The Center For BrainHealth had a lot of celebrating to do on Monday, September 30, at “a local country club.” With a record-breaking crowd including Ellen McStay, Emilynn Wilson, Pat and Charles McEvoy, Andy and Patrick Walsh and Beverly and Don Freeman for its 2024 Ramona Jones Friends Of BrainHealth Luncheon, it not only had Ramona Jones herself on hand, but also up-and-coming researchers vying for grants and receiving awards. Adding a special shine to the occasion was the fact that BrainHealth was celebrating its 25th anniversary year with record-breaking fundraising. Here’s a report from the field:
There were a lot of milestones to celebrate at the Center for BrainHealth’s 2024 Ramona Jones Friends of BrainHealth Luncheon at “a local country club” on Monday, September 30. Not only did this year’s luncheon help mark the 25th anniversary of the research institute – part of The University of Texas at Dallas – but the event leaders were also happy to announce a record-breaking year for fundraising and attendance.
2024 Friends of BrainHealth Co-Chair Nikki Kapioltas kicked the program off by sharing that this was the largest turnout for the annual luncheon, with 150 in attendance, and that $600,000 had been raised through the generosity of this year’s Friends of BrainHealth. Even better, she shared that nearly $5 million has been raised since the donor circle’s 2008 inception in support of innovative neuroscience research.
Center for BrainHealth Chief Director Sandi Chapman, PhD explained how “gratitude catapults brain health” as she recognized the 2024 Friends of BrainHealth Co-Chairs: Chad Cook and Nikki Kapioltas, Jolie and Bart Humphrey, Josey and Craig Kennington and Sarah and Will Schoellkopf.
This was the second year this “crowd favorite” event was sponsored by founding BrainHealth board member Ramona Jones, who attended the luncheon alongside her children, grandchildren, and many friends. Ramona’s family surprised the 96-year-old with the luncheon naming at her birthday celebration last year, and Sandi described her as “the poster girl for BrainHealth.”
As guests enjoyed their salmon salads – specifically chosen by co-chair Nikki as a “brain-healthy food” – BrainHealth Director of Clinical Research Lori Cook, PhD, CCC-SLP led a panel discussion with research finalists Micaela Andreo, Tracy Brown and Ashley Campos. The competing trio presented “Shark Tank”-style pitches for their novel research proposals to lead their own pilot studies on a variety of brain-related topics. Audience members had the opportunity to ask questions before filling out their ballots to select one winner to receive funding.
While the votes were being tallied, guests heard project overviews from three predetermined award winners, whose projects were made possible thanks to several Friends of BrainHealth donors who gave at the highest level this year. Those award recipients were:
- Dr. Jessica Kraft, the 2024 Beverly and Don Freeman Visionary New Scientist, who will explore cognitive aging trajectories in a novel longitudinal project, Structural and Functional Metrics of Brain Aging and Cognitive Decline;
- Jessica Ma, the 2024 Lyda Hill Philanthropies Visionary New Scientist, who will study the brain-basis for cognitive deficits in multiple sclerosis using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropsychological testing, Flowing in and out of the Brain: Understanding Blood Flow Between Networks as a Predictor of Cognitive Decline in Multiple Sclerosis;
- Hulon Sherard, the 2024 Kay and Will Beecherl Visionary New Scientist, who will seek to identify new biomarkers and treatment approaches in the first whole-brain examination of function with consideration to aging and Alzheimer’s, Exploring the Genesis of Alzheimer’s Disease Using Whole-Brain Metrics.
Co-Chair Sarah reminisced on helping to establish the Friends of BrainHealth during her time on staff at the Center and shared her excitement of seeing “so many old and new faces” in the crowd. She announced Micaela as the recipient of this year’s Friends of BrainHealth “audience choice” award for her proposal Improving the Effectiveness of Cognitive Training in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Social Networks to Improve Cognitive Networks. Micaela’s pilot study will investigate the impact of social networking on the efficacy of previously developed computerized training for individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
In closing, Sarah encouraged everyone to help incoming Friends of BrainHealth Co-Chairs Pam Busbee and Emilynn Wilson start the 2025 campaign off with a bang by renewing their support and that she wished she could embrace everyone in a “Friends of BrainHealth group hug.”
* Photo credit: Jason Voinov