn Huxford grew up in Goldthwaite, Texas: 38 classmates, 4-H projects, and a family that raised sheep. She learned early that if a baby lamb didn't get colostrum in the first twenty-four hours, it usually didn't make it. That wasn't a lesson. That was Tuesday. And it turns out, it was the beginning of a public health career.
Today, she runs the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline — 24/7, staffed only by board-certified lactation consultants, serving families across one of the most rural states in the country. She's a mother of three who applies this knowledge daily, a registered dietitian, an IBCLC, and the person who once used her personal cell to call back a military family in Japan on Easter Sunday because the hotline doesn't take holidays. She has been the driving force behind expanding it to include texting, telehealth, and multilingual support statewide.
In this episode, Jaclyn gets real about what lactation care looks like when families can't drive three hours, can't afford out-of-pocket consultants, and are calling at 2 am with a crying baby and a crying grandmother. She talks about the PUMP Act closing loopholes that left working mothers unprotected, why free telehealth may be the most direct equity tool available right now, and her vision for a world where a lactation visit is as routine as the two-week pediatric check-up.
One of the most honest stretches of this conversation happens when she’s asked about AI. She doesn’t dismiss it. She can see exactly where it could help — quick medication questions, 24/7 access, and reducing unnecessary ER visits. But she’s also watched the consumerism around breastfeeding spiral into something that could overwhelm any new mother, sleep-deprived and scrolling at midnight. And she’s cautious about what happens when AI adds to that noise instead of cutting through it.
Throughout the conversation, Jaclyn reflects on the policy wins her network has fought for, the cross-organizational relationships that make Oklahoma’s lactation ecosystem function, and her vision for a future in which a telehealth visit with a lactation consultant is as routine as the two-week pediatric check-up. She also tells a story about a high-risk mother she met virtually during pregnancy, texted through the newborn period, and watched keep her baby out of the NICU. That one’s worth the whole episode.
This conversation came to us through Becky Mannel (Ep. 22), who recommended Jaclyn the moment her own recording wrapped. If you haven't heard that episode, start there. These two are a single arc.
If you care about maternal health, rural access, health technology, or what it looks like when a small team refuses to quit — this one’s for you.
 
“Do you know what the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline is?”
1-877-271-MILK  •  Text OK2BF to 61222
 
The GROklahoma Podcast is an initiative of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR). New episodes amplify the people and programs shaping the future of clinical and translational research in Oklahoma and beyond.
GROklahomapodcast@ouhsc.edu  •  GROklahomapodcast@gmail.com  •  @groklahomapodcast

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | The Fulbright Year That Changes Everything: On Leaving, Belonging, and Coming Home Different – The One with Dr. Rita Keresztesi: Episode 27 (2026)

What if one of the most important investments you could make in your research career wasn’t a grant, a publication, or a promotion but a year that quietly rewires everything?
Welcome to the first episode of 2026. I’m recording this from Seoul, South Korea, in the final months of my Fulbright U.S. Presidential STEM Scholar appointment. I came here to study cancer survivorship across cultures. What I didn’t expect was how deeply this experience would reshape how I think about research itself: who it serves, where it happens, and what we miss when we never leave the building.
I didn’t want to tell this story alone. So, I’m joined by Dr. Rita Keresztesi, Professor of English at the University of Oklahoma and former Fulbright Ambassador, who took a Fulbright to Burkina Faso in 2010 and never came back the same. We come from completely different disciplines, humanities and clinical science, but Fulbright forced both of us to confront the same questions about purpose, belonging, and what it means to do meaningful work across borders. Rita was also one of the first people I called when I was preparing my own application. She didn’t give me the polished version; she gave me the real one. What it would cost, what it would give me, and what I'd need to survive it. And now I get to share that conversation with you.
Together, we unpack how Fulbright actually works: from Post vs. Commission structures and protected research time to what makes an application competitive. We also talk about loneliness, re-entry shock, and how global immersion can expand the way researchers design work that truly reaches communities. This episode is for the student, the researcher, the faculty member, the dreamer, anyone who has ever felt called to something bigger, more global, more human.
This one sat with me for months. I hope it sits with you too.
 
