We spent a lovely evening at the annual DocStars event hosted by The Cary Council! There was a welcome cocktail hour before guests headed back to the main event, with delicious food, a live DJ, and some insanely cool medical demonstrations where we learned about all the ways SWMF is advancing with medical technology.
Updated November 2025
AN EVENING WITH DOCSTARS 2025
On November 6th, The Cary Council hosted its annual An Evening with DocStars gala, bringing together supporters, medical leaders, and community members for a night celebrating early-stage research at Southwestern Medical Foundation. Guests enjoyed a welcome cocktail hour, followed by the main program featuring elevated bites, a live DJ, interactive medical demonstrations, and presentations from this year’s DocStars grant recipients.
THIS YEAR’S AWARD RECIPIENTS
Each year, DocStars highlights three emerging researchers whose work is pushing the limits of science and patient care. This year’s honorees shared updates on their groundbreaking studies:
🥼 Dr. Timothy J. Brown: Seeking a lasting cure for upper GI cancers using novel treatment combinations.
🩺 Dr. R. Nicholas Burns: Modernizing medical education to better prepare future surgeons.
🧠 Dr. Jeff Schaffert: Uncovering long-term brain changes from head impacts in former amateur football players.
THE CARY COUNCIL: A DECADE OF IMPACT
Since its founding in 2015, The Cary Council has funded 24 early-stage research grants totaling $1.2 million. These seed grants don’t just fuel big ideas — they help transform them into real, actionable discoveries. Impressively, these early investments have already generated more than $30 million in follow-on funding, accelerating the pace of medical innovation at Southwestern Medical Foundation.
DocStars serves as both a celebration of this momentum and a critical fundraiser ensuring that more young investigators have the opportunity to pursue bold, high-impact research.
SUPPORTING THE FUTURE OF MEDICAL DISCOVERY
All proceeds from the event directly support The Cary Council Fund at Southwestern Medical Foundation, guaranteeing that more early-stage research grants can be awarded in the years ahead. It’s a night that not only honors the scientists changing the future of care, but also empowers the community to be part of that change!
From the engaging demonstrations to the inspiring presentations, this year’s DocStars event reminded us just how vital these investments are for the future of medicine in Dallas and beyond.
