Palm Health Foundation Spotlights Brain Health Innovation at Home of Frances Fisher
Over 80 philanthropists, scientists and community leaders gathered at the Palm Beach, FL, home of Palm Health Foundation trustee and philanthropy committee chair Frances Fisher on April 13, 2022, for a fascinating “Brain Health Innovation” cocktail reception. The event highlighted the foundation’s vision to make Palm Beach County a national leader in brain health advancement and celebrated the cutting-edge research resulting from its $1 million gift to the Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute. The gift helped establish a new program in computational brain science and health, supports four graduate fellowships under the program per year, and funds faculty pilot research projects.
As guests enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and Mrs. Fisher’s beautiful home, they met with three of the Ph.D. students who received the Palm Health Foundation fellowships, Yosun Yoon, Joseph McKinley and Jasmine Chan, and learned about their research targeted at understanding the underpinnings and treatment of various brain disorders. Dr. Randy Blakely, executive director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, noted that the outstanding fellows excel in their fields of research, which target data-intensive investigations underlying Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and depression, among others, that benefit from computational approaches.
“Palm Health Foundation is honored to support these fellows in their contributions to the brain health field,” said Patrick McNamara, president and CEO of Palm Health Foundation. “We know that overall wellbeing is intimately connected to the good health of the brain. Our partnership with the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute is an example of the foundation’s commitment to fostering partnerships among philanthropists, brain science, community members and care settings that will lead to local and national impact.”
Mrs. Fisher spoke to guests about her own personal commitment to brain health through the establishment of the Frances Fisher Scholarship Fund at Palm Health Foundation to encourage individuals to enter and advance in the mental and behavioral health professions fields. She also praised the foundation for stewarding philanthropic donations toward funding significant research and brain health advancements. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside Palm Health Foundation in propelling Palm Beach County toward being a national leader in the brain health field,” she said.
Guests included: Dusty and Joyce Sang, Margaret Donnelly, Earnie Ellison, Chris Siegrist, Margie Betton, Beth Elgort, Michael Dolce, Maggie Gill, Jessica Merrell, Jill Merrell, Clovis Moodie, Allan and Jill Shore, Joe LaBanz, Anna Ewing and John Capotosto, Lisa Williams-Taylor, Senator Gayle Harrell, Representative David Silvers, Palm Beach County Mayor Robert Weinroth and his wife Pamela, Vice Mayor Gregg Weiss, Commissioner Maria Marino, and Palm Health Foundation trustees David Wisehaupt (chair), Dr. Alina Alonso, Greg Quattlebaum, Denise Bober, Barbara James, Nat Nason and Stephen Zaloom.
About Palm Health Foundation
Palm Health Foundation is Palm Beach County’s community foundation for health. With the support of donors and a focus on results, the foundation builds strong community partnerships, respects diverse opinions, advocates for its most vulnerable neighbors and inspires innovative solutions to lead change for better health now and for generations to come. The foundation supports health equity for Palm Beach County residents of all backgrounds, heritage, education, incomes and states of well-being. Palm Health Foundation has invested more than $89 million in Palm Beach County health since 2001. For more information about Palm Health Foundation, visit
palmhealthfoundation.org or call (561) 833-6333