The GROklahoma Podcast is an initiative of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR).

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | The Work Behind the Work: Community, Care, and Networking – The One with Dr. Dee Terrell: Episode 26 (2025)

In this year-end episode, we sit down with Dr. Deirdra "Dee" Terrell, a Professor of Epidemiology at the Hudson College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, for a thoughtful conversation about what it really takes to do research that stays connected to people.
Dr. Terrell reflects on her journey from growing up in a small rural town in Oklahoma to becoming a clinical epidemiologist whose work focuses on platelet disorders such as immune thrombocytopenia and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. She shares how family, early experiences with illness, and life outside the lab have shaped her approach to science and leadership. We talk about why listening to patients matters, what qualitative and mixed-methods research can reveal that clinical measures alone often miss, and how research decisions affect people’s daily lives in ways that are not always visible on paper.
The conversation also explores mentoring, networking, and community building as relational work. Dr. Terrell shares how meaningful connections, thoughtful sponsorship, and everyday kindness have influenced her path and her approach to guiding students and colleagues. As we close out the year, we reflect on sustainability, rest, and staying grounded while carrying responsibility. This episode is an invitation to pause, take stock, and think about what kind of work, relationships, and values we want to carry into the year ahead.
We’ll see you in the new year, ready to keep the conversation going.
 
The GROklahoma Podcast is an initiative of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR).

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | Where Data Meets Humanity: Transforming Child Health in Oklahoma – The One with Dr. David Bard: Episode 25 (2025)

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. David Bard, Professor, Children’s Health Foundation Endowed Research Chair in Pediatrics, and the Chief Research Informatics Officer at OUHS,  to unpack what it really takes to turn data into action in a state where health disparities run deep. Born in Oklahoma but raised across several states, Dr. Bard brings a uniquely flexible lens to his work at the intersection of psychology, quantitative science, informatics, and implementation. Together, we explore the realities of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), why real-world data is both messy and essential, and how Oklahoma’s rural and underserved communities shape the science in profound ways.
From geospatial tools to cross-agency data harmonization, from AI’s promise to its pitfalls, and from “don’t lean on me” mentoring philosophies to the wisdom of simple models, this episode is a masterclass in doing science that actually changes lives. What struck me most was his grounded leadership philosophy: ask questions, stay curious, and lean on the collective expertise around you. In an era of AI, silos, and data overload, that reminder felt like a breath of fresh air. So if you care about health equity, data, or the future of Oklahoma’s children and families, this episode is for you.
 
The GROklahoma Podcast is an initiative of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR).

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | The Gauntlet of Research: Lessons in Grit, Innovation, and Academic Medicine – The One with Dr. Courtney W. Houchen: Episode 24 (2025)

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Courtney W. Houchen, George Lynn Cross Research Professor and Chair of Oncology at the OU Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Houchen’s journey began in Brooklyn, where he was among the first children in the U.S. Head Start program. A love for math, science, and baseball led him to Howard and Atlanta University, where Nobel-trained mentors first introduced him to research. Choosing a summer in the lab over clinical shadowing changed everything as it opened the doors to one of the most competitive fellowships in gastroenterology and instilled in him a lifelong question: not just how to treat patients, but how to cure them.
That mindset led to groundbreaking work on cancer stem-like cells, the rare, drug-resistant drivers of tumor growth and metastasis. His discovery led him to file a patent and launch COARE, a biotech company founded to “kill cancer at its core.”
In this conversation, Dr. Houchen reflects on:
The gauntlet of research and why mentorship and persistence matter.
The pressures of academic medicine, where revenue often outweighs discovery.
The power of networking, from cold-calling Harvard scientists to building collaborations across disciplines.
The lessons of entrepreneurship, and why learning from others’ mistakes is essential.
The future of research, from AI’s productivity boost to the promise of the immune system as the “holy grail” of science.
For Dr. Houchen, joy comes from finding connections that explain scientific phenomena. His parting challenge: How will we re-energize academic medicine?
Whether you’re a budding researcher, clinician-entrepreneur, or someone navigating the messy middle of science and academia, this episode offers lessons in grit, discovery, and resilience.
Quote to remember: “Even though I just wanted to be a doctor, my goal all my life was to cure cancer.” – Houchen, CW

