A Series of Fortunate Events

Dr. Fryer's ability to find optimism within the whirlwind of events that surrounded his father's death reflects a resiliency that has served him well. "You have to be malleable — willing to adjust — if you want to have a successful research career," he says.

Dr. Fryer is a neuroscientist whose primary focus is Alzheimer's disease. He began studying sepsis because people who survive it often have a period of delirium, and they have significantly greater risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.

He and his team had their own resolve tested before their sepsis discovery. At an early point in the research, they decided, reluctantly, to pause the project, Dr. Fryer says, because of lack of funding.

"I told the team we had to put the project on pause. I didn't want to say 'stop,' so I just said 'pause,'" says Dr. Fryer, who is also assistant dean of Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. "Everyone was surprised, and their shoulders just slumped. It was still bothering me when I got home. I told my wife, 'I just had to shut down this project. And it's a shame, because it's got a lot of potential, and it would lead to something impactful.'"

A few days later, everything changed when Dr. Fryer's lab received a gift from Gary and Marilyn Gilmer, who are members of Mayo Clinic's Florida Leadership Council and recognized as Major Benefactors.