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 $25+ 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
Josie and Carl Sewell have both been part of The Cary Council since its inception. They share their personal family health journey, which continues to drive their deep connection with UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health.
The Cary Council Steering Committee
Victoria Huffines Bohn
Lili Clark
Jonathan Dietz (Chair)
Saryn Dietz
Melissa Douglass
Molly Edwards
Melinda Poucher Gage
Alexandra Kahn
Brittany Mathews
Travis Mathews
Lara Pryor
Megan Shepherd
Mason Smith
Erik Yohe
Past Chair: Josie Sewell | Founder: Michael Kahn
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
Barrell Jones
Jacob Jones
Michael Kahn
Kate Morris
Josie Sewell
Amanda Shufeldt
Mills Weinmann
Recent News and Events
Spring Kickoff 2025 – A Night of Inspiration, Leadership, & Life-saving Skills
February 25, 2025 – The Cary Council gathered for its annual Kickoff Programming Event, setting the stage for another impactful year of supporting early-stage medical research and advancing health care innovation in North Texas. Held at UT Southwestern Medical Center, the evening celebrated the Council’s 10th anniversary with a decade of achievements, welcomed new members, and provided hands-on CPR training from one of the 2024 Early-Stage Research Grant recipients, Anezi Uzendu, M.D., FACC.
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.