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | Hope is Her Name: From STRONG Scholar to Future Pharmacist – The One with Hope Reeves: Episode 23 (2025)

In this episode, we sit down with Hope Reeves, a recent graduate of the University of Oklahoma and a trainee in the American Cancer Society’s STRONG Program, an initiative designed to diversify the next generation of cancer researchers and healthcare professionals. Hope brings with her a powerful intersection of science and cultural insight, holding degrees in Human Health & Biology and Native American Studies. As an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation and a descendant of the Chickasaw Nation, her lived experiences have shaped her passion for community-driven, culturally responsive healthcare.
We explore how growing up as the youngest of ten in a tight-knit family inspired her commitment to healthcare and Indigenous advocacy. Hope reflects on the importance of mentorship, facing self-doubt, and the courage it takes to step into spaces not originally built with voices like hers in mind. She opens up about the real barriers to healthcare access in Native communities, including her mother’s journey from Texas to Oklahoma for a second opinion. She also shares her evolving vision for the kind of pharmacist she hopes to become, one who brings together clinical skill and cultural humility, and how the STRONG Program has helped shape her understanding of research, representation, and preventive care.
Hope also takes us into the lighter side of her life, revealing her favorite Oklahoma comfort foods (spoiler: ramen and Indian tacos), and a fun fact not found on her CV: the hours she’s clocked on Fortnite with her friends as a way to de-stress. This conversation is equal parts inspiring and grounding. It’s a story of voice, visibility, and validation. Hope is more than a name—it’s a force guiding the future of healthcare in Oklahoma and beyond.
 
Notable mentions in this episode
American Cancer Society STRONG Program
Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Episode 18 with Michelle Fair (Senior Director of Philanthropy at ACS)
SCC CRTEC
Special shout-out to the CRTEC team for their help in bringing this episode to life.
The GROklahoma Podcast is an initiative of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR).

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | For the Babies: Milk, Medicine, and the Movement for Maternal Health – The One with Becky Mannel: Episode 22 (2025)

In this episode, we sit down with Becky Mannel, a trailblazer in maternal and infant health whose journey began with a personal frustration: being a new mom struggling to breastfeed with no one around to help, not even in a hospital full of physicians. That experience lit a fire that would lead her to become a nationally recognized lactation advocate, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Mothers’ Milk Bank, and a leader in reshaping infant health policy in the state.
Becky shares how she entered the field after years of raising her children at home, and how she gradually carved out a professional path in a space that was still under-recognized and under-resourced. From launching Oklahoma’s first and only human milk bank to spearheading legislation protecting breastfeeding rights, her work sits at the intersection of public health, equity, and systems change.
One of the most powerful moments of the conversation centers around a case study involving a foster infant with failure to thrive. When formula failed and Medicaid wouldn’t cover donor milk, Becky’s advocacy — and a dramatic clinical turnaround — ultimately helped change policy in the state. She discusses how stories like these illustrate why lactation care is not just a personal matter, but a critical public health issue with long-term consequences.
Throughout the episode, Becky reflects on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, listening to stakeholders, advocating with data, and staying rooted in purpose. From beginning-of-life care to the quiet parallels she shares with her husband’s work in cancer and end-of-life care, this conversation serves as a reminder that our systems only function effectively when we center on people and their lived experiences.
If you care about public health, health equity, maternal care, or policy translation or if you just love a good story about someone who turned a personal pain point into statewide impact — this one’s for you.
The GROklahoma Podcast is an initiative of the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources (OSCTR).

