The Cary Council is dedicated to advancing early-stage research at UT Southwestern, in partnership with Southwestern Medical Foundation. Through engaging programming, they are catalyzing a new generation of community leaders and working to raise awareness of the important cause of academic medicine, research, and medical education in our community.

Our Inspiration

In 1939, Dr. Edward H. Cary had a vision to advance medical education, scientific research, and “inspire a great citizenship to greater deeds.” It was a vision that led to the establishment of both the Foundation and Southwestern Medical College, the precursor to today’s UT Southwestern Medical Center.

From the beginning, the Foundation and the medical school were supported by the city’s most farsighted civic and business leaders. What the Foundation has been able to achieve, it has done through the commitment of visionary leadership—a commitment that has helped build a great city while delivering life-changing advances in patient care, medical discoveries, dedicated physicians and brilliant scientists.

Through The Cary Council, the warmth of the relationship between civic leaders, the Foundation and UT Southwestern taps a new generation of leadership—young men and women that will carry on the visionary tradition that has enabled both the Foundation and the medical school to flourish.

Since its founding in 2015, The Cary Council has provided 21 $50,000 grants to early-stage researchers, resulting in $18.5+ million in follow-on funding. Additionally, The Cary Council has been able to participate along with esteemed leaders and philanthropists in the community to contribute to UT Southwestern’s Campaign for the Brain in support of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute.


A Personal Connection to Inspiring Impact

Lara and Brian Pryor share their story and why they are committed to supporting UT Southwestern and making an impact in their community.

The Cary Council Steering Committee

Lauren Baldwin

Victoria Huffines Bohn

Lili Clark

Jonathan Dietz

Molly Edwards

Barrell Jones

Alexandra Kahn

Alex Kincaid

Sam Kincaid

Brian Pryor

Lara Pryor

Josie Sewell (Chair)

Rob Swift

Erik Yohe

The Cary Council Founder’s Circle

Brittny Allred

Annika Cail

Lewis Chang

Nancy Collins

Lana Constantine

Grace Cook

Pete Dale

Anders Fisher

Amanda George

Michael Gregory

Grafton Ifill

Jacob Jones

Michael Kahn

Kate Morris

Amanda Shufeldt

Mills Weinmann


Recent News and Events

An Evening with DocStars 2024

November 7, 2024 – An Evening with DocStars 2024 was a milestone night for The Cary Council’s signature event. We celebrated early-stage research at UT Southwestern Medical Center in a big way.

What’s Up, Doc?

September 24, 2024 – The Cary Council held a meet & greet event on the campus of UT Southwestern to get to know the 2024 DocStars. This program featured breakout sessions where this year’s Early-Stage Research Grant recipients participated in a Q&A about their research with members of The Cary Council.

Learning From Leaders – Global Vision, Local Impact

April 9, 2024 – The Cary Council’s Learning From Leaders program was a captivating exploration of global issues and local responsibility. Featuring insights from Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Ambassador Robert Jordan (Ret.), this special program was also recorded as Southwestern Medical Foundation’s inaugural episode of Learning From Leaders – The Podcast.

Spring Kickoff – A Sneak Peak at the Bold Vision for Pediatric Care in North Texas

February 27, 2024 – The Cary Council’s Spring Kickoff event was an inspiring sneak peek at the bold vision of UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health. Their recently announced $5 billion pediatric campus is an immense undertaking and will reshape how medical experts care for our most vulnerable patients. Members and guests of The Cary Council were provided a glimpse of what the future of pediatric care will look like in North Texas from two prominent physician leaders.