Sen. Mann, Rep. Miller hold joint study on creating Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY - Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, and Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond, teamed up for a joint interim study to see what it would take to establish an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Oklahoma. The study was held in the Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee on Friday. Mann and Miller are the co-chairs of the Legislature’s Alzheimer’s Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral group committed to promoting policies, legislation, and raising awareness about Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Experts provided testimony about the challenges and existing resources in Oklahoma for diagnosing and helping Oklahomans living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association of Oklahoma, there are 71,000 Oklahomans 65 and older with Alzheimer’s, and those numbers are continuing to rise. It’s currently the sixth leading cause of death, and the committee was told that one in three Oklahomans over 65 will die with some form of dementia. 

“Dementia is so prevalent and it is devastating, for the person living with it and for their caregivers – often a spouse or other family members. Just like most diseases, we know the earlier Alzheimer’s is detected and treated, the greater the chance for a better quality of life and for longer,” Mann said. “The challenge is awareness and access to existing tests and treatments. Having a National Institute on Aging (NIA) designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) would help us obtain federal grants to fund more research, clinical trials, and treatment. It would dramatically improve access in our state to quality, cutting edge treatments that would not otherwise be available here.”

Among the steps to lay the groundwork for establishing an ADRC in Oklahoma:

• Engage key stakeholders.
• Establish external advisory committee.
• Establish biomarker and biospecimen infrastructure. 
• Provide pilot funding for clinical and translational research projects.     

Lawmakers were also told that legislation championed by Mann and Miller in the 2026 session to create an Office of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Service Coordination would also facilitate establishing an Oklahoma research center.

"Alzheimer's disease is an issue I have cared deeply about and worked on throughout my time in the Legislature because of the impact it has on so many Oklahoma families," Miller said. "This study provided valuable insight into ongoing research and opportunities to move forward with establishing an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Oklahoma. A key recommendation was the importance of establishing an external advisory committee to help guide this effort. I look forward to building on this discussion and continuing our work to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Oklahomans living with this disease and their caregivers."

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For more information, contact:  
Sen. Mark Mann at 405-590-4471 or Mark.Mann@oksenate.gov
Rep. Nicole Miller at 405-557-7357 or Nicole.Miller@okhouse.gov