Inspiring a Higher Standard in Innovation means supporting new and bold ideas. The Cary Council has been doing just that through its Early-Stage Research Grants awarded to our affectionately named DocStars. In total, these early-career UT Southwestern researchers have gone on to receive an additional $9.4 million in federal funding after their initial DocStars grant. The 2022 DocStars were at Pegasus Park to meet and interact with The Cary Council members regarding their promising research.

What’s Up, Doc?

We were honored to welcome 2022 DocStars, Proshad Efune, M.D., and Robin Higashi, Ph.D., for an interactive night to get to know our grant recipients and learn more about their research. Special thanks to Dr. Moon who provided a video update to the Cary Council thanking them for supporting his research. Additionally, Dr. David Greenberg, M.D., (2018 DocStar) provided an update on his work studying infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.


2022 DocStars at Pegasus Park Photo Gallery

Meet the 2022 DocStars

Proshad Efune, M.D.

Dr. Efune’s research seeks to predict which children will be at risk for severe breathing complications following tonsillectomy in hopes of allowing more children to recover at home safely. After earning her medical degree at UT Southwestern, Dr. Efune completed a residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, followed by a residency in anesthesiology at UT Southwestern. She then completed fellowships in pediatric critical care medicine and pediatric anesthesiology at UT Southwestern and Children’s Health and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology & Pain Management and Pediatrics at UT Southwestern.  

Robin Higashi, Ph.D.

Dr. Higashi seeks to improve delivery of telehealth care to underserved patients with cancer in the Dallas-Redbird area. She earned an undergraduate degree in psychology at Stanford University and a doctorate in medical anthropology at the University of California, San Francisco before joining UT Southwestern as an Assistant Professor in the O’Donnell School of Public Health.

Dominic Moon, M.D.

Dr. Moon’s work aims to tailor head and neck cancer treatment regimens to each specific patient. Currently, Dr. Moon is studying a novel blood test to help physicians assess response to treatment and better understand the biology of each individual cancer. He earned his medical degree at University of Michigan Medical School where he spent a year conducting translational research at the National Institutes of Health through the prestigious Medical Research Scholars Program. He then completed his residency training in radiation oncology at the University of North Carolina Hospitals, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Moon now serves as the Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern.