The Cary Council is a group of young leaders dedicated to advancing the importance of early stage research, in support of Southwestern Medical Foundation and UT Southwestern. Thanks to the generosity of our members and the community, The Cary Council has awarded Early Stage Research Grants of $50,000 each to several emerging investigators at UT Southwestern, or “DocStars”. These grants have supported an array of research studies in the fields of breast cancer, genomic technologies, infectious disease, and other important areas. Since it’s inception, the DocStar recipients have gone on to earn an additional $9.4 million in follow on funding.
2022 Early-Stage Research Grant Recipients
Proshad Efune, M.D.
Predicting which children will be at risk for severe breathing complications following tonsil-removal surgery
Robin Higashi, Ph.D.
Improving delivery of telehealth care to cancer patients among underserved populations
Dominic Moon, M.D.
Developing a blood test to help physicians predict how an individual’s cancer will respond to treatments
Previous Early-Stage Research Grant Recipients
Emily H. Adhikari, M.D.
Fighting infectious diseases in pregnancy and reducing the risk of other pregnancy complications
Prasanna Alluri, M.D., Ph.D.
Building targeted therapies to overcome treatment-resistant breast cancer
Samuel John, M.D.
Using innovative therapy approaches to improve cancer treatment for children
Chika Nwachukwu, M.D., Ph.D.
Developing safer and more effective treatment options for cervical cancers
Olutoyosi Ogunkua, M.D.
Addressing life-threatening risks and complications during childbirth
Luis Sifuentes-Dominguez, M.D.
Creating novel treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Disease