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | From PTA to Powerhouse – The One with Cheron Henry and Dr. Lurdes Queimado: Episode 21 (2025)

What happens when a powerhouse in fintech and a molecular biologist walk into a PTA meeting? Magic, in the form of STEM nights, community grants, and generational impact.
In this heartwarming episode, Dr. Lurdes Queimado (MD, PhD), a physician-scientist whose journey began in a rural Portuguese village under dictatorship rule, and Cheron Henry (MBA, MIS), a fintech leader and equity advocate born and raised in Oklahoma, share how their unlikely partnership sparked a transformation at Red Oak Elementary in Oklahoma City. What started as a casual conversation at a school PTA meeting turned into a powerful collaboration rooted in shared values, volunteerism, and an unwavering belief in the power of education.
Together, they brought STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math—out of textbooks and into Oklahoma students' hands through interactive experiences like banana suturing and bridge-building. Their story is a testament to how grassroots action, even amid personal and professional challenges, can lead to meaningful change. Lurdes shares how she balanced academic life while caring for a loved one undergoing cancer treatment. Cheron reflects on impostor syndrome and the strength it takes to lead as a Black woman in Oklahoma’s tech industry, all while raising her family and staying present in her community.
This episode isn’t just about STEM. It’s about showing up, doing what you can with what you have, and believing that your presence matters, especially in schools across Oklahoma. Whether you're a researcher, parent, mentor, or someone wondering if the PTA is worth your time, this conversation will move you. It’s a call to action for anyone who has ever doubted the ripple effect of small efforts or wondered whether they had enough time to give. (Spoiler: you do. And the impact is bigger than you think.)

The GROklahoma Podcast Show | Science with Sovereignty: Serving Native Communities – The One with Dr. Ashley Comiford: Episode 20 (2025)

Continuing our exploration into Native American and American Indian health, this episode features Dr. Ashley Comiford, an epidemiologist at Cherokee Nation Health Services and a fierce advocate for equity. From a small Oklahoma town to leading research on cancer disparities, infectious disease, and tobacco-related illness, Dr. Comiford shares the powerful story of how her Cherokee identity shaped her path in public health.
She pulls back the curtain on what it truly means for American Indian/Alaska Native tribes to be sovereign nations and how this legal and cultural reality influences everything from healthcare access to who owns the data in research. We also discuss the challenges of conducting ethical, community-led research, the importance of tribal Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and what sustainable partnerships should entail. She also reflects on her frontline work during the COVID-19 pandemic and explains why the recent $17 million NIH ICON grant could be a game-changer for cancer outcomes in Native communities.
This episode is as personal as it is a political reminder that data without trust is dangerous, and that the most impactful science is built in collaboration with, not on, the comPlease tunety. Tune in to hear from a public health leader who’s turning her lived experience into systemic change and lighting the way forward for Native health equity.
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The GROklahoma Podcast Show | Nursing the Heart of Oklahoma – From Practice to Purpose: How HRSA Grants Are Powering APRNs and the Next Generation of Change-Makers: Episode 19 (2025)

In this powerful episode, we explore how a federally funded initiative is shaping the future of healthcare across rural Oklahoma. Joining us are Dr. Susan Dresser, Regents Professor and Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing, OUHS, and three exceptional DNP students: Cody Bynum, Meagan Wright, and Debra Hawkins—each a recipient of the Oklahoma Workforce Innovations in Nursing grant, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The grant, awarded in 2023, is a $2.5 million initiative designed to increase access to quality healthcare by preparing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to serve rural, tribal, and medically underserved communities. The grant supports tuition, clinical placements, interprofessional education, and training rooted in cultural humility and healthcare access.
 
Together, our guests share:
Their deeply personal journeys into nursing—from military service and rural ICU caregiving to a lifelong dream reignited after raising families.
The barriers to healthcare in Oklahoma, including provider shortages, chronic disease, and poverty.
How Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) bring evidence-based practice to the bedside and improve care at the systems level.
The impact of immersive clinical training experiences in correctional health, homeless shelters, and Native communities.
Why telehealth, policy change, and interprofessional collaboration are essential for expanding care in hard-to-reach places.
This conversation offers an honest, inspiring look into how Oklahoma nurses are meeting patients where they are—and how the HRSA grant is helping build a workforce ready to lead, serve, and innovate across the state.